What Is a Premise in a Story? Why It Matters and How to Write One That Generates Plot
A premise is the engine of a story. It’s not a summary, a theme, or a description of subject matter. A premise defines the central struggle of a narrative in a way that automatically generates plot.
What O’Connor Designed: Scene Structure in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
Most readers admire the ending of A Good Man Is Hard to Find for its shock. They miss its design. This essay breaks down the final scene through craft principles—POV, goal, obstacle, escalation—to show how Flannery O’Connor structures tension, moral exposure, and rupture with absolute precision.