Misc Story Templates and Questions

I use these templates, checklists, and questions to give my stories more depth. I based these off books I've studied.
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-------- Misc Template #1

Story Outline

Follow these steps to outline the story.

1. Decide the world setting for this story
2. Flesh out the protagonist
3. Flesh out the antagonist
4. Decide the plot-type of this story
5. Create a story question and handle
6. Starting from the story question's goal, create a list of scene-sequels answering the story question
7. Create a list of motivation-reactions to fulfill each scene-sequel
8. Write the first draft of the story from the motivation-reactions
9. Edit:
   1. Verify enticing first sentence, first paragraph and first page
   2. Does the story's engine kick in within the first three pages?
   3. Ensure everything is in immediate scene, moving narrative summary and descriptions into immediate scene
   4. Ensure enticing level of details
   5. Are your characters, characters? Do they have relatable joys, triumphs, disappointments, and vulnerabilities
   6. Does all dialog reveal character or move the story along?

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-------- Misc Template #2

Editing Checklist

A basic editing checklist

Fix passive voice and sentences

Don't make excuses. Get rid of passive sentences and anything in passive voice. If the sentence has any forms of "to be", rewrite it. This will force you to "show" not "tell" the story.

Remove narrative summary

Easily distinguished by the use of the word "had", ... narrative summary interferes with the reader's experience. Find a way to change narrative summary to immediate scene like you see on TV, movies, or plays.

Work descriptions into the story

Like narrative summary, description interferes with the reader's experience. Limit description as much as possible, or better yet, integrate it into the immediate scene showing of the story.

Check their, there, and they're

Check for common typos that sneak into your writing. You know what they are. Go find them and fix them.

Double check the first sentence and first paragraph

The first sentence must grab the reader. By the end of the first paragraph there must be unresolved conflict that the reader cares about. The quicker you can have three unresolved conflicts, the more likely you are to have hooked the reader for the entire story.

Don't resolve all conflicts

Check that there are active unresolved conflicts until the last paragraph.

Vary the pace

For longer pieces, make sure the pace of the story varies so as not to burnout or bore the readers.
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-------- Misc Template #3

L.O.C.K.

Lead. Objective. Confrontation. Knockout.

Lead:

Describe what makes the lead character interesting.

Objective:

Define one dominant and clear objective for the lead character.
Describe why reaching the objective is essential the the lead's wellbeing (i.e. life, happiness, etc.)

Confrontation:

Describe forces or characters opposing the lead's objective.
Define the obstacles that result from this opposition.

Knockout:

Describe the knockout that soundly defeats the opposition or definitively defeats the lead. The conclusion should have knockout power.
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-------- Misc Template #4

Hero's Journey Archetype Checklist

Name the characters (or devices) that fall into each role and describe why

Hero

Who or what is the story about?

Shadow

Who or what is the threat?

Mentor

Who or what provides the hero with courage, knowledge, weapons, and training?

Herald

What person or event presents the call to adventure?

Threshold Guardian

What or who prevents the hero from moving to the various stages in their journey?

Shapeshifter

Which character changes (or perception of changes) throughout the course of the story? What are those changes?

Trickster

Who or what is the mischievious/humerous trouble maker in the story?

Ally

Who or what eventually helps the hero?

Notes:
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Note: I am archiving this post from an old blog that will disappear forever this year.