Tips from Bob Mayer – #3

The last tip (that I’m sharing anyway) from Bob Mayer’s The Novel Writer’s Toolkit is that Idea Does Not Equal Story.

Many beginning writers hesitate to share their story idea for fear that someone will steal it, write their story and become a bestselling author with it. Bob explains why that fear is unfounded.

The original idea is only the foundation for your story. It’s often (intentionally) generic and somewhat vague. But a story includes characters, settings, timing, point of view, pacing, etc. The story answers all the questions that your idea raises – Who, What, When, Where, How.

“What if a person with limited mental capacity interacts with the world?” The film A Dangerous Woman uses this idea. So does Forest Gump. And they are very different stories. (Films work the same way as books when it comes to idea vs. story.)

Take any idea and give it to two writers. I guarantee they’ll write completely different stories.

You don’t have to worry about someone stealing your idea. Instead, worry that your idea isn’t interesting enough for someone to want to steal it.

Have you ever taken an idea and had a writing challenge with a friend to see what kind of stories you each came up with?

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