Tool · Stage 4: Revise
Scene revision checklist
Use this while revising one scene at a time. Not every scene needs every box ticked — a quiet scene can be the right choice — but each unticked box is worth a deliberate decision. Your ticks are kept in this browser only.
Terms used here
- Scene and sequelA pacing pattern that alternates action units (goal, conflict, setback) with reaction units (response, dilemma, decision).
- StakesWhat a character stands to gain or lose depending on whether they succeed, which gives the reader a reason to care about the outcome.
- Setup and payoffThe pairing of an earlier detail, promise or skill planted in the story with a later moment where it matters.
- Continuity errorAn inconsistency within a story, where a detail established in one passage contradicts the same detail somewhere else.
- Reading aloudRevising by speaking your text out loud to hear rhythm, repetition, awkward phrasing and dialogue that doesn't sound real.
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