How to Develop a Short Story Into a Novel

If you’re looking to adapt your short story idea into a longer book format, the following steps can help:

1. 1. Reexamine your story. Do your main characters feel like they could exist in real life? Does your main plot have room for more development? Has this particular story been told in this way before? Strip down your characters to their basic motivations. Is there something else they want or that can be gained through your story? Storyboard it out or re-outline the same story with a longer format in mind. These questions and methods can help you figure out if your story elements are strong enough to sustain a full-length novel.
2. 2. Search through your basic idea. Much like you did in your initial creative process, brainstorm ideas and options for plot development (freewriting can get the creative juices flowing). This time, however, search for ways to organically branch off the storylines you’ve already created. A plot shouldn’t be added for the sake of it—comb through the whole story setup, subplots, and inciting incident and look for open-ended avenues where premises can be expanded. What’s another good story that can be told through the same lens? Is your original idea the best story you have? Think of other organic storylines that can be added to what you have in order to build your short story into a longer work.
3. 3. Develop new characters. Only add new characters to a story that feel like they belong there. Comb through the backstory of other characters you’ve written to see if there are any moments that lend themselves to the introduction of someone else. Does a character have a friend or sibling who was previously mentioned? Could their character development use a guiding hand from a loved one? Did a main character have a teacher with a personal story that could be included for depth? New characters should feel natural to the world. They don’t necessarily have to be friends with or related to your existing characters, but their own story should feel like it contributes to the intention of your novel.
4. 4. Expand your setting. Is your setting dynamic? Does it change over time? Is it impacted by the weather or other harsh elements? Knowing how your setting operates and evolves can inform how you may expand it. Look through your world and see which locations or areas have a story yet to be explored. Is there a forest beyond the city? Is there an unexplored cave behind a mountain? Getting familiar with the ins and outs of the world you’ve built can help greatly when it comes time to flesh it out further.
5. 5. Include more subplots. Search through your main character arcs and any secondary character arcs to see where there is a possibility for more development. Examine the life stories of your most dynamic characters and determine if they have any unique points of view. Is there a specific memory they have that can inform who they are? Interweave the conflicts or raise the stakes for your characters to see what possible plots or complexities may arise. By making choices more difficult and consequences more severe, you can give your short fiction writing more depth as you transform it into a longer novel.
6. 6. Go beyond the ending. The end of your short story doesn’t have to be the end of your book. It could just be the end of the first chapter. Think of any possible consequences or unexpected revelations that could arise from characters’ actions at the end of the story. Think of where your characters will be after the conclusion. What will happen to them one year later? Your story can flow into the next sequence of events leading up to the future timeline you have in mind for your characters. This can change as the writing process goes on, but it’s important to have a general idea of where your story elements might go should the narrative continue.
7. 7. Try a first draft. If you think your short story has what it takes to become a novel, or you’ve tried an expansion and think it could work as a longer type of book, go for it. Start writing and see if your characters, world, and story structure can sustain fuller development. Sometimes a fiction writer doesn’t know there’s another great story buried within their work, and the novel-writing process may unearth previously undiscovered plot points and options for story development.

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