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This is Elizabeth Stark in the Book Writing World. Welcome to Revision, Week 5. Today we are going to talk about Finding Your Premise and Using It to Revise Your Book.
Here is a dictionary definition of “premise:” A premise is a proposition antecedently supposed or proved; a basis of argument. A proposition stated or assumed as leading to a conclusion.
But what the heck does that mean for us as writers?
In his seminal book The Art of Dramatic Writing, Lajos Egri defines premise like this: “Character (quality) through conflict leads to a conclusion.” James N. Frey (author of How to Write a Damn Good Novel) defines Premise as “a statement of what happens to the characters as a result of the core conflict of the story.”
Notice that the premise has all the elements of a pitch—characters, motivation, obstacles, but it is reaching larger conclusions, more thematic conclusions about life and human beings. Where the pitch describes the action of the story, the premise describes the theme.
Premise is a bit like an equation that your story demonstrates. Knowing your premise can help you decide what should stay in your book and what you might cut. Knowing your premise can help you see what you might need to add.
Here are some examples of premises: Romeo and Juliet (play by William Shakespeare): Love conquers even death. (Egri distilled that premise; the rest are by me.) The Maytrees (novel): Love betrayed leads to deep forgiveness. The Girls Who Went Away (non-fiction by Ann Fessler): A societal double standard leads to punishing loss. No One You Know (novel by Michelle Richmond): Hunting down the truth leads to release. OR Revisiting the accepted facts changes the end of the story.
Here are some verbs that might help you construct your own premise:
(This) . . . .________________ . . . (that)
________________________leads to __________________________
________________________leads to loss of ____________________
________________________defies ______________________
________________________destroys ________________________
________________________encourages ________________________
________________________conquers _________________________
________________________defeats __________________________
Character______through conflict leads to_____conclusion
What is the premise of your book? Write down five possibilities right now. As you continue to read through your manuscript, underline or note anything that points to the book’s premise. When you finish reading, do another brainstorm on the premise. Narrow it down. Refine the language so that your premise is precise: specific and clear. Work with it for a while. Play around with possibilities for phrasing and structure. What is the premise of your book? Here’s how you are going to use premise:
Your premise is a filter. It tells you what belongs in your book and what can be cut. The following key elements are contained in your premise:
How to start?
Where to end?
Who your main characters are?
How they change?
How your stakes escalate and your scenes might turn
A premise, friends, is a most useful creature.
Assignment: Post your premise! Take a look at what others have posted and add your comments.