| 1) Can you summarize the story in about a | | | | 6) Have you mastered point of view? |
| sentence or two? | | | | If you get confused, you're in trouble. |
| Example: | | | | 7) Does your dialogue move the story along? |
| Three daughters try desperately to save their | | | | Does everyone sound like themselves or could |
| father from his conniving new wife. | | | | readers interchange them? |
| A cop has to fight a losing battle with the bottle | | | | 8) Is there tension throughout the story? |
| and discover the identity of a serial killer. | | | | Every story has moments of low tension, but if |
| 2) Have you checked spelling, grammar and | | | | you have a four-page description of how a |
| formatting? | | | | character brushed his teeth you had better be |
| Make the editor's job easy and you'll be ahead of | | | | one heck of a stylist and stick with writing literary |
| the game. | | | | fiction. Popular fiction readers will likely set your |
| 3) Is your hero/heroine interesting or someone | | | | book aside with a quick flick of the wrist. |
| readers will be interested in? | | | | 9) Is there unanswered conflict until the end? |
| The reader has to care about what happens to | | | | Leave the reader curious about something |
| this character. | | | | whether it is the first name of a key character or |
| 4) Does the story start with a hook, an | | | | the resolution of a subplot. |
| interesting question that will draw the reader in? | | | | 10) Does every scene matter? |
| Read the first sentence of many of your favorite | | | | Again the teeth brusher. |
| books. How did the authors draw you into their | | | | 11) Does everyone have a motive that counts? |
| worlds? Also please remember the type of story | | | | Whether it is the hero, villain or sidekick, it helps |
| you are telling. Don't write a beginning sentence | | | | the story if the reader is able to understand the |
| just for shock value; make sure it fulfills the | | | | actions of each character. If everyone has a |
| promise of the story. | | | | viable motive, it also heightens the tension. |
| 5) Did one or more of your characters change | | | | 12) Does each chapter drive the story forward |
| throughout the story? If not, was that on | | | | offering more information? |
| purpose? People usually like to see a character | | | | 13) Does the ending do what it's supposed to? |
| arc, someone achieving their goal or reaching | | | | Mystery writer Mickey Spillane said, "The first |
| enlightenment. | | | | page sells the books, the last page sells the next |
| Stories are usually about a person and a problem. | | | | book." |
| Once the problem is solved (or unsolved) how | | | | 14) Do you like your story? |
| does that affect the character? Good or bad the | | | | I hope so because in the world of publishing you |
| reader wants to know. | | | | need to be your book's greatest champion. |