Become A Wattpad Rockstar

Chapter 2: Premise

In the last chapter, we talked about how to challenge the cliches to get interesting and fresh story ideas. Today, we're going to dig into the structure of your story. In other words, at the end of this chapter, you will evaluate your story if it will survive or not. 

Are you ready? 

What is a premise?

A premise comprises 1-3 sentences, sometimes 5, that serves as the foundation of your book. For writing fiction, it shows the character's goal, the challenges, and the conclusion. 

For example, before I wrote my book Accidental Quest, I started with a strong premise. As an author, even before I wrote the first chapter, I already know the ending. I was already aware of the gist of the story way before the book was finished. 

That said, a book that has a strong and clear premise will likely to standout and to perform well. 

Why do you need to have a strong premise?

"Every writer dreams of writing a book that will touch people." -  Bruce Feiler

A good book ALWAYS starts with a strong premise. I mean always. Here's the brutal truth. 

Your book will go nowhere if you as an author don't know exactly why you started writing it. You have no idea what your character's potentials are, you don't care where the next chapter will lead you, and above all, you don't know how to end the story. 

You can't even picture the whole book in your head. 

This is why most Wattpad writers write crap without them realizing it. 

Their characters change in between the chapters as there's no consistency in their stories. What's the reason? The author's inability to provide a strong foundation for their books. Especially for their characters and their journey. 

Do you want proof? Try to read the ones you read before. I mean, read it as an author or editor. Do you notice something? I bet you will notice a lot of similar stories that are already considered overly saturated. 

If not, you always notice the inconsistencies as to how the author describes the character's tone, language, behavior, etc. You tend to ask yourself, "Why did she act like that? Did I miss something?" 

I know, I know. You will say, "Come on, cut them some slack. You know most of the writers here are young and they still have a lot to learn, bla bla bla." 

You know what, I don't care if you're only 12 years old or even younger as long as you give me a good story, as long as you provide the readers a book that's worth-sharing and unforgettable. That's what Wattpad is for, right? 

This platform intends to help talented writers to share wonderful stories. But with today's situation, we barely find a good one.

Are you getting my point? 

Again, a good book will always have a strong and clear premise. You will take it for granted initially because your book idea is fresh in mind. However, if you're already in Chapter 30, for instance, you will get lost. 

That's why it's important to have a solid foundation for your book to survive and to stand as a good literature. Regardless of your background, your age, your gender, the manner you tell stories matter. 

How to create a strong premise for your book?

Before we get into the process, let me first show you how I structured my premise for Accidental Quest. This is how it goes:

A not-so-brilliant college student, forced by the academic requirement to pass and graduate, decodes the mystery behind the infamous murderer's life twenty years ago by hidden messages in an old book.

A clear protagonist. Who's the main character of the story?

A clear resistance. What's blocking your main character from achieving what he wants? Who or what stops him from doing what he wants to do with his life or in his journey?

A clear problem. What is the main conflict that exists in the story? What is the core problem your protagonist has to solve?

A clear end goal. What drives your protagonist to go through the hurdles of his journey? What does he want to achieve?

Was my book clear simply by reading the premise? Yes. 

For a few sentences, was it hard for you to know the whole journey of the character and how it could end? No. 

That's how powerful a premise is, especially when you transition to self-publishing. It's because it's the first thing they will ask from you. 

"Give me the hook of your book," I remember one asked me on the phone call. 

You see, you can't disregard it.  

If you want to learn more about creating a strong premise, I wrote a detailed post about it and speed up your book writing process. Click here to find out how to write a good book faster. https://bit.ly/31DPAvS

Assignment:

If you don't have an idea for your book just yet, it's the best time to think about your premise. 

If you're already started writing chapters, it's best to step back and review the overall structure of your book. Otherwise, you'll end up like me: unable to finish a book. 

Review your premise. Take time on thinking and revising it until you see the core structure of your book for only a few sentences just as I showed you before. 

I hope this chapter helps you out in the book writing process. See you in the next chapter. :)

About the author:

Mecyll Gaspary is a writer and author of several Wattpad books in English that gained 100K+ reads, namely, "Accidental Quest," "The Rival," and "30 Days with Mr. Weirdo" in the Filipino language.

She is also an independent author and publisher and owns companies namely, MG Consulting for her freelance writing business and MG Publications as a self-publisher. She actively writes on her website at www.mgaspary.com.