I've noticed that when we have a story idea, writers tend to lock in very quickly as to which part of the story to tell and how to tell it. Sometimes there's a more interesting or fresher version just out of sight, waiting to be found.
For instance, let's say I start with the idea of a comedy-drama in which two brothers fall in love with the same woman and both of them try to win her heart and it escalates until one of the brothers kills the other.
The first thought probably will be to tell it in a chronological manner--they meet the woman, both start to develop feelings for her, a rivalry develops, etc.
While that could be interesting, it's worth thinking about other aspects of the story and other ways to structure it.
We could start with police responding to a call reporting a murder, where we see that one of the brothers is dead, but we don't know which one, and then flash back to the start.
Or, going in a very different direction, we could start the story a few years after the woman has chosen one of the brothers but realises she may have made the wrong choice. This makes it more her story but that may be more interesting.
Of course there really isn't an objective best way to structure the story. You'll have to decide which version interests you the most, which one will have the most dramatic impact, and so on. But taking the time early on to generate several alternatives lets you make an informed decision about the story you really want to tell.
You can find lots more tips in my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.
