How to develop a story idea part 3

In my last post, we talked about setting. If you haven't read that blog you can do so here:

https://www.writingforums.org/blog/corbyn.18335/

I've thought about my list, character, and have decided that I should go with Michigan as the primary setting. I know you're thinking wait a minute, you said Michigan, don't you need to be more specific? Yes. I do, but also no, I don't. I won't be using the entire state, but given the nature of my story, I will need multiple locations in both an urban setting, and around the area. So, I've chosen to make up a fictional prison out of an existing building that is abandoned. If you're curious, I've chosen Michigan Central Station; it's both old and creepy. Which kind of suits my needs and mood right now. You're also probably wondering what prison has to do with magic at this point right? *Inserts evil grin here* That, you'll just have to wait to find out.

Today's post is about Situation:

If we were writing an article, we would've already nailed down the who (character) and the where (setting) of our piece. You smart cookie you, you guessed it, what is our Situation. It's what happens to entice our character into leaving their cozy world for the uncertainty of our story. Don't be fooled; cozy doesn't mean comfortable here. It just means the world as they know it when the story is opening. If it helps, you can think of these as plot bunnies. Not sure which plot bunnies work for what you're already doing? No problem.

I know, I know, you're thinking, but Korbyn. How do I know which plot bunnies are right for my character? Don't sweat it! Grab your notebook, and make another list (I know you're rolling your eyes at me and thinking, god ANOTHER list?) Trust me. Grab that book and put pen to paper. As I mentioned before, I highly recommend doing this on in an actual notebook; there is just something about putting pen to paper that you don't get from a laptop, or word program.

I'm going to share my list, but I've left it vague on purpose. If you have questions about how I came up with this list, or what they might be, ask in dm, and I'd be happy to elaborate further. Here is my list so far:

· Offered chance at redemption

· Dying

· Life becomes unbearable

· Stick it to the man

· Love

Sometimes your situation can coincide with the overall theme of the plot, but it doesn't always have to. If you're not sure about themes, let me know, we can cover those later.

If there is any way I can help, or you'd like to have a topic covered, please let me know. I'm no expert, but I'm happy to share any and all resources I've stumbled across over the years. I do have a website and have posted a blog there that is different topic wise than this one.

As always, thank you for reading, and happy writing!

-Corbyn