We forget what it's like to be a fan. Not just that, we forget what made us fans to begin with.
I have movies I love--that I absolutely, unequivocally love. These are movies that have influenced both my life and my desire to write. Nobody else I know likes these movies. Nobody else I know wants to sit through these movies. These movies got made, but they failed to find an audience.
What do all really big movies have in common? They have a concept that's easy to understand.
As a writer, if you want your ideas to catch fire with readers, you need to make sure your concept is simple and straightforward. Think about it. Do you want to see a movie if you have no clue what it's about after watching the trailer?
Maybe you've heard of the elevator pitch. This is the 15-30 second, one-sentence pitch that embodies the essence of your big idea. It doesn't matter if you're pitching a novel, a screenplay, or a new business venture, the money people will all want that elevator pitch and they'll want it to be very, very good. I've heard it said your elevator pitch better be so good that someone would write you a check for a million dollars on the spot.
If it's not that good, then keep working on it.
Can you sum up your idea in one sentence that well? Would your story pass the elevator pitch test?
