Writer Self-Assessment
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Is your story READY for submission and publication?
Grade your work in progress based on your own self-assessment and/or critiques from others who have seen it. Bonus points are available if the work has been professionally/peer reviewed by editors, agents, or critique partners. Submit the form to receive an email with your overall score and potential next steps. The more honest you are, the more helpful the advice will be!
First Name *
Last Name *
Email address where you would like us to send your results and next steps. *
CONCEPT: This is the "Big Idea” of your book. You want it to be fresh (original), easy to explain, and make a promise to the reader of an unexpected and satisfying journey.   *
it’s similar to existing stories, difficult to explain, or lacks enough conflict to be intriguing.
it's breaking new ground, has a killer pitch, and the main conflict is both intriguing and dynamic.
BONUS! Give yourself up to four bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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VOICE: The qualities that make your writing unique and interesting. Humor, wit, imagination, confidence, authority – these are all elements of Voice. *
It’s described as mild, timid, or moderate. Readers may be confused by who is telling the story or uncertain as to where it’s leading.
It’s fresh, confident, and distinct. Readers feel like they’re in the hands of a master storyteller and excited for the ride ahead.
BONUS! Give yourself up to four bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: The fluidity, deftness, and ingenuity with which you transform your characters over the course of a book or a series. *
The characters feel one-dimensional or stereotyped. There’s little room for them to grow. Their change comes too easily or erratically.
We immediately fall in love with your characters. Their flaws are heartbreaking because we see ourselves reflected in them. We can’t help but cheer when they eventually have breakthroughs that lead to triumph.
BONUS! Give yourself up to three bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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DIALOGUE: The tone and mannerisms of your characters’ speech and thoughts. Do they feel like individuals with distinct personalities? Do words and actions reflect how those characters would actually speak / think in those situations? Does the conversation further the reader’s understanding of the plot without dragging on? *
It’s hard to tell the difference between characters based on their mannerisms. Characters go on long monologues or seem to be speaking directly to the reader. Conversations feel forced or unnatural.
Conversations feel so natural we can envision the characters in our heads. We’re engrossed in the back and forth, and don’t even realize we’re learning about the plot.
BONUS! Give yourself up to two bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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TENSION: The ability to create conflict on the page that tugs at your reader’s imagination and makes them invest in your characters. This can happen in big ways through the main plot but also through small details in each scene. *
Not a lot of conflict. Characters don’t seem to run into many challenges and/or their goals seem to align without any problems. No one’s fighting to put their needs / wants above everyone else’s.
Every character has distinct goals that all seem reasonable, yet we see how those goals will eventually collide. Individual character goals are juxtaposed against seemingly impossible challenges of time and circumstance. We have no idea how success is possible.
BONUS! Give yourself up to two bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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STAKES: The cost if your characters don’t succeed. The more that’s at risk for a character we love, the more we have to see them through, hanging on to hope that they eventually achieve their goal. *
Not much is at risk. If the characters don’t achieve their goals, their lives go on as usual with little significant change.
The worst imaginable things that could happen to your characters, physically and/or emotionally, are 100% guaranteed to occur unless they figure out how to overcome an impossible set of obstacles.
BONUS! Give yourself up to two bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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PLOT: The main beats of the story and how they fit together. If the concept is the big idea, the plot is how you outline the concept. Is each plot point the natural result of the previous? Does it all flow freely into a satisfying conclusion that delivers on the promise of the concept? *
Plot points follow one another in confusing ways that don’t move the story along. Significant twists and turns seem forced, contrived, or break the ‘rules’ of the world you’ve promised. We have to re-read previous pages to follow the story.
Every detail of every scene is woven together in an immersive tapestry that feels more like an experience than a read. Significant details are set up and delivered in unexpected and inventive ways. We don’t know what will happen next but we can’t wait to find out.
BONUS! Give yourself up to two bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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Rate your PACING: The intentional swiftness or slowness with which you move us through moments in the book, used for effect to increase tension and drama. *
We spend too much time in scenes that don’t matter, we zip through moments of significance, or we speed up and slow down too often. The result is an awkward sensation that leaves us unsatisfied.
The author grips us in the palm of their story, teases us along in all the right moments, and smashes the story into us with unexpected moments that leave us breathless and craving more.
BONUS! Give yourself up to two bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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Rate your WORLD-BUILDING: How you use detail and description to pull us into the world in which your story is set–whether it’s the 1920’s fashion industry or an alien cyborg planet. *
The world is inconsistent, vague, or poorly researched. Readers familiar with the subject point out bad science or misinformation. The rules aren’t well-established or seem too convenient to the plot. We have to learn about the world through info-dumps where a character (or the narrator) spells out what they think we need to know.
The world is thoughtfully and artistically imagined. Curious details in the landscape and character interactions reveal what's special about the world in a way that feels seamless and natural. It’s easy to go there in our minds and we look forward to it every time we open the book.
BONUS! Give yourself up to two bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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Rate your STORY ARC: Also called Narrative Arc, this is the outline of plot points and how deftly you use pacing and tension to unveil them. Does your arc include an intriguing catalyst that sets the story in motion, great rising action, a peak climax, and a satisfying conclusion? Are the twists, turns, and trials all set up and paid off in satisfying ways? *
Your arc might be described as thin, weak, or overcomplicated. Readers are looking for 'a bit more' from the story, but may not be able to describe exactly what.
Your story is a physical and/or emotional thrill ride, leading readers through soaring highs and terrifying drops along the journey. When the story is over, readers can't help but smile and wish it had gone on longer.
BONUS! Give yourself up to two bonus points if you heard some or all of the above positive comments from an editor or agent.
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