Write It Up

People often come to me with story ideas they have. I kinda love this. Sometimes hearing a story idea is the best part of the whole experience; it is full of energy, hope, and potential (and they bring it to me). The problem, though, is that sometimes hearing a story idea is the best part of the whole experience.

When people come to me, they generally want one of two things: blind support, or critical feedback. I'm pretty decent at reading people, but nowadays I always ask them upfront which one they're looking for. The irony is that it doesn't really matter which they say; they're going to get the same response.

If I like your idea, I'm going to tell you to write it up. You've got a great start with good ideas and it is simply the next step toward the final draft.

If I don't like your idea, I'm still going to tell you to write it up. There is no point in crushing somebody's dreams, or even just their energy, because I don't like something or I don't see the quality. I do not represent humanity. I don't even represent my demographic. I am just me. If you want to know how Kevin Bahler feels, I can tell you (my apologies to the one or two other Kevin Bahler's out there). Otherwise, I'm just one man's opinion.

Still, I have a certain obligation. People are coming to me. They trust me enough to share their ideas and to ask for my feedback. If I don't like something, I will tell them so (with a nice sugar coating). In addition, I will make suggestions to things that might make the story more compelling.

As I said earlier, though, the best part about the story idea phase is the potential in it. The story is yet unwritten. That means it can become literally anything. Authors grow and develop, as do their stories. So much creation happens while writing that first draft. I need to encourage and support people in sitting down and writing that first draft, in maintaining that creative spark and letting the story blossom. Once it has been put to paper and is a fully-written draft, then the story can be truly judged. Until then, there's nothing you can do but write it up.