The Promise of the Premise: What Your Opening Owes the Reader
Every story makes a promise in its opening pages. Not explicitly. Not with words like “this will be…” But through tone, genre signals, pacing, and the questions it raises, your opening creates expectations about the kind of story this will be. Break that promise, and readers feel betrayed—even if the writing is brilliant. Keep it, and readers trust you enough to follow anywhere. The Unspoken Contract When a reader picks up your story, they’re asking: ...