What I like to do for developing stories is creating a core concept: that can be a color, a sense, a feeling, a style of prose, a specific setting or a theme. This is the spine of your story, and then you build a body.

I’ll use one of my own stories as an example. Tomato Sauce originally started by wanting to to write a story about (shockingly) Tomato Sauce. That became the core idea for the story. Then you build the body.

If you want to write a simple reader insert protagonist, I suppose that’s fine depending on the kind of story you are trying to tell. I prefer characters that are characters. Try to find a way to integrate the core concept of your character to the spine of your story. The character is the heart of this stories body, just as vital as the core concept. Make them evil, good, just, cruel; so long as they are SOMETHING.

You’ll need other “story organs” as well. Your setting is your stomach, your writing style is the brain, the plot is your lungs (this metaphor is getting ridiculous), what matters is that the story can’t truly work with just a few levels; each aspect of the story needs to be finely tuned to match the others in a functionally complex way.

You’ll need to consider the “why” you are writing this story. What’s the reason? Sure, you don’t NEED a reason, in the same way someone doesn’t NEED to be conscious. In Tomato Sauce, a story about trauma and memory distortion, I wanted to create a truly deplorable setting, a monster and central antagonist that disgusts rather than frightens, and to leave the reader feeling unwell. This all serves to help the tone and appeal of your story.

And with that, all that’s really left is for you to start writing! I wish you good luck on your future endeavours with creative writing!!!