Comments on: A Premise Isn’t a Plot. But it’s a Good Start.

By: ? Writing Links Round Up 1/10 – B. Shaun Smith

? Writing Links Round Up 1/10 – B. Shaun Smith — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 20:26:41 +0000

[…] A Premise Isn’t a Plot. But it’s a Good Start. […]

By: dholcomb1

dholcomb1 — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 05:42:06 +0000

I try to start a book with an elevator pitch or logline so I can keep the focus on the story and the main characters.

denise

By: Glynis Becker

Glynis Becker — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 13:08:51 +0000

I think this has been the problem with all my manuscripts. Thanks for the help diagnosing it and realizing that while I may have to do a lot of editing, all is not lost! Great post that I'm sure I'll revisit again and again.

By: janicehardyauthor

janicehardyauthor — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 19:27:54 +0000

In reply to Ellen Buikema. Thank you! Loglines are awesome. They force you to pinpoint the key aspects of a story, and as long as you know that, you can find your way to the end. They're especially handy for NaNo writers, too. There's no time to ponder what to do next!

By: janicehardyauthor

janicehardyauthor — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 19:26:18 +0000

In reply to Eldred Bird. Thanks! And thanks for the link for those who want to know more. Loglines are such great tools, both in the early stages and in the publishing and marketing stages. They're one of the first things I write for every novel.

By: janicehardyauthor

janicehardyauthor — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 19:24:26 +0000

In reply to Kris Maze. Most welcome. Every writer has their own process, but as an outliner and plotter, the early work makes a huge difference in how solid the draft turns out. Yikes! (grin). A lack of an antagonist will certain cause some problems. Sounds like you found the perfect foe for the siblings though.Yay!

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:48:22 +0000

In reply to lrtrovi. I hadn't thought of using this post that way. Excellent idea! Thanks for that. :-)

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:46:59 +0000

In reply to LauraDrake. No one summarizes a story in one sentence better than you, Laura. :-)

By: Ellen Buikema

Ellen Buikema — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:24:29 +0000

Wonderful post, Janice!

As part of NaNoWriMo prep last year I wrote a logline for the story to help me focus on the main goal. This is much like your suggestion of "protagonist has X problem and needs to do Y to win Z or Q happens."

Writing that logline made a huge difference, and I plan to do the same with future novels.

By: Eldred Bird

Eldred Bird — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:13:13 +0000

Great post, Janice. This is where developing a logline comes into play. It helps identify the main protagonist, what's at stake, and the consequences of failure. There's a link to a past WITS post about creating a logline. It ties in nicely with the points you make today!

https://writersinthestormblog.com/2019/10/creating-a-multi-use-logline/