\"Writing.Com
*Magnify*
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/10816-Tweaking-the-Premise.html
Drama: June 23, 2021 Issue [#10816]




 This week: Tweaking the Premise
  Edited by: Joy Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

“I always have a basic plot outline, but I like to leave some things to be decided while I write.”
~ J. K. Rowling
“First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!”
~Ray Bradbury
“Prose is architecture. It’s not interior design.”
~ Ernest Hemingway
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
~ Douglas Adams

Hello, I am Joy Author Icon, this week's drama editor. This issue is about working on your premise to come up with a strong story or novel.

Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.


Word from our sponsor

ASIN: B07K6Z2ZBF
Amazon's Price: $ 4.99


Letter from the editor

Free clipart from webweaver


Welcome to the Drama newsletter


          Suppose you came upon a fantastic idea and developed a premise from that idea. Yet, when you wrote your story, something wasn’t quite right. Just what happened here? Believe me, I am very familiar with such dramatic panic when that kind of a realization hits.

         The problem must have started when you heeded someone’s advice that said something like, “Write your premise in very few words so the story idea sticks. Brevity is important in coming up with a premise.” Thus, for the sake of “brevity,” you probably let the most important aspects of your premise dissolve into a fog, and the resulting story or novel became the one where the idea drives it and not a character with a problem, to cause it to end as a rather dull story or one with cartoon characters.

         To make it easy on yourself, you can surely go ahead and write a short one-or-two-sentence premise; however, to avoid a major headache later, try to include in your premise statement:

         1. Your targeted goal: This could be the moral of the story or a strong character arc or a compelling action and adventure.
         2. Your main character with desires and needs and a problem related to the original idea.
         3. A situation or an obstacle.
         4. (If possible) Resolution.

         Now, what about this premise from a famous story? : “A young boy sets out on an adventure with an old warrior as his mentor to save a princess from a ruthless captor and to destroy a prison built by a large organization or an empire with the power to destroy an entire galaxy.”

         Did you recognize the elements in this premise? Well, here they are:
         Young boy: Luke Skywalker
         Old Warrior: a Jedi-- named Obi-Wan Kenobi
         The Princess and her Captor: Princess Leia and Darth Vader
         The Prison: Death Star


         You need to understand that premise is not the re-wording of your story idea. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a premise-story or a premise-novel with weak characterization and muddled up plot.

         Now that you have a workable premise, the next step is milking it. At this point, the aspects of your story will be haphazard, but remember that you are taking a premise to meet its plot, and the road ahead will have many turns and dead ends to be explored, anyway. So, a few prospects to jot down while brainstorming are:

         *Bullet* Key story conflicts and possibly the main conflict (What if question is very useful here)
         *Bullet* Your story-world or setting as to time and place
         *Bullet* Possible must-have characters and secondary characters
         *Bullet* The number of subplots, if a novel (name those subplots)
         *Bullet* Subplots’ themes and possible scenes focusing on or relating to the main conflict, even if you aren’t sure you’ll use a subplot or not
         *Bullet* Outline the most important scenes

         By this time, you should have a pretty good idea how your plot is going to be. If you are sure you have story with a strong protagonist and hopefully an antagonist and/or a serious main conflict, go ahead and write up an outline for your story’s plot to include roughly…climax, rising action, middle, falling action, final outcome or ending’s status quo.

         Then, if you’re not a fan of complicated outlines, like Stephen King who said, “Outlines are the last resource of bad fiction writers who wish to God they were writing masters’ theses,” you can just start writing your story or novel after having thought out the elements and the possibilities of your premise.

         I wish you the best with your premises and plotting.

          Until next time! *Smile*


Editor's Picks

          *Gold*   Enjoy!   *Gold*

*Reading* *Boat**Mars**Cab* *Music1**Music1**Monster2**Clock2**Cab**Reading**Cab* *Clock2* *Cab**Reading**Cab* *Clock2* *Cab**Reading**Cab* *Clock2**Monster2**Music1**Music1* *Cab**Mars**Boat* *Reading*


tiny hearttiny heart
 
Image Protector
STATIC
Dramatic Premise Open in new Window. (E)
Writing Lecture/Objective Eleven
#1831509 by percy goodfellow Author IconMail Icon

 
Image Protector
STATIC
Road Map To A Premise Open in new Window. (E)
Feel free to use if you would like
#2081919 by Chrys O'Shea Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2063468 by Not Available.

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2170713 by Not Available.

 Day 1: Premise Open in new Window. (18+)
Day 1: Premise
#1895195 by Artemismad Scientist Author IconMail Icon

 2017 NaNo final premise Open in new Window. (13+)
My final, revised premise for Tangled Roots - NaNo 2017
#2139420 by Beck Firing back up! Author IconMail Icon

tiny hearttiny heart
 Withdrawing from Paradise Open in new Window. (E)
Some thoughts on the pending U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
#2249469 by Graham B. Author IconMail Icon

 
Image Protector
STATIC
Death by Fax Open in new Window. (18+)
The execution must be stopped, but is there time?
#2247429 by Bikerider Author IconMail Icon

Image Protector
STATIC
Dionysus & Ariadne Open in new Window. (E)
A love story told in shifting perspectives. For the Quotation Inspiration contest.
#2245569 by Wickedfugitive Author IconMail Icon

 Ride into the Night Open in new Window. (18+)
A motorcycle enthusiast steps into exciting company and experiences the ride of his life.
#2246948 by Myles Abroad Author IconMail Icon

 
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
         https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Don't forget to support our sponsor!

ASIN: B083RZ37SZ
Product Type:
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
Not currently available.


Ask & Answer

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


The question for this issue is: When you work on premise and plot, do you suspect you may be wasting your time? Why?

*Bullet* This Issue's Tip: Dramatize the emotion of the character whose motivation will change. Make that emotion relate to the result of the events in the story.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet* Don't Be Shy! Write Into This Newsletter! *Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet*

This form allows you to submit an item on Writing.Com and feedback, comments or questions to the Writing.Com Newsletter Editors. In some cases, due to the volume of submissions we receive, please understand that all feedback and submissions may not be responded to or listed in a newsletter. Thank you, in advance, for any feedback you can provide!
Writing.Com Item ID To Highlight (Optional):

Send a comment or question to the editor!
Limited to 2,500 characters.
Word from our sponsor

Removal Instructions

To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.


Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/10816-Tweaking-the-Premise.html