Is This Idea Good Enough?

As the saying goes, ideas are a dime a dozen. We've all been there—sometimes at three a.m., wide awake, staring at the ceiling, sometimes on the way home from work, or even after overhearing a conversation between strangers— you feel that itch, that tingle telling you you’re on to something interesting. But can you be sure? How do you know if your idea is just an idea or if it is the basis of a story?

Before I start writing, I ask myself five questions. Depending on the answers, I write or return to the drawing board. Not being able to answer yes to all five questions doesn’t mean that I scrap my idea; it means I must refine and cultivate my idea's character details and story elements.

1. Goal: Does my protagonist have a clear goal? Is what they want or need well-defined, quantifiable, and measurable? Determining the protagonist's goal is critical because it drives the story. A quantifiable and measurable goal is essential because it will provide a roadmap for plot points. Most importantly, a clear goal allows readers to engage and invest in the story.

 2. Conflict: Does my idea include challenges and obstacles the protagonist must overcome to reach their goal? Conflict is the engine that pushes your story forward and keeps your readers turning the pages; writing a story that captures the reader’s attention would be nearly impossible without it.

There are four main types of conflict: human vs. human, human vs. self, human vs. nature, and human vs. society. It is important to note that in writing, conflict and catastrophe are not synonyms. The protagonist’s conflict can be very personal, seemingly insignificant to others. An example of such is the short story The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis (https://electricliterature.com/the-graveless-doll-of-eric-mutis-by-karen-russell/).

 3. Round Characters: Is my protagonist interesting enough to carry the story? Does my protagonist have a solid backstory, motivations, and interesting traits? Are they relatable? Likeable? Authentic?

Writing a character study is an effective way to identify what I have and what I need to add to my protagonist’s character. Why take the extra time? Without a well-developed protagonist, you won’t be able to create the buy-in necessary to keep the reader engaged and rooting for your protagonist.

4. Emotional Core: Does my idea have the potential to elicit an emotional reaction from the reader? Again, this is important because the emotional content will keep readers engaged. This ties directly to the development of the protagonist. If the protagonist isn’t round, eliciting an emotional reaction from the reader will be difficult.

5. Potential for Change: If my protagonist overcomes the obstacles and challenges I have outlined for my story, will it change their character? Will they transform? As with Conflict, the change does not have to be extreme—zero to superhero—but a change of some degree is critical. The potential for transformation adds a layer of intrigue to the story. This will keep readers invested in the protagonist's journey.  

Remember, a great story often emerges from unexpected twists and turns, even we, as writers, didn’t see coming. A story idea doesn’t have to be big to be impactful. Small stories and personal internal conflicts can be as powerful as apocalyptic tales and stories about world wars. Don't be afraid to experiment and explore different directions with your idea. This is what makes writing fiction exciting and rewarding.

Next Post: I will discuss the submission process. With so many magazines and the possibility of rejection, it can be daunting. I‘ll share some techniques I use to manage the process without becoming overwhelmed.

To that end, if you have time, here are a few magazines I really enjoy—full transparency, some I have work published or work forthcoming, but regardless, I would read them!

Short Story: https://shortstory.substack.com/ They publish great work and have a unique pay structure that benefits the artist.

Hominum: https://www.hominumjournal.org/ If you have time, I highly recommend Henry by Theo Zucker. I loved this story.

The Blood Pudding: http://thebloodpudding.com/fiction/

The Flash Frog: https://flash-frog.com/ Read Tom Walsh’s Last Call, https://flash-frog.com/2024/01/29/last-call-by-tom-walsh/