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Writer's pictureIan Brooks

What is a Good Story Idea?


tell your story

Do you want to write a story but are struggling to come up with an idea? Maybe it’s a short story, or a novella, or a children’s book or a full-length epic. The truth is, no one can give you a good story idea. If they do, it won’t truly be your story and your heart won’t be in it. But they can give you the kernel of an idea. They can provide a very simple premise upon which you can flesh and build your own characters and story and make it your own.


Rather than providing specific examples about possible stories, consider these premises:


Growth


A story about a character who grows or transforms over the course of the story. The reader or audience becomes invested with this growth and cheers (or boos!) the character on. This could feature a child growing up or an adult unhappy with their life pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.


Dystopian


A story about a world different to our own. The way society functions in this world can be different and it can have its own structures and rules. Think of The Hunger Games or the Divergent trilogy.


Quest for Knowledge


A story where the main character must learn something to reach their goals. Maybe they succeed in this journey. Maybe they fail. For example, the story could centre around a boy’s quest to find out the truth about his dead parents or a wife unravelling the lies her husband has told her.


Love and Loss


A story detailing the romance between two people and the loss they suffer when they can’t be together. This could be due to death, personal or family circumstance.


Supernatural Detective


A story where a detective investigates supernatural happenings. The journey could follow him/her as they unearths clues and the truth and battles the main villain.


Hidden Identity


A character in your book is not who they seem and keeps their true identity hidden until the very end of the story. This could be the twist that shocks the reader.


Unreliable Narrator


Maybe the narrator in your story is unreliable. They could have their own motivations for telling the story the way they do or perhaps they lie about something to hide their true motivations.


Unexpected Allies


A story where two characters with different backgrounds and characters who would never be friends in everyday life team up to face an obstacle. This can be powerful or comedic.

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