What is a Premise?

Think: what is the goal; why do you create it in the first place?

The quick answer: it is a mental image that induces desire on the part of the reader to know more. It must be intriguing.

Who is the reader?

Theoretically, the reader of your book… But that’s not usually practical. The reader normally sees the book blurb on the back jacket, not the premise.

No, the person who’s attention and interest you are trying to grab is your prospective literary agent.

Why? The most junior agent is assigned to go through the incoming slush pile of a hundred query letters received that day. You have from ten seconds to a minute to convince him you are not the normal rank amateur with a boring “mediocre and nothing new” idea. You need to pique his interest to read the full query letter – and the odds are against it.

That’s what you have to do and why you have to do it well.

If the premise is a mental image, where does it come from?

Theoretically, from anywhere in the story. However, usually the best moment in the story to use is the condition the protagonist is in just after the inciting incident has occurred.

How do you write it?

One or two sentences max.

Twenty-five to fifty words max.

Elements:

- protagonist in two words:

           2nd word: noun (not their name) imaging their role

           1st word: adjective reflecting one of their character traits

- condition – how does the protagonist find themselves at the inciting

           incident

- goal – their story goal, what do they have to accomplish in the story

- stake – what do they have to gain, or conversely, what do they lose od

           they done accomplish it

- conflict – who/what stands in their way

- hook – what makes this story unique in some way – not just the

           same-o-same-o

Example: Wizard of Oz

When a tornado takes a meek farmgirl and her dog to a land over the rainbow, she and her three companions must capture the wicked witch’s broom to be able to return to Kansas.

Check off the requirements:

Words: 35

Protagonist: “meek” farmgirl

Condition: away from home – over the rainbow

Goal: get the broomstick of the wicked witch

Stake: to get back to Kansas (or fail to)

Conflict: (implied) the wicked witch won’t want to willingly give up her

           broomstick, because if she did it willingly, she would be a good witch

Hook: “tornado” and “over the rainbow” – now it’s unique, what does that

           mean - and you’ve grabbed the interest of the junior agent

Now compare this to a prospective alternate:

When Dorothy arrives in Oz, her first action is to kill an innocent bystander, then she teams up with three companions to kill again

Check the requirements: It faithfully follows the story, so why not?

Words: 24 – OK

Protagonist: “Dorothy” – if you don’t already know the story, who is Dorothy

           and why does it matter – fail

Condition: “arrives in Oz” – where’s Oz? 10 miles down the road?           Why

           does it matter? – fail

Goal: ??? Is it to be a successful murderer? - fail

Stake: missing, what if she doesn’t murder - fail

Conflict: ??? (implied) the next victim probably doesn’t want to die – fail

Hook - ??? Is Dorothy the daughter of a Crime Boss learning how to take

           over from her father? - fail