Writing Your Masterpiece Part 1: The Idea

So, you've decided you aren't the bane of all things intellectual. You have the basic ability and the necessary confidence to sit and transfer your genius to the blank space in a word processor (or if you're feeling cozy and retro, a moleskin notebook).

Yup, now it's time to whip out that idea and lay it on the table, stretch it out and start poking and prodding to see what dishes you can make with it.

Putting the mixed food metaphors aside, let's take a look at your idea. There are a few things you need to consider before you jump in and start writing.

1. Does it Make Sense
How many ninjas are there? Do they or do they not have the ability to defy gravity? And if so, are they in 15th Century Japan? You can't craft a brilliant idea if it's riddled with holes and stupidity. You'd better have a general idea how your main character became a master of acrobatic martial arts. Same goes for the small stuff. If it seems iffy, it probably is.

2. What Genre is it?
Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not a genre-centric critic. In fact, I'm as big a fan as any of mixing and recalibrating ideas and possibilities. Tweak my perceptions, please. But, if you're doing that, make sure you know you're doing that. Don't keep telling everyone you know that you're writing a mystery novel, then start throwing in aforementioned ninjas and ancient chinese dragons. Unless of course, you know that's what you're going to do. The gist here; know what world you're working in. All the better to immerse yourself in later.

3. Characters
You need people in your world. I have tons of ideas I've written out entire outlines for, thoughts I got giddy about because of the concepts, but whenever I needed a character I just wrote a random name in, or a broad description (short blond). Create convincing, fully realized characters for your world. If you have a halfway decent idea you're working with, you should already have a couple or more characters ready to go.