Generate STORY IDEAS that are MARKETABLE and FUN using the DOUBLE PREMISE PRINCIPLE

Introduction

In this video, Jane shares her process for generating complete story ideas using the double premise method. She explains how to take two premises and combine them in a way that feels fresh and interesting.

The Double Premise Method

• The double premise method involves taking two premises or worlds that you think are interesting and combining them.

• One of the premises is usually something special and compelling, while the other is more prosaic.

• The goal is to create something that feels fresh and has synergy between the two premises.

Steps for Generating Story Ideas

Step 1 - Make a List

• Start by making a list of prosaic worlds you know, such as motherhood or marriage.

• Move on to worlds outside your own experience, such as demons, dragons, werewolves, ghosts, dinosaurs, or fairy tales.

Step 2 - Look for Connections

• Look at your list and try to make connections between the different worlds. Look for synergy but also look for weirdness.

Step 3 - Generate What-if Scenarios

• Take your most compelling combinations and generate what-if scenarios from each one. This will help you develop a magical question that can lead you down the road to your story.

Step 4 - Expand Your What-if Scenarios into Stories

• Finally, expand your what-if scenarios into stories with a beginning and an end. This will give you enough material to start writing your story.

Developing Compelling Story Ideas

In this section, the speaker discusses how to develop compelling story ideas by adding a cool twist or connecting the problem to a chronic problem in the character's life. The speaker provides examples of how to do this and emphasizes the importance of assessing your ideas fairly.

Ways to Develop Compelling Story Ideas

• Add a cool twist like having the boy mistaken about who the villain is.

• Connect up the problem to a chronic problem in the character's life.

• Examples of compelling story ideas:

• A young soldier discovers a magical potion used by Nazis that turns him into a super soldier but eats away at his morality.

• An unpopular girl becomes convinced that popular girls in her school are possessed by demons and does mystical battle with them.

• A lonely boy in a frontier settlement strikes oil with his best friend, and Raiders find out about it.

Assessing Your Ideas

• Ask yourself questions such as:

• How marketable is this idea?

• Is it going to appeal to people who already enjoy my work?

• How much fun am I going to have working on it?

• Batch produce five ideas at once for easier comparison and assessment.

• Choose one idea that you're excited about and want to spend your precious time working on.

Introduction

In this section, the speaker introduces himself and explains what he will be discussing in the video.

About The Speaker

• The speaker is John Green, an author of young adult fiction novels.

Video Overview

• The video is about how to come up with compelling story ideas.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker concludes the video and thanks the viewers for watching.

Final Thoughts

• The speaker thanks the viewers for watching.

• No exercise is given at the end of this video.