story-check

Story Check Skill

Invocation Triggers

Apply this skill when:

• Evaluating a screenplay draft
• Identifying story weaknesses
• Preparing for rewrites
• Validating story fundamentals before submission

The 12 Story Questions

Here are twelve great questions you should ask yourself about your script/story while you are developing it. You should actually chart it out.

Question 1: Story Elements

What are the elements of my story?

• What is my story's concept?
• What genre is my story?

CONCEPT: ___________________________________
GENRE: ___________________________________

Question 2: Message

What do I want to say with my script or story?

• The state of the world?
• Relationships?
• Governments?
• Religions?
• Life in general?
• People?

THEME/MESSAGE: ___________________________________

Question 3: Audience Reaction

How will audiences or readers react to my story?

• Interesting?
• Believable? Is it a true story?
• Credible?
• Compelling?

Criterion	Rating (1-5)	Notes
Interesting
Believable
Credible
Compelling

Question 4: Beginning

Where does my story begin?

• What is the setup?
• Is the protagonist in a crisis?
• Have you established your world? The rules?
• The restrictions?

SETUP: ___________________________________
WORLD RULES: ___________________________________

Question 5: Ending

Where does my story end?

• What is the outcome or resolution? And why?
• Do you answer any and all questions presented?
• Did you fulfill the premise of the story?

RESOLUTION: ___________________________________
QUESTIONS ANSWERED: [ ] Yes [ ] Partial [ ] No
PREMISE FULFILLED: [ ] Yes [ ] No

Question 6: Rising Tensions

Are there rising tensions?

• Are there surprises?
• How does the conflict escalate?
• Is there a climax?

SURPRISE COUNT: ___
ESCALATION PATTERN: ___________________________________
CLIMAX: ___________________________________

Question 7: Characters

Who are my characters?

• Are they likable?
• Interesting? Unique or different?
• Bigger than life?
• Will an audience care about them?

Character	Likable	Interesting	Unique	Care Factor

Question 8: Protagonist

What or who is my protagonist like?

• Can audiences empathize with them?
• What do they want?
• What are their goals in life? Needs?
• What's at stake for them?
• Are they tied to the problem they face?
• Are they in a position of no turning back?

EMPATHY: [ ] Strong [ ] Moderate [ ] Weak
WANT: ___________________________________
NEED: ___________________________________
STAKES: ___________________________________
POINT OF NO RETURN: Page ___

Question 9: Motivation

What are my characters' motivations?

• Are these motivations shown?
• Justified or unjustified?
• Built into the story?

PROTAGONIST MOTIVATION: ___________________________________
SHOWN ON SCREEN: [ ] Yes [ ] No
JUSTIFIED: [ ] Yes [ ] No
BUILT INTO STORY: [ ] Yes [ ] No

Question 10: Antagonist

Who or what is the antagonist in my story?

• Why are they trying to stop your protagonist?
• Is the antagonist a worthy foe?
• What drives them?
• What do they want or need?

ANTAGONIST: ___________________________________
MOTIVATION: ___________________________________
WORTHY FOE: [ ] Yes [ ] No
WANT: ___________________________________

Question 11: Over-Explanation

Do I over-explain my story?

• Is everything spelled out too clearly?
• Is the setup "messy" and too busy?
• Do events get explained or unfold dramatically?
• Do too many key events take place off screen?

Issue	Present?	Page(s)
Over-explanation
Messy setup
Told not shown
Key events off screen

Question 12: Believability

If my story and characters are fictitious, can I now believe that they are real?

BELIEVABILITY SCORE: ___/10
AREAS TO IMPROVE: ___________________________________

Story Check Summary Template

## Story Check Summary: [TITLE]

### PASS/FAIL Assessment
| Question | Status | Notes |
|----------|--------|-------|
| 1. Elements | | |
| 2. Message | | |
| 3. Audience Reaction | | |
| 4. Beginning | | |
| 5. Ending | | |
| 6. Rising Tensions | | |
| 7. Characters | | |
| 8. Protagonist | | |
| 9. Motivation | | |
| 10. Antagonist | | |
| 11. Over-Explanation | | |
| 12. Believability | | |

### Critical Issues
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________

### Recommended Actions
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________

### Overall Assessment
[ ] Ready for submission
[ ] Needs minor revisions
[ ] Needs significant rewrite
[ ] Fundamental story issues

Validation Checklist

• All 12 questions answered honestly
• Issues documented with specific page references
• Action items prioritized
• Overall assessment reflects reality