Okay, it has been a while, and while I wish I could say I have been busy writing…I can’t. Until today, the pressure just wasn’t overwhelming enough to force my muse to come out and do her job. I did promise to answer questions though, and I seem to be getting two questions over and over again.
When in a recent article my agent mentioned my debut novel, Rules of Engagement, as an example of high concept, emails started rolling in from everywhere. Most emails started with a story overview, and then went on to ask if the premise was high concept or not.
So, just what is ‘high concept?
For me, high concept means that:
1) the story premise can be pitched in a couple of sentences–and will elicit an emotional reaction (a sigh, a giggle, a gasp.)
2) the story premise is fresh, unique, original–even if its a twist on the expected or tried and true premise.
3) the story premise has wide reader appeal. In other words, it’s marketable. How will you know if your premise is a gem in your own mind, or if it will appeal to a wide audience? Test your logline on a few people (not just your mother or spouse). Are most intrigued? Or are you getting a blank stare and a polite ‘Oh, uh-huh’? It’s important to be honest with yourself about your story’s appeal and the reason you are writing in the first place. Are you writing to sell, or for yourself?
My first verbal pitch (note: written loglines can pack in some more information) for my debut novel, Rules of Engagement , was something like this:
Two elderly women mistake a military strategy text, Rules of Engagement, for a how-to manual for getting engaged–and use its tactics to snare husbands for their nieces.
My verbal pitch almost always earned a little chuckle. The potential for humor was clear. The premise, which was just a little twist on the expected, had wide appeal. It was marketable. In the end, several editors were interested in buying the book. Warner Books, did.
Why? Because the high concept premise was easily communicated from the editor to Marketing, to the sales force, to the wholesalers, to the booksellers–to the readers.
It was easy to sell.
Questions #2. Who the heck is Audrey and why do you have her read your pages every day?
I have a little trick for distancing myself from my work. I read my pages aloud…in a British accent. I know, I know. A bit quirky. But because my stories are set in England and Scotland, it’s how I hear the dialogue in my head when I am writing anyway.
Now I have a program I spotted in Writer’s Digest, called Text Aloud (you can find it at http://www.nextup.com). The program reads your pages aloud in the dialect of your choice. I paid a bit extra to get the AT&T Natural Voices software, which sounds natural–not like a computer–and Audrey, the British female voice.
I use the program every day I write. I sit back with a cup of coffee and listen. I can hear typos, dialogue that doesn’t sound quite natural, duplicated or omitted words. I correct them as Audrey reads.
Sometime I have Audrey read to an MP3 file, instead of aloud (another function of the software). I copy the files to my iPod and listen to my pages being read while I am in the car, in a dentist office, etc.
So there you have it. My definition of high concept and the mystery of Audrey’s identity revealed.
You know where to send your questions!
