For me, having a compelling external objective is the most important part of coming up with a novel

In my eyes, a novel premise generally has four parts:

• What concrete, specific thing does the character want? -- This is the objective they'll pursue throughout the book.

• What internal need drives that desire? -- This is the human motivation that makes that objective so important. Usually it's something very simple: a desire for love or respect or power.

• Wh…