How to Write a Brilliant Novel: The Easy Step-By-Step Method of Crafting a Powerful Story (Go! Write Something Brilliant) by Susan May Warren Page A
Authors: Susan May Warren
Tags: Fiction, General Fiction, Reference, Writing, Writing; Research & Publishing Guides, Writing Skills
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are, and what the book’s theme is.
Here's the premise from Tying the Knot . If you aren't familiar with either of these books, go to my Web site (www.susanmaywarren.com). There are premises and first chapters there, under the “writing” link.
Noah Standing Bear has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. But when he sees a woman gunned down, can he help her find healing? Worse, when it happens again, what will it cost him to save her?
And here's the premise from The Sovereign’s Daughter :
Royal daughter Oksana can’t believe her father entrusted her life to a lowly peasant. Peace- loving Mennonite merchant Anton Klassen is paralyzed by his charge—especially when he falls in love with her. Can two people from different lives find a way to protect Russia’s most valuable secret?
Let’s play a little game. Can you guess what movies these premises are from?
She just wants to prove she can be a Pulitzer-prize winning writer. He wants to be the top executive at his ad agency. But when two high achievers are thrown together to achieve their own goals, they just might discover that falling in love is the greatest prize of all.
She gave up on her future, believing her true love dead, and agreed to marry a king. But when her fiancé returns, ready to fight for her, can she believe in love, even when it seems the past has repeated itself? And will he be a man of his word—even beyond the grave?
Those two premises focused on the romance part of the story. Let’s try one without romance:
He believes he can prevent war with his information about a Soviet secret. But what if he’s wrong? What if, in fact, he instead pulls the trigger on WWIII? Just how far will one man’s beliefs take him . . . and the rest of the world?
Answers:
A: How to Lose a Guy in 10 days
B: The Princess Bride
C: The Hunt for Red October (Of course!)
Pick your favorite movie(s) and see if you can create a premise.
Crafting Your Premise in Six Easy Steps!
I love crafting a premise. It’s one of the first things I do after I get a story in my head. With my premise as my guide, I know where the story is headed, the main themes, and the stakes. For those writers who are Seat of the Pants plotters (SOTPs), you can still do this. You don’t have to nail down every scene and nuance right now. But I’ll bet you have in your head the theme, the characters, and what the story is about. That’s all you need to craft a great premise.
In a premise I like to start out with the highest stakes , the point at which the editor or reader might care about the outcome. I boil down the action to the most important, the climax, wind it together with the hero’s and the heroine’s deepest fears or needs (revealing the Black Moment ), and ask an emotion question that will propel the editor to further reading. (Some would call that the Story Question .) But how do you pull all these elements together into something that pops, yet encapsulates the story?
Six Easy Steps to Creating a Premise
Step One: Name your character, and their significance. For example, if the story is about a veterinarian, and her job is crucial to the story, then her occupation should be named. If she’s a veterinarian who is returning home after being gone for years, and the story is about her return, then you might want to identify her as the town prodigal. If it’s about a veterinarian who is returning to her mother’s funeral, you might want to call her a wayward daughter. Use whatever moniker that describes your character and their most important role in the story.
Step Two: Identify your character’s goals for the story. Goals could be their greatest dream, or just the plot goals, but the reader must know what the story is about. For a romance, often the premise focuses on love, and finding the ideal mate. For a suspense, it’s about life and limb, and saving those we love. For a mystery, it’s about following the clues and solving the
Here's the premise from Tying the Knot . If you aren't familiar with either of these books, go to my Web site (www.susanmaywarren.com). There are premises and first chapters there, under the “writing” link.
Noah Standing Bear has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. But when he sees a woman gunned down, can he help her find healing? Worse, when it happens again, what will it cost him to save her?
And here's the premise from The Sovereign’s Daughter :
Royal daughter Oksana can’t believe her father entrusted her life to a lowly peasant. Peace- loving Mennonite merchant Anton Klassen is paralyzed by his charge—especially when he falls in love with her. Can two people from different lives find a way to protect Russia’s most valuable secret?
Let’s play a little game. Can you guess what movies these premises are from?
She just wants to prove she can be a Pulitzer-prize winning writer. He wants to be the top executive at his ad agency. But when two high achievers are thrown together to achieve their own goals, they just might discover that falling in love is the greatest prize of all.
She gave up on her future, believing her true love dead, and agreed to marry a king. But when her fiancé returns, ready to fight for her, can she believe in love, even when it seems the past has repeated itself? And will he be a man of his word—even beyond the grave?
Those two premises focused on the romance part of the story. Let’s try one without romance:
He believes he can prevent war with his information about a Soviet secret. But what if he’s wrong? What if, in fact, he instead pulls the trigger on WWIII? Just how far will one man’s beliefs take him . . . and the rest of the world?
Answers:
A: How to Lose a Guy in 10 days
B: The Princess Bride
C: The Hunt for Red October (Of course!)
Pick your favorite movie(s) and see if you can create a premise.
Crafting Your Premise in Six Easy Steps!
I love crafting a premise. It’s one of the first things I do after I get a story in my head. With my premise as my guide, I know where the story is headed, the main themes, and the stakes. For those writers who are Seat of the Pants plotters (SOTPs), you can still do this. You don’t have to nail down every scene and nuance right now. But I’ll bet you have in your head the theme, the characters, and what the story is about. That’s all you need to craft a great premise.
In a premise I like to start out with the highest stakes , the point at which the editor or reader might care about the outcome. I boil down the action to the most important, the climax, wind it together with the hero’s and the heroine’s deepest fears or needs (revealing the Black Moment ), and ask an emotion question that will propel the editor to further reading. (Some would call that the Story Question .) But how do you pull all these elements together into something that pops, yet encapsulates the story?
Six Easy Steps to Creating a Premise
Step One: Name your character, and their significance. For example, if the story is about a veterinarian, and her job is crucial to the story, then her occupation should be named. If she’s a veterinarian who is returning home after being gone for years, and the story is about her return, then you might want to identify her as the town prodigal. If it’s about a veterinarian who is returning to her mother’s funeral, you might want to call her a wayward daughter. Use whatever moniker that describes your character and their most important role in the story.
Step Two: Identify your character’s goals for the story. Goals could be their greatest dream, or just the plot goals, but the reader must know what the story is about. For a romance, often the premise focuses on love, and finding the ideal mate. For a suspense, it’s about life and limb, and saving those we love. For a mystery, it’s about following the clues and solving the
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