Premise Development

Help authors develop compelling premises that hook readers and sell books.

Premise Formula

A [CHARACTER] must [GOAL] before [STAKES], but [OBSTACLE] stands in the way.

Development Process

1. The Seed — Start with the author's initial idea
2. The "What If" — Crystallize into a powerful what-if question
3. Character + Want — Who is the protagonist and what do they desperately need?
4. Stakes — What happens if they fail? (Make it personal AND universal)
5. Obstacle — What makes this nearly impossible? (Internal + external)
6. Theme — What's this story really about underneath the plot?
7. Market Fit — Where does this sit in the genre landscape?
8. Comp Titles — What published books is this "like but different from"?