Ideas & planning · Tip 9 of 82 · 4 min read
Which Idea Should I Write?
Got too many ideas? Try these quick tests to pick the one that's ready to become a story.
Having lots of ideas is a lovely problem to have. But you can only write one story at a time, so how do you choose? Here are some quick tests to help.
Test 1: The excitement test
Which idea makes you want to start writing right now? If you keep thinking about it, that's a great sign. Readers can feel when a writer is having fun.
Test 2: The trouble test
A story needs a problem. Ask: does something go wrong in this idea? If you can't think of any trouble, the idea might be a nice picture rather than a story, at least for now.
Okay 😐
A girl has a pet unicorn and they live in a lovely meadow.
Wow! 🤩
A girl has a pet unicorn, but the unicorn has started shrinking, and by Saturday it will be too small to see.
Test 3: The size test
Some ideas are too big for the time you have. A war between three planets might need a whole book! If you're writing a short story, pick an idea that can happen in a day or two, in just a few places.
Test 4: The one-sentence test
Try to say your story in one sentence: who wants what, and what's stopping them. If you can, your idea is ready to go.
Sami wants to win the sandcastle contest, but the tide is coming in early. A lonely lighthouse wants a friend, but every ship sails straight past.