• Is there something wrong in the third act? Then it is wrong in the first act.
• Are you writing because you have something to say, or because you have to say something?
• What is the armature of your story?
• Is there anything in the story that does not play a role in making your final point?
• Do you have a single point or several? Stick to one.
• Could your story benefit from clones?
• For every character in the story: Why does he/she exist?
• Does your protagonist undergo a rite of passage?
• What are the masculine and feminine elements of the story?
• Are you teaching, or are you preaching?
• Is your story useless outside of this genre?
• Can you sell your story better in another genre?
• Does your climax bring the masculine and feminine elements together?
• Are you using Deus Ex Machina to help or hurt your protagonist?
• Did you set up subtext for the dialogue?
• Can you use exposition to reveal useful information in the dialogue?
• Is it you talking or the character?
• Can you use address and dismiss or address and explain?
• Did you make effective use of superior position for suspense or humor?
• Have you shown them once so they know?