Presenting the Premise
I listened to a podcast recently where an author said that during the pandemic, she wrote an 85,000-word middle grade novel only to have her agent tell her she had no plot. All those words, those characters, things happening … and twice as many words than in a standard middle grade … and no plot? How could this happen?
Chances are, the author started with a character, and wrote about that character doing things and meeting people and going places. This is a great strategy to build a world, to learn about characters, to see how they act and react. Many writers start projects this way to see if they have legs. The big problem, though—the elephant missing from the room, if you will—is no premise has been established. And without a clear premise, readers have no idea what to expect from the story, why they should keep reading. A series of things happening doesn’t make a story.
When you think of your premise, what image comes to mind? Here’s a balcony in Verona, for example.
You never know what you’re going to need when you’re writing. Maybe you’ve run into a problem with your plot. Maybe you could use some inspiration. Maybe you have a draft and don’t know what to do next. We’ve been there, and we have you covered.
What’s in a premise?
The premise is established by showing what the main character wants and what stands in their way from achieving it. This needs to happen usually in the first chapter, or first twenty-five pages if chapter one is short—preferably sooner—in order to give the reader a sense of where the story is going and what to expect. If it takes longer than this to establish, chances are you’re beginning in the wrong place.
For many writers, the agony of deciding where the story starts can involve far too many drafts and decisions about how much backstory is important … and then they proceed to get so mired in the backstory we lose sight of what’s at stake in the present. This is why backstory does not contribute to the premise.
Your story starts with an inciting incident, when something happens that changes the protagonist’s circumstances for better or worse. Before this event, you need to set the stage to show the character in their world. Spend a few pages showing who the character is and why we should care about them. Give readers a reason to root for the character, to empathize and want to see them achieve their goal. Most importantly, show what’s at stake before the inciting incident happens. All of this contributes to establishing the premise.
The premise needs to give enough information to get the reader interested and excited about your book. This is why stories often start with action that shows who the main character is and what obstacles they’re facing. From the first few pages, we need to know what is at stake and why. As the story unfolds, these stakes should increase as more obstacles arise.
The premise is also the answer when someone asks you what your story is about. You should be able to respond in a few sentences. This short answer is sometimes called the elevator pitch, and in its shortest form it’s called the hook. If you’ve written a query, you know the hook is often among the first sentences. Sometimes in the query it uses comp titles, like “This story is what would happen if Guardians of the Galaxy met Tombstone.”
It could also set up a what-if question: What would happen if a neglected boy living with his despicable aunt and uncle discovered he was magic, and could escape his life by attending a school for wizards and witches? (Harry Potter). Or: What would happen if two teens from rival families met at a party and fell in love? (Romeo and Juliet).
Once you have your what-if question, use the opening pages to set it up. Consider Romeo and Juliet. Act One, Scene One opens with a brawl as servants of the Capulets offend the Montagues, Tybalt and Benvolio face off, and then the fight is dispersed by the prince who says anyone who disturbs the peace shall be punished by death. We have conflict, action, and foreboding. Then a lovesick Romeo enters, convinced there is no one more beautiful than Rosaline, who has sworn a life of chastity. Benvolio takes it upon himself to prove Romeo wrong, to help him find a new love. And the premise has been established. We know what’s at stake, and we have a sense of where the story may go without knowing how exactly it will play out.
Your premise statement can also be used as you outline or (gasp) pants your way through your first draft. Thinking of a plot twist? Go back to your premise and see whether it fits. For example, if you’re telling the story above where the Guardians of the Galaxy enter the old west and have to give an assist to Wyatt Earp, and your plot twist involves post-apocalyptic zombies, you might need to consider whether you’re still telling the same story. It might work in your dreams at night, where events jump from one event to the next and all seem to make sense, but just like the confusion that sets in when you wake up, so will your readers scratch their heads … and possibly stop reading.
To Recap
Establish your premise from the start of your story. Write it out on a note card and tape it to the cover of your laptop, or stick it on the wall above the space where you write. What your character wants, the obstacles in the way, and what the character ultimately needs all come under the premise’s umbrella. Keeping the premise in mind as the stakes increase in each scene will inform the plot, and this will help keep the reader engaged.
Uncertain whether your premise is clear? Book a consultation with me and we can work on it!
