When you’re deciding how to write a story, the important first step is to create your premise.
What is a Premise?
When you write a story it needs to be about something. That something is the premise. It’s the central idea, an intriguing set-up or a situation that makes people want to read or watch further. It should inspire the writer to create a story and the reader to read one. It’s usually an open question in the form of ‘what would happen if… ?‘
Robert McKee, in his book Story, calls the premise
the daydreamy hypothetical that floats through the mind, opening the door to the imagination where everything and anything is possible.
– Story, Robert McKee
Let’s look at some examples:
Groundhog Day
The premise of the movie Groundhog Day (1993): ‘what if you lived the same day over and over again?’
It’s short, it’s brief and provocative. It’s the kind of story you want to continue to watch.
The Fermata
The premise of the book The Fermata by Nicholson Baker: ‘what if you could pause the world and use it as your own pleasure ground?’
Again. The premise just makes you want to pick up the book and read.
Ingredients of a Good Premise
A good premise should be:
- brief
- provocative
- framed as an interesting ‘what if…?’
- contains a character, a conflict and a hook
- reveals a larger world
- contains universal appeal
- 25 – 35 words max
- an idea that jumps out at you
- gets you passionate about the idea
- in the present tense
- easily understood by a 15 year old
- the same as other stories but different
Many writers waste a lot of time trying to improve a story that’s not worth telling because their premise is flat. Many good and great writers suggest you create your premise before you write a story.
Benet Simon & Mike Mindel
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This is the first and best advice an aspiring writer needs.
Unfortunately, it is rarely given and less so used. I can’t imagine it being any clearer than the way you put it.
Great article! I love how you break it down…I give too many excuses not to write but starting off with a premise is an easy to get started.
The premise has to be in the present tense? That doesn’t mean that the story has to take place in the present, though, right?
The bestest shortest story ever.
The Premise:
Write a story that contains Surprise, Royalty, Sex and Mystery. (Isn’t this the premise for all stories?)
The story:
“Oh my God!” said the princess. “I’m pregnant again. I wonder who did it this time?”
good post…
Wonderful article Mike. “Monnkey’s Paw” hits the nail on the head, so to speak.
Was always one of my favorite idea launch vehicles. Precise, works the mind and emotions, ends emphatically.
Looking forward to more of your ideas.
Hey! That’s a great article. 🙂 Speaks volumes to a rookie like me. 😀
Great article – I watched the Groundhog Day just last week for the first time and loved it!
great article ..
I especially like “wheel of time” series by Robert Jordan ..
May be I can add a few more elements required for nice storytelling ..
1) Drama (Conflict of interests).. Thats the reason why Sports are watched even though they have no stories
2) Predictability.. Reads should be able to predict what will happen but they continue to read so as to find how much right they are..
Thanks so much for your advice. If only people would read as much as they watch the idiot-box, we would all be better off.
wow, I loved the article. i began to write about a year ago and would never get very far or I would stop half way through, though reading about a premise really helps, I think i’ll start again!
Just as I remember my old English teacher tell it. If you have no idea what you want to say in one sentance then you cannot possibly say it in a thousand.
Love the info. The weeds line made me laugh.
Great idea. I will definitely have to try this with my current novel.
My best tip ever was to write something, and I mean anything (rants and ramblings work), and then a professor of mine gave me this jem–from memory rewrite your entire piece after you have finished it. Then reread what you wrote the first and second time and combine them, and then make the small rewrites. This works exceptionally well at “weeding” your work and helps create new ideas you may have not thought of the first time.
great idea, thanks
Okay this is really going to help…looking forward to read the rest of your blog..thank you =]
So, for example… in the lord of the ring, what would you say is the premise?
This is great! I’ve just started a class in writing.
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