Tag Archives: Plot

The power of a strong premise: How to develop a compelling idea for your novel

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storybook depicting compelling novel premise

When writing a story, a strong premise is the foundation of a great novel, driving the story forward and grabbing your reader’s attention by promising an engaging and satisfying read. The question is: how do you come up with a compelling premise for your novel?

A good premise should:

  1. be unique and different from other stories in the genre, thus standing out from the crowd.
  2. be compelling, interesting, thought-provoking, and relevant to the reader.
  3. be specific, clear, and well-defined, leaving no room for confusion.
  4. have a focus, a clear and manageable conflict, goal, and set of stakes.

Once you have a general idea for your novel, you can start to develop a strong premise by following these steps:

Write what you know.

Look to the world around you for inspiration. Your life’s experiences, successes, trials, and tribulations can be worked into your plot to make your narrative true-to-life and help to captivate your readers.

Define your main character and their goal.

    Who are they? What do they want? What’s stopping them from getting it? Putting your character in danger as they strive to achieve their goals is a sure way to up the tension in your story and set up a strong premise.

    Create a clear and specific conflict.

    What’s the main problem or obstacle the main character has to overcome? Conflict helps drive the story forward. The way your character weathers conflict can help drive the narrative and develop character.

    Establish the stakes.

    A strong premise makes it important for the main character to achieve their goal. What are the consequences if they fail? Elevating the stakes helps elevate your story’s drama and suspense.

    Add a twist or unique angle.

    How can you make your premise different from others in the genre? What is the unique perspective or twist you bring to the story?

    Your strong premise should grab the reader’s attention and make them want to keep reading. It’s worth your while to take the time to develop a strong premise that is both compelling and unique. Also, be sure to write the book you want to read. If you can’t read it multiple times without feeling the same excitement and intrigue, keep working on it until you do.

    The Art of Storytelling

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    Storytelling is an art form that has been around for thousands of years. It’s a way for people to share their experiences, beliefs, and values with others. Good storytelling forges emotional connections with the audience. The most powerful stories make the audience feel something, be it joy, sadness, fear, or excitement. To create this emotional connection, the storyteller must use a variety of techniques, such as

    The art of storytelling image

    1. Characterization

    Characterization is creating believable, relatable characters with clear motivations, desires, and flaws. Your characters are people your readers will come to know and care about as they drive the action of your story forward. There should also be a clear arc of change in the character(s) throughout the story.

    2. Plot

    The sequence of events that make up a story, a good plot has a clear beginning, middle, and end, with a clear conflict and resolution.

    3. Setting

    The setting is the place and time in which a story takes place. It should also add to a story’s atmosphere and mood.

    4. Dialogue

    Dialogue is the conversation that takes place between characters. It should be natural, believable, and reveal the characters’ personalities, emotions, and motivations.

    5. Literary devices and descriptive language

    Storytelling uses literary devices like symbolism, metaphor, and imagery, used to add depth and meaning to a story making it more memorable.

    The language you use in your story is what brings it to life. Descriptive language uses vivid word pictures to help your readers visualize the world in which your story takes place. Use descriptive language to build layers in your story. This includes using symbolism (when an object or element is used to represent something else), metaphors (writing about one thing and describing it as if it were something else), and other literary devices to add depth and meaning to your story.

    6. Balance showing and telling

    The art of storytelling also finds a balance between showing and telling. Showing is when the storyteller describes what happens as the actions unfold (including thoughts and dialogue) while telling is when the storyteller simply gives information to state what is happening. Showing provides insight into the characters’ inner worlds of thought and emotion; telling lacks the same depth.  

    Storytelling conclusion

    The key to a great story is the ability to create an emotional connection with the audience, and with the proper techniques, you can create stories that will stay with your readers long after they’ve finished reading.

    5 important Tips for Writing a Compelling Plot

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    A good plot will keep your readers interested in your characters and events. Without a lively and multi-layered plot that leads to a satisfying resolution, readers are unlikely to finish your book. Here are five important tips for writing a compelling plot:

    1. A strong idea will set the stage for the story and guide the characters and events. Start with a strong concept that is clear, interesting, and unique, with the potential for adding twists and turns as you build toward your climax.
    2. Characters are at the heart of any story, and readers must relate to the characters if they are to care about them. Characters should have distinct personalities, motivations, and goals, and they should be fully developed and well-rounded if they are to pass as real people.
    3. Tension and conflict drive a story forward toward the climax by generating suspense. Conflict is rooted in the characters’ goals and desires. The character’s journey toward attaining their goals and dealing with the conflicts they encounter provides the tension of a story, which should escalate as the story progresses. This is what keeps the readers on the edge of their seats, wondering what will happen next.
    4. Use subtext—the story’s underlying meaning—to add depth to your plot and complexity to your story. It is also what makes it multi-layered and gives it a deeper meaning. Subtext is usually incorporated into your story with the use of symbolism, metaphors, and themes.
    5. The story should come full circle at the end, with the characters having faced and resolved all conflicts in a way the reader will find satisfying and fulfilling.

    In the end, it’s important to remember that writing a compelling plot takes time and effort. It’s a process of trial and error and is not always easy, but by following these tips and continuing to practice and improve your writing, you can create a story that will keep your readers engaged until the very end.