The Pixar Premise

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Download: Premise Sheet

If you're a writer in the modern age, chances are you've seen some version of Pixar's 22 Rules of storytelling.  They contain a lot of great advice for writers in every genre, and they've made the rounds on social media.  But there's one in particular that really revolutionized my understanding of the craft.

A lot of tidbits of wisdom have this character of seeming obvious after you learn them, and rule number four is no exception:

Once there was ______.

Every day, he ______.

Then one day, he ______.

Because of that, he ______.

Because of that, he ______.

Until finally, he ______.

This is a story in its simplest possible form. A character has a normal life that is interrupted, which sets in motion a chain reaction that brings the character to some final state.  The causal relationship between events is crucial; the story feels like a chain of dominoes that will continue tumbling over each other with or without us.  We get sucked in because we don't want to miss the action.

When you're plotting a story, it's essential to first see it in this simple form.  A healthy premise can be the first step to a successful story.

The first time I encountered the idea of structuring a premise like this was on the same freelance job that introduced me to Write Your Novel From The Middle.  The client led me to this article by Jeff Lyons, which states the idea slightly differently:

When [Some event provokes the protagonist to react]

Then [Character acts on some desire]

Until [Character's actions meet opposition]

Leading to [The final state of the story]

Both are equally valid interpretations of premise that play to their respective demographics: Pixar's version sounds like a kid's story.  Lyon's version sounds a bit more adult.

My version is somewhere in between, probably because I'm a kid trapped in the body of a man who loves shoot-em-up action stories.

Once there was ______.

Every day, he ______.

Then one day, he ______.

Because of that, he ______.

Because of that, he ______.

[Hint: you can have as many "because of that" steps as you need]

Now, [State the crucial choice the character must make].

Whether you go with this version, one of the above versions, or invent your own, the important part is that you're building a picture of your story at a glance.  This will not only help you get the ball rolling on an outline, but it will help you create a succinct summary of what your story is about, which is useful in the publishing process.

Let's take a look at how a premise might be structured for a story everyone loves and remembers:

Once, there was Dr. Alan Grant.

Every day, he dug up dinosaur bones.  He thought children were annoying, but overall life was pretty good.

Then one day, John Hammond offered to fund Dr. Grant's dig if he would sign off on a new theme park.

Because of that, Dr. Grant and several others flew to Isla Nublar, where John Hammond showed them the real, living dinosaurs of Jurassic Park.  But events conspired to let the dinosaurs out of their cages.

Because of that, Dr. Grant got lost in the park with John Hammond's grand kids.

Now, Dr. Grant must protect the kids, and learn to deal with them, so that they can all escape the park safely.

Or you could do it like this:

When Dr. Alan Grant (a dedicated paleontologist who isn't fond of children) accepts an offer that will fund his research for the next few years, he finds himself flying to Jurassic Park, where his mysterious benefactor has brought dinosaurs back to life.

Then, Dr. Grant is fascinated with the reality of the creatures he's spent his life studying. 

Until events conspire to release the dinosaurs from their cages, putting Dr. Grant into a life-and-death situation where he must protect the people he wanted nothing to do with: children.

This leads to Dr. Grant saving the kids' lives and escaping the park successfully, while also learning that kids aren't so bad after all.

The main difference is that in my version, the ending is left uncertain.  As much of a plotter as I may be, I do like to allow my plot to take unexpected turns, especially in the early stages of development.  By the time I do a full outline, I'll pin down an ending (though it still might change later), but in the discovery stage, I try to leave a little room for my subconscious to work.

How you choose to structure your premises is not important, but that you choose to is crucial.  It helps you find your story's shape from square one, and it is a great way to discover your theme.  But the premise is just one part of the Premise Sheet template, so check out the next article for a full explanation of what remains.