Game of the Month: The Premise Wars

Here at the CR office we read a lot of submissions. And we like doing it—and even though we can’t take every piece that strikes our fancy, every week we take note of a well-drawn scene, a lovely line, or a pleasingly complex character.

Sometimes we let you in on trends we see in the submissions pile (this winter, we noted a lot of stories set in foreign countries). Our latest? Promising premises that fail to pay off. (Something like this: Man realizes that his wife is slowly turning into a dragon. Files for divorce, moves to the West Coast, considers going to culinary school despite his fear of both fire and really large squashes.)

But! Lucky you: Today, we are NOT looking for a premise that pays off—in the form of a complete piece, anyway. We’re looking for . . . well, a good premise. A really, really good one. Give us your best set-up for a story or poem. We’ll choose our favorite funny premise and the best overall premise.

Winners will get their choice of free back issue, CR thermos, or CR slingpack. To play, leave a comment on this post (click the post’s title) by next Friday, April 13.