When people find out that you're writing a novel, they'll ask, "What's your novel about?" How will you respond?
I see one of two responses from the ill-prepared, and believe me, I've been there myself. I've been guilty of the first response—the blank stare as I think of how I can possibly explain my massive tome to this person, and then I spout out random plot points. The second response is even worse for the poor questioner—the writer drones on and on, giving a full synopsis of the book. Both responses are red flags that the writer doesn't truly understand what their book is about; the writer doesn't understand the premise.
The premise is the central idea of your book; it's what makes your novel unique. Premises are often structured either as What If statements or as When statements.
What If statements pose a question and are especially popular in the speculative fiction genres, such as science fiction and futuristic thrillers. These statements focus on an inciting incident, i.e., that which kicks off the main story. For example, the premise of War of the Worlds is, "What if hostile Martians landed on Earth?"
When statements are popular in romance and general fiction and especially in contemporary fiction. Rather than focusing on a single, big question, When statements focus on a narrative, i.e., the general progression of the story. For example, the premise of Jane Eyre is, "When a woman becomes a governess, she finds herself in love with the estate's brooding master."
When someone asks, "what's your novel about?" they don't want to hear a full rundown of the plot. They want to hear its premise. In the corporate world, they call a succinct response an elevator speech, which means you should be able to explain whatever it is that needs explained in the time the elevator takes to travel between two floors.
To come up with the premise for your book, you need to do a little brainstorming. Ask yourself questions like these:
· What's the conflict?
· What's the inciting incident?
· What's the story arc?
· What key elements stand out in the storyline?
On a side note, another term that's loosely related to the premise is logline. A logline conveys your story in a single, punchy sentence that introduces (1) the protagonist, (2) the antagonist, and (3) the story's stakes. If you are asked to pitch your story to an agent or editor, this is the first thing they want to hear. Here's a rough example for Star Wars: A farm boy joins rebel forces to save a princess from an evil Jedi master and the galaxy from a planet-destroying Death Star.
Conflict can be external, such as a hero fighting a villain. In my Fringe Series, the conflict is an interplanetary war. But conflict can also be internal, focusing on the character's growth through a significant event in his or her life, such as a car accident, death, or a love affair. Many romance stories focus on the internal conflict that keeps the two protagonists from coming easily together.
The inciting incident is the event that launches the character(s) into action. In my book, 100 Days in Deadland, Cash begins a typical day at the office, only to be disrupted by the zombie apocalypse. This is a grand-scale inciting incident, but it doesn't have to be so massive. An inciting incident can also be a character starting their first day of school in a new town. The key to a good inciting incident is its disruption of the protagonist's life.
The story arc is the overall progression of your book's narrative. In Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, the story arc is an monumental quest. In my Fringe Series, the arc is a fight for independence. Many YA (Young Adult) novels have a coming-of-age story arc.
Key elements of the story may be items, objects, or universal themes. In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the apple was a key element. In my Fringe Series, a key element is the teardrop symbol worn by the torrents. It may be too early to know the key elements of your novel, but if you begin with one in mind, it'll be easier to weave it into the fabric of the story.
Once you've brainstormed these four questions, look at your answers. Creating a premise is much like fitting together a jigsaw puzzle. Play with the different pieces to see which work. Where a premise differs from a puzzle is that you might not use all the pieces, but save them for later. All those extra pieces may help you write your blurb.
Keep the premise to one or two sentences and write it in present tense. Once you have a premise that you find engaging, you can use that as your novel's tagline as you write it.
The next time someone asks you, "What's your novel about?" give them the premise, and they'll be begging for more, which brings all the more motivation to write that novel.
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