Asking the hard questions when writing a story

Thinking of ideas is the easy part, Successfully executing them is hard.

Television shows are not successful just because they have a good idea. Shows like Adventure Time are not smash hits because of the novelty, It draws an audience because each episode has a strong story structure.

When I am starting to write a new story there are a few questions that I try to answer when going through what I like to call the Idea stage.

1. Who is my main character?
2. Where is the story happening?
3. For what reason is the story happening here?
4. What does my main character want/need?
5. Do their wants/needs conflict with someone else's?
6. What does my main character do in the first minute to connect with the audience?
7. What are the stakes if the main character fails?
8. What is the overall message or theme of the show?
9. Are there any elements of the story that can be removed?
10. What is the overall message or theme of the show and does it get conveyed?

Questions 8, 9 , and 10 are by far the most important on the list. I ask them last because they will probably cause you to rewrite your entire story. Most people don't think about theme when writing a story, so if you set aside the time before rushing in, you will be ahead of most of the competitors.

Then there's the Three act structure, which is an entirely different conversation to be had.

Thanks for reading,

I wish you luck

Nichobono