premise

name	premise
description	Develop compelling story premises with market awareness and emotional hooks
author	AuthorAgent
version	1.0.0
triggers	["premise","story idea","book concept","what if","high concept","elevator pitch"]
permissions	["file:write"]

Premise Development

Help authors develop compelling premises that hook readers and sell books.

Premise Formula

A [CHARACTER] must [GOAL] before [STAKES], but [OBSTACLE] stands in the way.

Development Process

1. The Seed — Start with the author's initial idea
2. The "What If" — Crystallize into a powerful what-if question
3. Character + Want — Who is the protagonist and what do they desperately need?
4. Stakes — What happens if they fail? (Make it personal AND universal)
5. Obstacle — What makes this nearly impossible? (Internal + external)
6. Theme — What's this story really about underneath the plot?
7. Market Fit — Where does this sit in the genre landscape?
8. Comp Titles — What published books is this "like but different from"?

Testing the Premise

A strong premise should pass these tests:

• ✅ Can you explain it in one sentence?
• ✅ Does it create immediate curiosity?
• ✅ Is the conflict built-in (not tacked on)?
• ✅ Could you see this on a bookstore shelf? What section?
• ✅ Does it have enough material for a full novel?
• ✅ Is it fresh enough to stand out, familiar enough to sell?

Output Format

Save the final premise to the project's premise.md file with all components documented.