Q&A

If I could ask just one question of any fiction writer it would be, "Once you have a general idea about a story, how do you narrow down and actually decide upon the details and plot points?" This is the thing with which I have the most trouble.

For example, I had an idea for a story about a boy (or a boy and a girl, possibly related or possibly neighbors) who inherits (or finds) a key that will lead him (or them) through a door into another world. In that world he (or they) will find doorways to 3 other worlds (making a total of 5 worlds). The keys to those worlds are being held by an evil sorcerer (or perhaps they've been lost...or maybe some are lost and some are held by the evil sorcerer) and he (or they) meet(s) up with a number of people who are hoping to get the keys back with the "good guys." The sorcerer doesn't know that the Earth key is in this world (or the sorcerer DOES know, and is hunting him/them down).

And so on. I have a number of stories like this, and they all end about 1/4 of the way through because as I write I start to think of other ways the story could be told and I can't make up my mind as to how to continue. I don't want to write myself in a corner in book 1, decide there should be a sequel and not get to write the story that really should have been written if I had only made the right choices in the first book. (Not that I should be thinking about writing 2 books when I haven't even written 1, but I like to plan ahead).

Any suggestions? Not that anyone reads my blog besides my Mom...but you never know. And Mom--I always love to hear your suggestions. :-)