Building a story

Several time since I started writing again I have found myself stumped in the middle of a seemingly great idea.Rather than eagerly typing away I would be tensely poised over the keyboard, motionless. The vigor of the story was lost, it's life drained away. Some times I have forced myself to keep going and other times the story has been left alone. Cut off, the file dwindles its way down my list of recently updated files.

This has been a challenge for me to overcome, or even to figure out what was happening. In some cases the fault was with the story but I realized just the other day that a major problem was in the characters themselves. I was so caught in the story and anxious to give release to the creative pressure, I had not fleshed out in my head who the story was about in enough detail to fuel the writing.

Once upon a time I never started a new story until after sitting down with a friend to hash out characters. We uncovered through our conversations some of their background, strengths and weaknesses, and motives. In doing so we also laid out general lines where the story would go. Even the breadth of geography for the start of the story would be uncovered. Which isn't to say that nothing ever changed after that first meeting or two (or three), but a beginning was formed.

And so, I am beginning a new story, one with characters and depth I've already fleshed out. They are shadows, and they will change in the telling. But I hope this is a breakthrough for me.

What do you you need to get started with a story? How do you get ready? Any thoughts out there?