Story Brainstorming Questions
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1Story Brainstorming Questions
When you have a new story idea, these questions are meant to help you take it deeper.
Character Questions (for major characters)
Who is my character?
What is she named and why?
If I had to describe her in one word, it would be:
What’s her family like?
What does she value?
What lie does she believe?
Why does she believe that lie? What happened in her past that caused her to believe it?
What is her main goal in the story?
Why is she ideal for the journey and why is she not?
Who are her allies and who are her enemies?
What will my main character sacrifice?
How does she need to change?
What happens if she doesn’t meet her goals? Why are her goals important? How can I make
that worse for her? Who else could it impact?
In what ways is she operating against society and in what ways is she operating within?
What part of her past can come back to haunt her?
What is her greatest fear?
Other Character Questions
What does the antagonist want?
Does my antagonist have a secret he’s trying to keep?
Who will make sacrifices for my main character throughout the story?
What character could come out of the shadows and “shine?”
Story Questions
What’s the best place for the story to start?
How do I think it will end? What is the climax?
Does my story have a theme? Why does this book matter?
What kind of hurdles will there be in the journey? How can I make these harder? How can I
make them “cost” my main character more?
What is my storyworld like? Are there political, historical, or environmental situations that
might affect my character’s journey?
Is there magic in my story? If so, how does it work? What are the rules, costs, and
limitations for it?
From Go Teen Writers: How to Turn Your First Draft Into a Published Book
by Stephanie Morrill & Jill Williamson
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Parent category: Life