I keep running into the same problem when trying to write. I can come up with general story ideas, like: a character trying to redeem themselves for a crime they didn’t commit. When I try to turn that into an actual plot, I completely freeze. I often default into medieval fantasy just because I know it, and at this point I also get frustrated with that tendency.
As soon as I try to expand the idea, especially into things like politics, factions, betrayals, or larger systems, it feels overwhelming and my brain just stops completely. Everything I try to add feels forced or disconnected. I know the rule that ideas should generate conflict, but mine feel too vague to even reach that point
I’ve tried combining my favorite tropes from other books, collecting ideas and seeing what works together, and lately trying to fit gathered ideas into the hero’s journey. Even then, it feels like I’m forcing things to work, because I don’t know what the plot actually needs (since the idea is still very vague).
Is this a normal beginner problem, or is there a better way to approach developing ideas into full stories? How do you usually develop a story? Do you focus on characters first, plot first, or setting first, and how far do you take one before moving to the others?