Storytelling is a powerful educational tool that promotes cognitive engagement and emotional bonding, paving the way for holistic language development. This is especially true for children, who use stories to explain the world around them, as well as to develop empathy and interpersonal skills.
The story development process is a journey that takes a kernel of an idea and turns it into a full-fledged script. It’s an essential part of the writing journey that every writer must master. However, the path can be difficult as your original vision meets with the reality of production costs and other outside forces. That’s why it’s so important to develop a solid framework for your narrative and hone your craft to make sure you can articulate and defend your ideas.
Start with a Logline
A logline is a one-line summary that provides an overview of your story. It can help you keep your story focus as you write and also serve as a pitch to producers and agents.
Define Your Characters
Identify the key characters who will drive your story’s narrative forward and begin to tease out their internal struggles. Often, these internal obstacles will form the core of your protagonist’s character arc, so developing them in earnest is critical to establishing a clear direction as you develop and draft your story.
The final stage of your story is the climax, where all the ‘yes, but’ and ‘no, and’ moments you built up throughout your rising action come to a head. Defining your story’s climax at the outset is an effective way to ensure that your plot carries your audience through the twists and turns to the inevitable resolution.