by Jim
How do you expand an idea? I have this idea for years now, but as soon as I try to expand it, it starts to sound boring and then I just dunno which way to go with this.
Hi there!
Thanks for the question. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to expand an idea, even if it’s a good one. Sometimes there just isn’t enough meat to expand an idea, at which point it could remain a short story or an essay. There’s nothing wrong with this, it’s just what happens sometimes.
However, if this is something you’re constantly running into, then there are some things you can do to try to expand upon it. The first thing I would do is put your ideas down on paper. Get it down and then read it, then re-read it. Try adding a line if you can here or there to see where it goes. You can also try ‘what if’ scenarios to see what would happen if the story goes a different way then you originally want it to.
While adding to the summary you’ve written, don’t be afraid to come up with characters on the side. Come up with a few main protagonists and antagonists that would work in this idea. Now answer the following questions:
What’s their background?
What are their vices?
What would you include about their backstory?
What’s their personality like?
In the antagonist’s case, what circumstances pushed this character into the ‘bad guy’ role?
If you can answer these questions, you’ve already expanded on your story. Now add them in with everything you answered in these questions and build your idea around them. There you go, you’ve expanded your idea by adding in new ideas and new topics to cover in order to enhance the initial idea.
Another thing to try is simply talking about the idea. I know that may sound obvious, but a lot of people are worried about sharing their ideas with friends or in a writing circle community due to someone stealing their idea. It’s a risk that we all have to contend with, but it’s honestly something that rarely happens in writing circles, one because litigation can happen, two because no one want’s their own IP being copied either.
Finally, and I know no one wants to hear this, but be open and willing to accept that the idea may not be great. It’s okay to have a good idea and not have it pan out into anything. Sometimes ideas will simply stay as ideas. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Anyway, let’s turn it over to my readers. Do you have any advice or anything to add? Am I right on or do you think that there’s more to it?
Thanks!
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
James Harringtons Creative Work 
My wife asked me the other day what I would do if I came up with a great idea for story “X”. If story “X” is already finished, would I be tempted to go back and rewrite the story? The answer was no. If it is that great an idea, I might work it into the next story, or the one after that.
I like making a short story or essay, but sometimes, an idea can fit very well as a scene in a much larger story. Also, sometimes ideas can be combined to paint a bigger picture. Only the writer can decide that.
And sadly, sometimes even the best ideas go nowhere, but it might serve as a writing prompt for someone else to make buckets of money. I know. Life can be cruel.
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Thank you, Jim, for answering my questions. This definitely helped a lot. I’m going to take part in NaNoWriMo in November, so before then I’m gonna use your methods to expand my story idea and see where it goes.
The idea: Birthmarks tell you where your ‘death-blow’ will be. Angels of Death keep the ever growing population in check, since people have learned how to prolong their lives indefinitely. This is the story of a boy and an angel of death, and how they intersect when he needs to die at the age of 17 – to become an angel of death himself. His denial. Losing the girl he just found, and loves. Leaving a little brother who has no-one else but him.
That’s as far as I got.
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Good advice, Jim. – thanx for posting.
The main thing for me is to begin writing as soon as you can when the idea comes to you. We’re all different, but in my experience, ideas have their own shelf-life. If I don’t at least get a rough draft down, the idea starts to fade out, and no amount of note-taking will make it as vital as it seemed when it first popped into my head. I can play around with it afterward and try to expand it, but if I don’t nail down something more than the idea itself, it expires.
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