Summarise a Piece of Fiction You Are Working On to See If the Story Is There Yet

You can describe what happens in your story but you are not sure whether it adds up to a story yet. This creates a summary from the outside: the logline, the arc, whether the protagonist has a want-versus-need tension, the emotional journey, and an honest note on whether the structure holds. Often the gap in the story becomes obvious when you have to describe it in five sentences.

Summarise the piece of fiction you are currently working on, based on the draft or outline below. Produce: a one-sentence logline (character, conflict, stakes); a three-sentence summary of the main story arc (beginning, middle, end); a note on whether the protagonist has a clear want versus a clear need, and whether those are in tension; the emotional journey you intend the reader to experience; and a brief assessment of whether the summary suggests the story is structurally sound or whether there is a gap in the middle.

[paste your draft or outline here]