How do you go about developing a story idea?
As I mentioned in the Stephen King thread on the Book Club board, I watched an interview with him on the Today show the other day where he was talking about how, for him, getting a story idea is like excavating a fossil - the idea is buried somewhere deep in his mind, and little by little, he uncovers each piece of it until the whole idea comes together. I thought that was a cool analogy, but it's totally different from how I come up with stories.
I tend to be inspired by something else and develop my own idea around a similar premise. I usually start with a general storyline or situation and develop the characters - I decide which Backstreet Boy will fit best and then work on any original characters I'll need. Then I start researching and outlining, at which point I piece the plot together and fill in any gaps - hopefully. The good ideas come together, but I don't feel like they were always there, just waiting to be uncovered. I have to go hunting for them in all different places LOL.
