October Novel Prep Challenge

Hi everyone. Welcome to day two of OctoPrep. I am another one of your writing coaches.

I am posting this a tad early because I have a 12 hour work day tomorrow. I will be popping in to help with any questions over the course of my day.

Today's (Wednesday October 2) assignment is: Plot: Premise
Now that you've brainstormed the general story idea, let's identify some story elements:
(1) Setting(s). Where and when does your story take place?
(2) Protagonist(s). Who is(are) your main character(s)?
(2b) Flaw(s). What is(are) the protagonist's major flaw(s)?
(2c) Goal(s). What does(d) the protagonist(s) want (or want to avoid)?
(3) Conflict(s). What's keeping them from their goal(s)? Why?
(4) Antagonist(s). Who or what is creating the conflict(s)? Why?

Just for fun: Write a provocative one-sentence description of your story.
Example: A young, mistreated orphan discovers he is a wizard and must face the evil villain Voldemort to fulfill his destiny.

* Wikipedia's definition of Narrative Conflict: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_(narrative)


Wrapping your head around the premise can seem a little daunting, but it is worth it. Why, you might ask? Good Question. Focusing on these questions posed in today's assignment allows you to really narrow in on your story - the heartbeat of it all.

You get to the nitty gritty of your tale. This is the engine that runs the works and it is vital to know this information because if, and when, you get overwhelmed by the process of writing and you are mindlessly lost, you can come back to the premise. It is like an anchor in the storm.

It can help you find the calm and get you back on the right track. Whenever the storm surges you can return to your premise and ask yourself: Does this move my story forward? Is the scene helping or hindering my progress? Simply taking the time to stop and consider these things can keep you going in the right direction and help you find your way through the whiteout conditions that blow in.


To help with this concept, I found this rather interesting YouTube video which details out how one goes about Writing the Premise or Log line of your novel:

I apologize that he goes on and on a bit, but he is quite thorough as he moves you through the process. One of the things I have learned along the way is that to create a premise or a log line, you will have an anchor as you are writing.

Remember:
Anything that does not support your premise or log line can later be cut, if need be.
A premise helps you refine your story and keep you on track as you are writing.

Please keep in mind that you need only spend 15 minutes working on this assignment today for it to count. You will return to it over the month to refine it so don’t worry about getting it just right the first time.

Also remember to post to the Assignment log and keep it up to date. Be wary of the 72 hour rule. It can sneak up on you.

And one more link if you are interested:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-ensure-your-story-has-a-strong-premi...

Hope this helps.

Write on!