Developing a compelling storyline involves crafting a narrative that engages your audience, introduces interesting characters, and unfolds in a way that keeps people invested whether you're writing a novel, screenplay, or any other form of storytelling.

1. How to develop a storyline
Amir Jahangir
SZABIST – Visual Storytelling
and Narrative Building
4 April 2023

2. Introduction
• Introduce the concept of developing a storyline.
• Developing a storyline is the process of creating a narrative that engages and
captivates an audience. A good storyline includes a
• central concept,
• compelling characters,
• an immersive setting, and
• a plot that creates tension and conflict.
• Why a good storyline is important in creating an engaging and memorable
narrative?

3. Identify Your Genre
• The importance of identifying the genre of your story.
• It establishes the tone and style of your narrative.
• Different genres have unique characteristics and conventions that
audiences expect. By identifying the genre of your story, you can ensure
that you are delivering a cohesive and satisfying experience for your
audience.
• By identifying the genre of your story, you can also determine the target
audience for your work.
• Identifying the genre of your story can also help you differentiate your work
from others in the same genre.
• Overall, identifying the genre of your story is essential to creating a
narrative that is engaging, cohesive, and targeted to a specific audience.

4. Establish Your Concept
• The importance of having a central concept for your story.
• Having a central concept for your story is important because it provides a clear
focus and direction for your narrative.
• A central concept can be a theme, message, or premise that you want to
explore throughout your story. It gives your story a purpose and helps you to
create a narrative that is cohesive and meaningful.
• Here are some reasons why having a central concept for your story is
important:
• Helps you stay focused.
• Creates depth and meaning.
• Provides unity.
• Differentiates your story.
• Overall, having a central concept for your story is essential to creating a
narrative that is focused, meaningful, and memorable. It helps you to stay on
track, create depth and meaning, provide unity, and differentiate your story
from others.

5. Create
Your
Characters
• How to Develop Characters in Visual
Storytelling?
• https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Lo1h8e
cqII2lj_yWwtl95UHwjp-
AiV5G/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=11258137814
5256999076&rtpof=true&sd=true

6. Establish the Setting
Creating a vivid and immersive setting for your story is essential to engage and transport your audience into
the world you have created. Here are some reasons why:
1. Creates a sense of place: A vivid and immersive setting helps readers or viewers feel like they are in a real
place, with their senses engaged by the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the environment.
2. Sets the tone and mood: The setting of your story can set the tone and mood for the entire narrative. It can
create a sense of foreboding or excitement, conveying the emotions and atmosphere of the story.
3. Provides context: The setting provides context for the story, giving readers or viewers a sense of the time,
place, and culture in which the narrative takes place.
4. Influences the story's events: The setting can influence the story's events by creating opportunities or
obstacles for the characters.
5. Enhances suspension of disbelief: A vivid and immersive setting enhances suspension of disbelief by
making the story feel more realistic and believable. Making the viewers fully invested in the story and its
characters.
Overall, creating a vivid and immersive setting for your story is essential to engage and transport your
audience. It creates a sense of place, sets the tone and mood, provides context, influences the story's events,
and enhances suspension of disbelief. By investing time and effort into crafting a detailed and evocative

7. Creat
e
Your
Plot
Developing a compelling plot is important because it is what
captures and sustains the audience's attention throughout a
story.
A well-crafted plot can keep the audience engaged by creating
tension, conflict, and excitement that make them invested in
the outcome of the story.
A strong plot can also make the story more memorable and
impactful, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
Without a compelling plot, the story can become stagnant and
fail to hold the audience's attention, resulting in disinterest or
disengagement.
Developing a strong plot is essential for creating a captivating
and memorable story that will resonate with the audience
long after it has ended.

8. Add Tension and Conflict
Creating tension and conflict throughout a story is important because it is what drives
the plot forward and keeps the audience engaged.
Tension and conflict are the driving forces that make the audience invested in the
outcome of the story and curious to see what happens next.
Tension and conflict can take many forms, such as a character's internal struggle,
interpersonal conflicts between characters, or external obstacles that the characters
must overcome. These elements create a sense of anticipation and uncertainty, making
the story more exciting and engaging.
Tension and conflict also provide opportunities for character development, as
characters are forced to confront their fears, flaws, and weaknesses in order to
overcome the obstacles in their way. This can create a deeper emotional connection
between the audience and the characters, as they witness the characters' growth and
transformation throughout the story.

9. Develop Your Themes

10. Create a Resolution
• The importance of providing a satisfying resolution to your story.
• Providing a satisfying resolution to your story is important because it is the culmination of all the elements
that have been built up throughout the narrative, and it provides closure to the audience.
• A satisfying resolution allows the audience to feel a sense of completion and satisfaction with the story,
and it can leave a lasting impression on them.
• A resolution that is unsatisfying or incomplete can leave the audience feeling disappointed, confused, or
frustrated. It can detract from the impact of the story and may cause the audience to feel that the story
was a waste of time or lacked direction.
• A satisfying resolution ties up loose ends and answers questions that the audience may have had
throughout the story.
• It can provide a sense of catharsis for the audience, as they see the characters overcome their challenges
and achieve their goals. It can also leave the audience with a sense of hope, as they see the characters
grow and change throughout the story, and are left with a positive message or takeaway.
• In addition, a satisfying resolution can make the story more memorable and impactful, as the audience is
left with a sense of closure and satisfaction that can stay with them long after the story has ended.

12. Q&A

13. Thank You
• Thank the audience for their time and attention.
• Provide contact information for further discussion or follow-up.