Ask yourself the following questions about your complete story. Be honest. Take care of any problems these questions uncover before you put the final polish on your paragraphs and sentences.

• Does your story start with action?
• Do readers get a clear picture of your MC in the first scene?
• Will readers know where your characters are?
• Is there trouble or a hint of trouble in the first scene?
• Does your MC have a goal? Will readers know what it is?
• Is it clear why your MC needs to achieve the goal?
• Does the beginning of your story cause what happens in the middle?
• Is the trouble getting steadily worse as your story goes on?
• Is your MC making things worse?
• Does the middle of your story cause what happens in the end?
• Does the ending solve the problem presented in the beginning?
• Does your MC fix things in the end?
• Is it clear why your MC could fix things in the end but couldn’t fix things in the beginning?
• Did your MC learn or change?
• Were there things within the story that caused your MC to learn or change?
• Is there anything in your story that repeats?
• Will readers understand everything that’s going on?
• Will readers understand everything your MC does and why?
• Will readers feel what your MC feels? Will they feel like the story is happening to them?

When your story answers all these questions in a way that pleases you, it’s time to Polish Your Words.

To practice the tips and techniques on this page, go to the activities page for Revising.