Story Development: A comprehensive guide to get your writing started the right way

By Margreit Maitland

Don't miss this comprehensive resource for your creative writing project! 

It's all quite exciting. The very thought of writing something. Of taking an idea and turning it into something special. But how do you get started? This is the question that motivated me to design this Story Development guide for you the aspir

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maitland Writing
• Release date: Jan 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798987701607

Margreit Maitland

Writing has always been a dream, floating in the back of Margreit's mind for as long as she can remember. A love for literature was instilled in her by her mother and her family in general from an early age. While growing up, she read a wide range of books from the classics to something quick and fun, and adored getting lost in a story. When her grandfather Frost gave her the journal about Robert's trek across the world, it captured her imagination, and bringing his story of joy, heartbreak, and courage to life became a passion. She is proud to present this series as her debut to the writing world.Since the publication of the first two novels in the series, Margreit has launched a Creative Writing Workshop for children aged 10 and up for schools and libraries and is enjoying an opportunity to help students discover their potential and original ideas. In addition, she created an online Creative Writing Bootcamp which is available for all writers and aspiring writers age 17 and up. Sharing what she has learned about writing and helping others tap into their imaginations in creating stories is a happy accident. Margreit is an enthusiastic supporter of literature, education, science, wildlife, and nature. The source of which lies in being encouraged (at a very young age) to muck around in the mud searching for hermit crabs and other tiny or large inhabitants of the natural world. She enjoys living on Long Island, where she is happily surrounded by beaches and with her two children and cat. In her spare time, she can be found staying active and outside whenever possible and with her treasured family and friends. In the future, she looks forward to sharing many more stories.

Book preview

One

Story Development Introduction

In order to get you started, I need you to focus on the very first step of formulating your story, the idea! This is the building block from which you will develop your novel (or literary work). Think of your idea, as if it is an actual building, which of course must have a sound foundation and solid framework, so it can stand on its own without falling apart.

There are a few different ways to approach your project, by character, story, or plot, or by creating a world first. So what is the difference?

Character Driven: here the story revolves around a person, real or imagined, so much so that nothing would happen in the same way if not for your main character and his/her reactions to the events.

Story/Plot Driven: the concept for a story doesn’t have to be based on a person. It can center on actual events, the action. In this method, the focus is on developing what happens and the order, where it doesn’t matter who the main characters are, the end result will be the same. So a beginning point can be a place or object, a race, or a mystery, and the elements, setting, and characters are built from there.

World Driven: it’s not about a character or the action, it’s about the world. Most often this method is used in fantasy or science fiction works, however, it really is open to any