The first step for crafting is to plan. The goal of planning is to identify “plot puzzles” and build out the idea before crafting. Another way to put this: the goal of planning is to research to the point where the story, setting, or other content becomes clear. Or simply put, the goal of planning is to reach clarity: clearly understanding the idea.
The CQ StoryHammer crafting methodology roughly follows the same process regardless of the type of content being created: 1. Define, 2. Ideate, 3. Explore.
- Define: Write out the objectives of the content.
- Ideate: Write out questions and answers to glean information about the content’s objectives (jot down potential content crafting needs on the side).
- Expand: Dig deeper in some idea threads to explore their possibilities.
You can drill down from steps 1 to 3 or back up from steps 3 to 1 as necessary while planning. Once the definition of the content has been clearly defined, once you have clarity, you should be ready to craft the content.