5 Factors To Decide Which Story Idea To Write First

Do you have numerous story ideas swirling in your head? Are you struggling to decide which story idea to write first?

Well, I’ve encountered such situations quite a few times. Hence, I understand exactly how you’re feeling. You might feel conflicted as you weigh the story ideas against each other. Perhaps, you might even feel bad for the story ideas that you put at the bottom of the to-write list.

But we all know that we only have limited time and resources. Thus, we can’t possibly write all our story ideas simultaneously. We have to prioritize them no matter what.

Here are 5 factors on how to decide which story idea to write first.

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Table Of Contents

1. Passion

The first factor you need to take into consideration is your passion. Your love for this story idea.

Answer these questions

Which story idea makes you excited just thinking about writing it?
Which character do you want to see come to life?
Which fictional world are you most keen to create?

Are you thinking about a specific story idea night and day (whether you’re sleeping, eating or bathing)?

If yes, you should consider adding this story idea to the top of your to-write list.

After all, you’re the author who will be slogging months and even years to finish writing this story. It’ll probably be a solitary journey too (where you’ll write alone). Therefore, it’s crucial that you enjoy the story as you write. You need this fuel to keep you going!

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2. Feasibility

How feasible is your story idea?

Of course, I don’t mean feasibility as in turning up, sitting in your chair and typing away (though this is important too). I mean feasibility as in how doable your story is.

Sometimes, you might only have a brief story idea. Perhaps, it’s a one-liner about the gist of the story. Pantsers, who fly by the seat of their pants, can write with just this only.

But I can’t. I can’t start writing until I have dozens of scenes and chapters planned. I need to at least have an outline of the beginning, middle (also the climax) and ending. Put simply, I need to know where my story is going. When I start adding more plot ideas and character notes to a story idea, that’s how I know it’s a story idea I can consider writing next.

Personally, I feel that it’s easier to decide if you already have an outline. You’ll know what happens in the story and you’ll be able to tell if you’re excited to write about it. Also, if there are any problems such as plot holes, you can solve them first before writing. If your story requires extensive research, you can delay this and start writing only when you’re done researching.

So ask yourself these questions

Do you have everything you need to start writing this story?
What’s stopping you from writing this story? Can you solve them?
How “ready” is your story idea?

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3. Marketability

Next, consider marketability.

Will the story be easy to sell?
Will the story appeal to many readers?
Will many people want to read this story?

Just because you love your story idea doesn’t mean that everyone else loves it too. This is where you need to put aside your emotional heart and bring in your logical mind.

I strongly recommend that you do some research first. For instance, you can check out the top 100 books on Amazon. Analyze them. Look at the genres, tropes, themes, characters and more. If your story idea shares similar elements, there’s a higher chance that it’ll become a popular book that readers like. Also, do look at your own data. If your story idea is similar to your popular books, there’s a possibility that your new story might exceed the sales of your current popular books.

Another method is to ask for opinions. If you have a street team, you may share your story ideas and ask them which ones are they most excited about. Of course, you don’t have to be very detailed. You could always just give a generic overview of your story ideas like the genre and what is it about. By asking your street team for their opinions, you’re involving them in your writing process. This will make them feel greatly appreciated. If you’re concerned about leaking your story ideas, you can share them with people you trust. For instance, you can share with your friends and family, rather than strangers on the internet. Due to the strong bond, you can also freely share your concerns (if any) about the story ideas.

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4. Complexity

When I started this self-publishing journey, I have a strict order of stories to write first.

I decided to hone my writing skills by writing simple stories first before moving to complex ones like time travel and dual timeline.

Likewise, you might have ideas that span a range of complexity. You can start with the easiest story ideas and then move on to complex ones. For example, story ideas that require extensive research or worldbuilding. This way, you would already have fundamental knowledge and skills—a strong writing foundation—to tackle different genres and explore various techniques.

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5. Chronology

The last factor is chronology.

I don’t mean writing stories set in Middle Ages, Victorian era, present time then the future. No, you can always switch between science fiction in the future, historical and contemporary fiction.

Instead, you might choose to write the story idea that you thought of first then slowly move on to the latest story idea. For example, you might have a story idea from long ago but only started planning the outline recently. Compared to other story ideas that you thought of recently, you might consider writing this story idea from long ago because it has been on your mind longer.