I've never heard of this greenhousing before. Am I still allowed to offer advice?
My advice is, when you present the story to us, you should be able to describe the idea in 25 words or less. This is known as a "logline", and it is possible to create one for any good film or novel. For example, here is the logline to a script I wrote:
"A struggling bartender plans to murder the local drunk for life insurance money. But what happens to the perfect murder when the victim just won't die?"
Alright, that is 26ish words, but you get the idea. If you cannot describe the main character, his objective, and the obstacle preventing him from reaching his objective in these 25 words, then your story is probably lacks focus. Only when you can do this 25 word trick, should you be willing to go into detail.
Another thing to keep in mind whilst coming up with your story, is to consider what the central theme is. Is this a story of denial, survival, or determination? Sure, it might feature all of those, but you should make one central to the story. In The Lion King, the main theme is "responsibility". Simba acts irresponsible, he runs from his responsibility, and finally, he learns to take responsibility by the end.
Next tip: When creating characters, always ask yourself: "what is unique about this character that makes him unlike any other?" Unless the character is a faceless extra, try to give everyone of your characters something original or interesting to make them memorable. A protagonist should have one primary flaw, and maybe a couple of lesser ones. This weakness allows for tension, twists, and a sense of development (does the character overcome these flaws?) Development is vital, by the way. If they haven't learned anything from their experiences, neither will the reader. See Marty McFly in Back to the Future. His weakness is his lack of confidence, which prevents him from becoming a good musician. He manages to overcome this problem in the end, only for them to have to write in a new weakness for the sequels: Marty can't tolerate being called a chicken. He gets over this in the end as well.
Weaknesses also make the protagonist more relatable, but if you give em to many, they become obnoxious and whiny. If you can answer any question about your main character, then you have succeeded in making a human, rounded protagonist. (what drink do they like, what is their favourite colour. Do they have an opinion about potpourri? etc.)
There are just a few things to help you out.
My advice is, when you present the story to us, you should be able to describe the idea in 25 words or less. This is known as a "logline", and it is possible to create one for any good film or novel. For example, here is the logline to a script I wrote:
"A struggling bartender plans to murder the local drunk for life insurance money. But what happens to the perfect murder when the victim just won't die?"
Alright, that is 26ish words, but you get the idea. If you cannot describe the main character, his objective, and the obstacle preventing him from reaching his objective in these 25 words, then your story is probably lacks focus. Only when you can do this 25 word trick, should you be willing to go into detail.
Another thing to keep in mind whilst coming up with your story, is to consider what the central theme is. Is this a story of denial, survival, or determination? Sure, it might feature all of those, but you should make one central to the story. In The Lion King, the main theme is "responsibility". Simba acts irresponsible, he runs from his responsibility, and finally, he learns to take responsibility by the end.
Next tip: When creating characters, always ask yourself: "what is unique about this character that makes him unlike any other?" Unless the character is a faceless extra, try to give everyone of your characters something original or interesting to make them memorable. A protagonist should have one primary flaw, and maybe a couple of lesser ones. This weakness allows for tension, twists, and a sense of development (does the character overcome these flaws?) Development is vital, by the way. If they haven't learned anything from their experiences, neither will the reader. See Marty McFly in Back to the Future. His weakness is his lack of confidence, which prevents him from becoming a good musician. He manages to overcome this problem in the end, only for them to have to write in a new weakness for the sequels: Marty can't tolerate being called a chicken. He gets over this in the end as well.
Weaknesses also make the protagonist more relatable, but if you give em to many, they become obnoxious and whiny. If you can answer any question about your main character, then you have succeeded in making a human, rounded protagonist. (what drink do they like, what is their favourite colour. Do they have an opinion about potpourri? etc.)
There are just a few things to help you out.
