In their minds, I think most non-writers imagine all authors to be pantsers. That is, we simply sit down in front of a keyboard and start typing away until we arrive at a finished piece. Of course, the reality is very different. Even if you are a pantser by nature, there are still plenty of steps standing between initial idea and finished product. A successful author only makes it look easy!

As Ginger explains in today’s blog, his own writing journey has evolved over the years to a more structured approach than when he first started. But regardless of your style—whether you lean more towards spontaneity or meticulous planning—he believes there are at least five essential stages to successful storytelling. And by using the evolution of the Star Wars saga as an example, he takes us through each stage step-by-step—explaining why each is crucial and how they all come together to tell a memorable tale.

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Here on Hidden Gems, I’m known as the advertising and marketing guy – but when I talk to friends and family about writing, the questions they normally have for me are more frequently about the craft of storytelling rather than how to sell books. 

After all, a lot of those books haven’t been written yet! I know a lot of people who want to write a book, but don’t know where to get started – and some who’ve completed (and sometimes even self-published) a novel, but think it needs “something more” before it can be successful.

These questions have made me think a lot more about my own approach to storytelling, and how it’s evolved over the years. Back in the day, I used to firmly consider myself to be a “pantster” when it came to storytelling (it was even the subject of EP55 of our podcast!) But today, I’ve definitely evolved into more of a plotter and there’s a five-step process I’ve come to understand which helps me bring my stories to life.

I can’t claim to have invented this process. I don’t even think there’s an official name for it. It’s just a way of navigating the path from blank page to finished product and it does something very valuable for me – it helps me get books finished! 

Part of the inspiration for the process was learning how George Lucas approached writing the Star Wars trilogy of films. Although the original Star Wars (now known as A New Hope) hit cinema screens in 1977, Lucas had begun working on the franchise in the early seventies – developing ideas and concepts that were very different to what we eventually saw in cinemas. 

In this week’s article, I’m going to go through my five-stage process using the development of Star Wars as an example. I hope you find it useful – and if you do (or even if you don’t) please let me know in the comment section below.

How to Get Started

I’ve come to understand that writing a story is a complex process that involves multiple stages, each crucial for transforming an idea into a compelling narrative. Using the development of the original Star Wars trilogy as an example, I’ve broken the five stages of writing a story into the following:

Stage 1: Inspiration

The first stage of writing a story is Inspiration. This is where the seeds of your idea are planted, often inspired by existing movies, books, comics, and other stories. Inspiration helps you shape your own unique version of a narrative by drawing from various sources. My own stories take a lot of inspiration from Ian Fleming’s James Bond, The Saint stories by Leslie Charteris, and (surprisingly, for a lot of people) the “bonkbuster” romances of Jilly Cooper. Blended together, these helped me find my own unique voice as a writer.

You’ve probably already identified something similar with your own writing – some clear inspirations from literature, film, or television. Part of the process is to embrace these inspirations – taking what was and turning it into something new.

Example from Star Wars: George Lucas was inspired by numerous sources. These inspirations helped Lucas envision a grand space opera filled with adventure, mythological elements, and a richly detailed universe. Here are some of the ones he’s openly spoken about:

• Flash Gordon Serials: Lucas was heavily inspired by the Flash Gordon serials of the 1930s. He admired their adventurous spirit, exotic planets, and larger-than-life characters. Originally, Lucas wanted to make a Flash Gordon film but couldn’t secure the rights, which pushed him to create his own space opera.
• Akira Kurosawa Films: Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress (1958) significantly influenced Star Wars. The film’s story, told from the perspective of two lowly characters, inspired the perspective of C-3PO and R2-D2 in A New Hope. Additionally, the samurai ethos deeply informed the Jedi Order and lightsaber duels.
• The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces and the concept of the monomyth were foundational. The idea of the Hero’s Journey—where a hero ventures out, faces trials, and returns transformed—became the narrative backbone of Luke Skywalker’s arc.
• World War II Films and Dogfights: Lucas was inspired by WWII films and aerial dogfights, which influenced the space battles in Star Wars. The thrilling X-wing and TIE fighter sequences were directly modeled on footage from WWII aerial combat.
• Western and Samurai Films: The lone gunslinger and frontier elements of Westerns, combined with the disciplined warrior ethos of samurai films, heavily shaped the characters and themes of Star Wars. The combination of these genres gave the films a unique blend of action and philosophy.
• Dune by Frank Herbert: The desert planet Tatooine, the Force, and the galactic political intrigue have parallels with Frank Herbert’s Dune. While Lucas’s universe evolved differently, the influence of Dune on the atmosphere and some thematic elements is evident.
• Mythology and Fairy Tales: Classic fairy tales and mythological archetypes played a role in shaping the characters and narrative structure. The archetypal figures of the hero, the mentor, the dark lord, and the princess are all present in Star Wars.

Why it’s important: Inspiration provides the initial spark that drives creativity. By immersing yourself in different genres and storytelling styles, you can gather ideas that resonate with you and mold them into something uniquely yours.

Stage 2: Concept

Once you have your inspiration, the next step is developing the Concept. This involves creating a core idea for your story and identifying why it would be compelling to an audience. The concept is the foundation upon which the entire story is built.

Concept is what enabled me to become a best-selling author. It might not seem very high-brow, but my first really successful novel was a steamy romance adventure called Sold to the Cartel. The concept – about an innocent American girl who gets sold to a Mexican cartel boss, but finds out he has a heart of gold beneath his deadly exterior – resonated with my audience and helped me understand how to tell the stories I wanted to tell, but in a way that appealed to thousands of readers.

Example from Star Wars: Lucas’s concept for Star Wars was a space adventure set in a distant galaxy, blending futuristic technology with timeless themes of good versus evil, personal growth, and redemption. The idea of a young hero’s journey to become a Jedi Knight and battle a tyrannical empire was inherently compelling.

Over the years, this concept evolved quite significantly. In fact, it’s kind of fascinating to look at some of Lucas’s early ideas to see how different they ended up. 

The Star Wars (Original Draft):

• In the early 1970s, Lucas’s original draft was titled The Star Wars. The story was vastly different from the final film. It featured a young hero named Annikin Starkiller and an older General Luke Skywalker. Darth Vader was present but not yet the fully developed character he would become.
• The concept initially leaned heavily into science fiction, with a more convoluted plot involving political intrigue, and a greater focus on the Jedi-Bendu, an ancient order of warrior monks.

The Journal of the Whills:

• Lucas originally conceived of the story as part of a larger saga titled The Journal of the Whills, which was intended to be a chronicle of galactic history. This early idea was dense and complex, leading Lucas to simplify it into a more digestible film format.

Focus on Technology vs. Mysticism:

• Early drafts emphasized a conflict between the technological empire and mystical forces, which later crystallized into the battle between the Sith (and the Empire) and the Jedi.

Clearly, you don’t need to have anything in concrete at this stage of the process – but while details will change, you’d be surprised how much of the original concept remains as the foundation of your final story.

Why it’s important: A strong concept is essential for capturing the interest of your audience. It provides a clear direction for your story and ensures that it has a unique and engaging premise.

Stage 3: Narrative

With a solid concept in place, the next stage is creating the Narrative. This involves outlining what happens in the story in chronological order. The narrative serves as the backbone of your story, detailing the sequence of events from beginning to end.

Many of the aspiring authors I talk to get stuck at this stage of the process. Some of them have written entire novels based on the narrative – basically outline what happens in the story step-by-step – but realize that it lacks something when they finally complete it. That’s because the narrative is a vital part of the process, but simply explaining what happens isn’t a story – it’s editorial. You just need to get these events lined up correctly to make sure what happens when you get to the storytelling stage makes sense, doesn’t get contradicted, and ends appropriately.

Example from Star Wars: The narrative of the original trilogy can be summarized as follows:

• Episode IV: A New Hope: Luke Skywalker joins the Rebel Alliance, learns about the Force, and helps destroy the Death Star.
• Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: The Empire retaliates, Luke trains with Yoda, and faces a shocking revelation about his heritage.
• Episode VI: Return of the Jedi: The Rebels prepare for a final confrontation, and Luke seeks to redeem his father, Darth Vader.

Why it’s important: A well-structured narrative ensures that your story has a clear and coherent progression. It helps you avoid plot holes and keeps the reader engaged by providing a logical flow of events.

Stage 4: Story

The Story stage is where the magic happens. This is perhaps the most important stage of the whole process, and involves taking the narrative and fitting it into a structured storytelling format. You need to craft the narrative into a complete story arc – something I recommend using frameworks like Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, Save the Cat, or the Hero’s Journey to map out.

George Lucas has cited that Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey was a huge inspiration for the Skywalker saga, and if you map out the events of Star Wars according to that framework, they line up perfectly. You’re not beholden to that story format however – you just need to use something that leads your main characters on a circular journey that ends with them back where they started, but forever changed by the experience.

Example from Star Wars: By the time Lucas had reached this stage of his development process, he’d realized that his complex narrative needed simplification. He decided to focus on one part of the larger saga for the first film, which eventually became Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. This allowed him to create a self-contained story that could expand into sequels. Using Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, A New Hope can be broken down as follows:

1. Comfort Zone: Luke lives a mundane life on Tatooine.
2. Need: He yearns for adventure and purpose.
3. Go: Luke meets Obi-Wan and leaves Tatooine.
4. Search: He begins his journey, learning about the Force.
5. Find: He joins the Rebels and discovers his potential.
6. Take: Luke faces challenges, including the Death Star battle.
7. Return: He returns to the Rebel base victorious.
8. Change: Luke is no longer the same; he has grown into a hero.

Why it’s important: Structuring your story ensures that it has a satisfying arc, with clear beginnings, middles, and endings. It helps maintain reader interest by providing a balanced mix of tension, resolution, and character development.

Stage 5: Editing and Review

By the time you’ve reached this stage of the process, you should have a completed first draft of your story (and it IS a story this time, not just a narrative.) However, don’t celebrate just yet. As Terry Pratchett warned: “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” 

The next stage is Editing and Review, where you critically examine your story to refine and enhance it. This is separate to the stage of actually sending your manuscript to a final proofreader – you’re not there yet! Instead, this stage involves correcting your own mistakes, identifying contradictions, and fixing inaccuracies that might have occurred while you were massaging your narrative into a story format. It’s also an opportunity for adding details like foreshadowing to make the story more coherent and engaging – ensuring that your second draft “looks like you wrote it on purpose.”

It’s also the stage in which you can bring in developmental editors or beta readers – getting a valuable outside opinion on your story and identifying areas that might need to be polished or re-written.

Example from Star Wars: Lucas worked closely with editors and collaborators to refine the Star Wars films. For instance, Marcia Lucas’s editing helped improve the pacing and emotional impact of the final product. Foreshadowing, such as Yoda’s line “There is another” in The Empire Strikes Back, added depth and continuity to the narrative.

Why it’s important: Editing and reviewing are crucial for polishing your story. They help ensure that the narrative is consistent, the characters are well-developed, and the themes are effectively conveyed. Fresh eyes can catch errors and provide valuable feedback, ultimately enhancing the quality of your work.

Conclusion

Writing a story is a journey that involves multiple stages, each building upon the last. By understanding and applying these stages – Inspiration, Concept, Narrative, Story, and Editing & Review – you can create stories that are compelling, coherent, and professionally polished.

Hopefully, my outline of this process helps you realize just how rough your ideas can be at the beginning. The development of the original Star Wars trilogy illustrates exactly that! It’s quite eye-opening to learn how different Lucas’s original vision was compared to the Star Wars we know and love today. 

But his example also demonstrates the power of careful planning and execution. Lucas spent nearly a decade turning his ideas into one of the most beloved story sagas of the modern age, and I think it’s clear he followed a process quite similar to the one I’ve outlined. As a self-published author, I believe following these stages can help any writer navigate the complex process of storytelling with greater clarity and confidence.

My advice is to embrace each stage with dedication, and don’t shy away from seeking feedback and refining your work. Through this process, you’ll not only craft better stories but also grow as a writer and storyteller. The galaxy of storytelling awaits – may the Force be with you!

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