Find the question a story must answer

Frame the central uncertainty as a question about a choice or outcome. Use it to judge which scenes advance the story.

Try it

Ask whether the librarian will expose a false record before losing access to the archive. If a scene changes neither her chances nor her willingness, revise it.

References

• Fiction writing basics · CUNY OpenLab

• Turn an idea for a novel into a one-sentence premise
• Give a character something specific to lose