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Have you ever come up with a killer story concept only to start writing and realize you
Not to fear, I’ve fleshed out six steps to help you define your razor-sharp premise before
The first thing you should ask yourself is, “what kind of story am I telling?” With a
As an example, those who love romantic comedies will be attracted to a film that has a
It’s common that a story will fall into a few categories naturally, especially if the categories
Of course, when someone thinks about the fantasy genre, they may imagine a story for younger readers,
“Young Adult” and “New Adult” are also categories to consider
Personally, I found that I had a little more flexibility with my protagonist’s age when writing
This next tip comes straight out of Save the Cat, which you have probably heard of or
And incidentally, by doing so before you start writing your script, you’ll make the story better,
Loglines are usually a sentence or two, but Snyder thinks that one line with an ironic element
The designing principle is essentially the premise behind the premise
” The logline establishes the concept and players at face value, but the designing principle reveals the heart
Premise: A boy discovers he has magical powers and attends a school for magicians
Designing Principle: A magician prince learns to be a man and a king by attending a boarding
In the premise we learn “who” and “what,” but the designing principle tells us that this is
We can anticipate quests, magic, battles between good and evil, and great tests of courage and leadership
” With a good hero and villain arc, it should be clear that both the hero and villain
They both have flaws just as much as they both have the potential for redemption
The hero will make tough, sacrificial decisions, while a villain will stop at nothing to take down
Using the previous Harry Potter example, think of the relationship between Harry and the villain, Voldemort
Miraculously, Harry isn’t killed after Voldemort attacks, but he now bears the burden of a scar
This sets off an epic, years-long build-up of both characters preparing to meet each other again for
Harry’s need for Voldemort comes in the form of his own development
If Voldemort kills Harry, he knows a piece of his soul will be destroyed, which could ultimately
Both characters have fully fleshed-out arcs that make sense in relation to the qualities they need from
But again, the difference between them is the choices they make
In Robert McKee’s, Story, he advises writing “relatively simple” but complex narratives
When you dive deep into your character’s life and purpose, complexity should happen organically
Using McKee’s advice one last time, your protagonist should be a willful character with obvious wants
At the same time, your protagonist can also have a “contradictory unconscious desire
” They know what they want, but they may not be aware of what they need, but the
However, their subconscious needs could come in the form of desiring love and acceptance from the very