Novel Premise Developer
By Sakura Ito · Published · Updated
You have a situation. You do not yet have a story.
Tags: Writing, Creative, Planning
Prompt template
I have an idea I cannot let go of, and I am not sure there is a novel in it. - The idea: [textarea: However half-formed. Include the bit you keep thinking about.] - Genre, and two books it would sit beside: [text: Both] - Who it happens to: [textarea: Your protagonist, and what they want] - The bit I am excited about: [text: Be specific, this is the thing to protect] Sharpen this into a premise with a protagonist, a concrete want, something in the way, and a cost that matters to them specifically. Tell me honestly where I currently have a situation rather than a story, because that is the usual gap and it is better to hear it now. Then give me three directions the conflict could take, each with a different emotional centre, and name the promise each one makes to a reader.