How To Write A Story Premise in 4 Steps

A story comprises several components. The setting, plot, character, and theme are important structures in a story. The premise of a story summarizes what the story is about. It entails the story’s subject; the characters involved in the story, and the lesson from the story.

The story premise is essential when one begins a new writing project. It helps define a road map of how the story will go and the learning point.

All stories need a premise to communicate a central message. Today, we share four steps to guide you in creating your story premise.

Step 1: Focus on a theme

The theme is the major idea in a story. Before writing the premise, think of what the story will center on. Maybe it is justice, love, betrayal, or courage. Finding the exact concept that the story portrays will make the premise easy to create.

Step 2: Use your character’s motivation

Each character in a story serves a function. If a character loses their function, take them out of the story. Answer the following questions: Who are your main characters? What are their motivations? Your protagonist may be a boy who sacrifices his dreams for a loved one. Add this detail into your story premise.

Step 3: Capture the end goal

Your story should have an end goal. After you have established your character’s motivation, relate their desires to their actions. If your main character dies in the story because they wanted to revenge a cause, discuss their needs, and the situations surrounding their death.

Step 4: Keep it short and simple

Summarize all the elements of your story to create a premise. Use descriptions and simple sentences when writing. Allow your premise to show the theme, main character, motivations, and a resolution.

Here are some sample premises. You can find many more sample story premises here.

Sample 1: When a small-town police station is threatened with shutting down because of too little crime, the police realize that something has to be done…

Sample 2: The son of the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero to reclaim it.

Sample 3: When Katniss Everdeen, survivalist by necessity, volunteers to take part in a televised fight to the death, she just wants to survive and return home to her family. But the game makers change the rules at the last moment, forcing her to choose between killing her closest ally or being killed by him.

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