In the Fun and Games part of the story, we, the author, are not as worried about plot and forward movement as much as we are wanting to deliver to our readers on that promise we made them. In a romance, this is where the fun, schmoopie courtship takes place. In an action movie, this is where the fast-paced thrills and chase scenes happen. In Miss Congeniality, the premise was “Ugly duckling FBI agent goes undercover in a Miss America pageant,” so for the Fun and Games, we get to see Sandra Bullock get a makeover, stumble around on heels, make music with water-glasses as her talent, and make a ton of goof-ups as she bumbles through the pageant with the other contestants. It’s the reason most people came to watch the movie, or decided to read the book, in the first place. This is when you get to experience all the things that were promised. Structure-wise, the promise of the premise comes during what Blake Snyder calls the “Fun and Games” part of the story. For a movie, you’ll find the promise on the movie poster, in the movie trailer, and through word-of-mouth recommendations. For a book, this promise comes on the cover, in the back cover copy, and through word-of-mouth recommendations. That’s where I first learned the term “promise of the premise.” Every book or movie makes a promise to potential readers and viewers. It’s no secret that I love screenwriter Blake Snyder’s book Save the Cat.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |