October Novel Prep Challenge

Okay, we made it to the end of the month! Somehow we always do. Anyone else excited for NaNo?!

Read the four questions your premise can cover here: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/the-only-reason-your-storys-premise-...

WHAT IS A BOOK PREMISE?
A book premise is the core concept behind your story. It includes all the elements that make up your story idea: the setting, characters, plot points, themes, and more. You can use the following frameworks to begin crafting your premise:

In my book, X happens because of Y. Example: “In my book, a tween girl rebels against her society because she is unfairly pitted in a contest to the death.” (The Hunger Games)

What if …? Example: “What if a teen boy falls in love with the daughter of his family’s most hated rival?” (Romeo and Juliet)

A “meets” comparison: “This story is Jurassic Park meets Percy Jackson.” (I don’t know what this story is but I would read it!)
Exerpt of: https://www.marykole.com/premise

One reason we start and end with a premise is because there's so much wrapped up in this small piece of writing. It's a key to marketing and to writing, and it changes for me over the project. When I start out, I have a nugget of something that is close to a premise, but often missing pieces. By the end of the Prep I have a better handle on the project - I am able to put together a premise that fits pretty well. After the novel is written, I may need to revise the premise again.

Ever have a project that starts out as Firefly with Aliens but morphs into Mandalorian with Art and finally looks a whole bunch like The Book of Boba Fett except Not as Many Mods? Just throw in Cowboy Bebop and we'll be singing in no time...

While I am tortured with premises of many flavors, I don't let one version of it tie me down too much. I don't have to have a Jurassic Park meets Percy Jackson kind of flare, though that sounds like something I would read. Repeatedly. The elevator pitch helps me market more than write, and occasionally I just need more of a goalpost in order to write the book. Maybe you do, too. Allow yourself to play with it, imagining the plot and characters you've created falling into place. You can put your premise on a post-it note right on your screen, or notebook, or wherever you're going to stare at it while working. This can be the motivation to get other things done so you can finally get to writing your book.

And hang on - November is starting very soon now!

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