| name | story-analysis |
| description | Systematically evaluate completed short stories or novel chapters to identify strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities. Use after drafting to assess whether the piece achieves its narrative goals. |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"author":"jwynia","version":"1.0","type":"diagnostic","mode":"evaluative","domain":"fiction"} |
Story Analysis Diagnostic
Purpose
Systematically evaluate completed short stories or novel chapters to identify strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities. Use after drafting to assess whether the piece achieves its narrative goals.
Quick Reference
| Mode | Use For | Key Focus |
|---|
| Short Story | Complete standalone pieces | Unity, shattering moment, resolution |
| Chapter | Sections within larger work | Continuity, momentum, arc contribution |
Short Story Analysis
SA1: Narrative Foundation
Evaluate:
- Single clear premise or conflict driving the story
- Scope appropriate for length
- Premise integrated with plot and character
- Clear implications that matter to the story
Questions:
- Can you state the core conflict in one sentence?
- Is the scope right for the word count?
- Does the premise connect to character stakes?
- Are the implications explored within the story?
SA2: Character Construction
Evaluate:
- One or two main characters with clear stakes
- Efficient characterization through actions/choices
- Character arcs intersecting with premise
- Limited but purposeful supporting cast
- Distinct voice and perspective
Questions:
- Who is the story about and what do they want?
- Is character revealed through action, not description?
- Does the character change in response to events?
- Does every character serve a purpose?
Red Flags:
- Character described but never demonstrated
- Supporting characters who don't affect anything
- Stakes unclear or abstract
SA3: Story Environment
Evaluate:
- Details woven into action, not exposition
- Each element serves multiple purposes (setting/plot/theme)
- Clear rules and limitations
- Environment revealed through character interaction
- Effective atmosphere and tone
Questions:
- Is worldbuilding shown through action or told in blocks?
- Does each setting detail do double duty?
- Are the story's rules clear and consistent?
- Does the environment affect character choices?
Red Flags:
- Info-dump paragraphs
- Details that never matter again
- Setting that doesn't influence events
SA4: The Shattering Moment
Definition: The pivotal point that transforms everything—a moment that cannot be undone.
Must function through one approach:
- Personal revelation that transforms understanding
- External event that forces change
- Relationship transformation that shifts dynamics
- Internal realization that cannot be undone
- Cultural/social collision that demands response
For Science Fiction:
- Technology IS the shattering moment
- Technology ENABLES the shattering moment
- Technology PREVENTS recovery
- Shattering moment CHANGES relationship with technology
Questions:
- Is there a clear turning point?
- Is it connected to the core conflict?
- Does it change the character irreversibly?
- Does everything after feel different?
SA5: Scene Structure
Evaluate:
- Scenes maximize both character and premise
- Strategic balance of scene and summary
- Opening hook establishes character, situation, conflict
- Focused conflict from the core premise
- Resolution addresses conflict while suggesting broader implications
Questions:
- Does every scene advance character AND plot?
- Is the opening hook doing its job?
- Is the conflict focused or diffuse?
- Does the resolution satisfy while resonating beyond?
SA6: Technical Execution
Economy of Detail:
- Every element serves multiple purposes
- No extraneous background or world info
- Exposition integrated into action
- Clear connection between details and story purpose
Point of View:
- Consistent and purposeful POV choice
- Viewpoint optimal for revealing character and premise
- Minimal POV shifts
- Clear character perspective on events
- Effective narrative distance
Language and Voice:
- Consistent tone throughout
- Purposeful dialogue
- Effective subtext
- Style serves story purpose
- Distinct narrative voice
SA7: Emotional Architecture
Tension Management:
- Clear emotional throughline
- Strategic building and release
- Effective pacing of reveals
- Balance of explicit and implicit
Reader Engagement:
- Clear emotional stakes
- Strategic use of empathy
- Meaningful emotional payoff
- Effective use of subtext
Questions:
- Is there a clear emotional journey?
- Does tension build appropriately?
- Is the emotional payoff earned?
- What remains unspoken but felt?
SA8: Thematic Resolution
Evaluate:
- Character arc completion
- Premise implications addressed
- Immediate conflict resolved
- Larger questions remain thought-provoking
Questions:
- Is the character arc complete?
- Are the premise implications explored?
- Is the immediate conflict resolved?
- Does the story linger in the mind?
Novel Chapter Analysis
CA1: Position in Narrative Arc
Evaluate:
- Chapter's specific role in overall structure
- Contribution to plot progression
- Advancement of character development arcs
- Thematic development within larger work
Questions:
- What is this chapter's job in the novel?
- What plot progress happens here?
- What character progress happens here?
- How does it develop the theme?
CA2: Narrative Momentum
Evaluate:
- Opening hook's connection to previous chapter
- Tension management across chapter breaks
- Balance of resolution and open questions
- Strength of chapter ending propulsion
- Questions answered vs. questions raised
Questions:
- Does the opening connect to what came before?
- Does the ending make readers want to continue?
- What questions does this chapter answer?
- What new questions does it raise?
Red Flags:
- Chapter ends at natural stopping point (too easy to put down)
- Opening ignores previous chapter's energy
- All questions answered, no forward pull
CA3: Plot Threading
Evaluate:
- Ongoing plot threads advanced
- New plot threads introduced
- Plot elements resolved
- Setup for future chapters
- Connection to primary and secondary arcs
Track:
| Thread | Status This Chapter |
|---|
| Main plot | Advanced / Setup / Resolved |
| Subplot A | Advanced / Setup / Resolved |
| Subplot B | Advanced / Setup / Resolved |
CA4: Character Continuity
Evaluate:
- Progress on character arcs from previous chapters
- New character aspects revealed
- Relationship evolution
- Setup for future development
- Consistency with established traits
Questions:
- How has this character changed since chapter 1?
- What new facets are revealed here?
- How do relationships shift?
- Is the character consistent with who they've been?
CA5: POV and Voice
Evaluate:
- Consistency with established POV patterns
- Effective transitions between viewpoints (if multiple)
- Depth of penetration into character perspective
- Balance of internal and external narrative
- Voice and tone alignment with overall narrative
CA6: Information Flow
Evaluate:
- Balance of new and established information
- Strategic revelation of background elements
- Management of reader vs. character knowledge
- Setup of future revelations
- Integration of necessary exposition
CA7: Pacing Elements
Evaluate:
- Chapter's pace relative to surrounding chapters
- Internal pacing structure
- Tension development and release
- Scene length and rhythm
- Strategic use of time
CA8: Connection Tracking
Previous Chapter:
- Immediate continuity elements
- Tension carryover
- Question resolution
- Thread advancement
Next Chapter:
- Setup elements planted
- Tension building toward
- Questions raised
- Threads advanced
Broader Novel:
- Major arc advancement
- Theme development
- Character arc progression
- World development contribution
Evaluation Checklists
Short Story Checklist
Chapter Checklist
Anti-Patterns
1. The Checklist Tyranny
Pattern: Treating all checklist items as equally important. Flagging every missed item as a problem requiring fix.
Why it fails: Not all issues matter equally. A missing shattering moment is critical; a slight POV wobble might be stylistic choice. Checklists identify possibilities, not mandates.
Fix: Prioritize by impact. Ask "Does this actually hurt the story?" before recommending changes. Some rules can be broken effectively.
2. The Genre Blindness
Pattern: Applying one genre's standards to all stories. Evaluating literary fiction by thriller pacing standards, or action stories by literary depth requirements.
Why it fails: Genres have different contracts with readers. What's a flaw in one genre is a feature in another.
Fix: Identify genre expectations first. Evaluate against what the story is trying to be, not a universal standard.
3. The Nitpick Cascade
Pattern: Focusing on micro-issues while missing macro problems. Catching comma splices while the story has no conflict.
Why it fails: Sentence-level perfection can't save structural failure. Fixing small things first is procrastination from hard work.
Fix: Diagnose at structure level first. Only move to prose-level analysis after structure is sound.
4. The Comparison Trap
Pattern: Evaluating against published bestsellers or classics. "This isn't as good as [famous work]."
Why it fails: Drafts aren't finished works. Different stories serve different purposes. Unfair comparison discourages rather than guides.
Fix: Evaluate against the story's own goals. What is this trying to do? Does it succeed at that?
5. The Fix-Everything Dump
Pattern: Delivering a comprehensive list of all issues without prioritization or encouragement.
Why it fails: Overwhelming. Writers shut down when facing 50 problems. No sense of what matters most.
Fix: Identify 3-5 highest-impact issues. Note what's working. Create actionable, prioritized guidance.
Integration Points
Inbound:
- From
drafting: After completing draft
- From
revision: As part of revision process
Outbound:
- To
revision: For identified issues
- To
scene-sequencing: For pacing problems
- To
dialogue: For conversation issues
- To
character-arc: For character problems
Complementary:
flash-fiction: For stories under 1500 wordsprose-style: For sentence-level issuesstory-sense: For diagnosing what's wrong
