PLOT vs. PREMISE // my favorite writing 'advice'

This writing advice/lesson learned from 1 author's mistake totally blew my mind. I know SO MANY writers who have a ~super cool awesome idea~....but no actual story.
☟↓ QUESTIONS FOR YOU BELOOOOOW! ↓☟

P E O P L E M E N T I O N E D :

D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S :
Have you ever fallen into the trap of having a premise but no story/plot?
What's your favorite writing advice that came from another writer's mistake?

🌎 F I N D M E O N L I N E :

💌 S N A I L M A I L M E :
PO Box #1022
607 E. Blanco Road
Boerne, TX 78006

#authortube #writingadvice

[clownsims]

I think an even bigger problem (at least for me) is being terrified of ruining a great premise with a bad plot. That's paralyzing.

[A-rogous-]

You guys are freaking me out. I don't know squat about writing a book. I'm teaching myself by writing a seven book fantasy series. And watching videos by authors and editors. The story is 35+ years old. Everyday I learn something else I don't know. Thanks for illuminating my ignorance.

[anookishexception]

1) love that book
2) I think my biggest issue with writing is having a premise but not a plot

[kennycooper]

I have lots of ideas but turning them into good stories is something else.

[rowanstree]

The best thing I've learned from another writer's mistakes is to avoid expositional dumps, however much they are snuck into the story. And I've definitely fallen into that trap—when I started writing, I struggled with so many neat premises, but I learned that I had to develop a passion for a worked out story rather than just a single idea. Great video and great point.

[campwriter]

I love coming up with the premise, but my favourite part is figuring out the story. My biggest problem is worrying I’m not going to execute it effectively.

[karenlin]

You make writing sound fun and doable. So appreciate the inspiration!

[rithicadevireddy]

You have a lot of positive energy that really helped me get back to my writing. Thank you so much :)

[karenlin]

You made me think of other interesting nuances in planning and analyzing a novel. The differences between premise and theme, and voice and tone. They are fun things to explore!

[jdmoncada]

The first time I saw this video (a few years ago), i didn't really understand the difference between plot and premise. Now, I'm watching it again after self-publishing 2 novels and a novella. I finally get it. I've had so many ideas that didn't have the plot to go with them.

[VickyTaylorRoberts]

Kate, thank you SO much! This is a very common trap for me in both my literary fiction and dramatic writing. Love your energy!

[EmilyBourne]

Gosh, this is a problem I have. I have a major plot twist but no beginning. And I always have beginnings and not endings. I’ve worked out the main characters, but the other plot points are being difficult. I tried to work out the story in January but have so many holes. I’m hoping during camp nano it’ll all just come to me, because I’m so freakin excited to write something new.

Good luck with your new story!!!!

[scallahan]

When I was younger I definitely didn't really understand the difference between plot and premise. As I've grown, I've navigated it myself and figured out why none of the things I was writing were really clicking with me and making the idea I had come to life like I wanted it to. Now, I have a story that stemmed from multiple premises that I am currently working on plotting. The difference here is that with every plot point I am still excited for the story and not just the one idea. As for things I've learned from other writers, I would say story/sentence structure and flow. Watching authortube has helped me to expand my abilities in this area so much so that when I'm reading someone else's work I think to myself how I would have written it rather than asking myself why I can't write like what I'm reading (which is such a weird feeling 😂😂); thus, I become more inspired to write and tell the stories I want to.

[amandar]

So excited for you and this new idea/soon to be blossoming plot! I think maybe this is just a matter of the years and years I've spent writing but it's not until I've got the plot that I can even consider an idea worth it -- though I do have several premises simmering in the b k of my mind. Good luck!!

[one_smol_duck]

Yep. I was just writing something with an amazing premise and a great introduction, but no clear direction on where to go. There was plenty of conflict to theoretically drive the plot, but I just couldn't get any interesting scenes out of it. So I trunked it for now and picked up an older story I had been writing a few years ago, and wow -- reworking the plot for this is such a fluid and exciting process. It's night and day from sitting with the other story and trying to force myself to answer questions that build a plot. I think sometimes a good premise just needs time to mature in your brain a bit before you can really build a good story out of it. At least, that's how it goes with me.

[santanasg]

YES. It happens to me, with all my ideas! I'm actually really excited bc I'm attending a scriptwriting course, and it's all focused on how to find the find premise of our story and turn it into a concrete plot!

[ALabyrinthOfStories]

I just have to say thank you because I always struggle with thinking of great ideas but not being able to come up with a solid plot to go along with those ideas, but this video helped me brainstorm ideas for the story I'm about to start writing! Just asking myself "How does the character grow over the course of the novel?" prompted so many ideas for plot in my head!

[vindolanda]

Janice Hardy covers premise vs plot and how to develop them in great detail in her 2014 book Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure. Strongly recommended (and cheap)!

[kelly_seastar]

I had the same same problem. I had a protagonist, her friends and family, and world for them to explore, but nothing for them to do. I took a class that really helped a lot.

[marywockenfuss-thecraftypl]

Wow. I think that’s actually one of my biggest problems - I just have the premise, but very little to no plot, and try to write based on just that. Thanks for sharing this tip!