A thinking checklist

Plot

• Are the events in chronological order? Where did they deviate and how did this serve the story?

• Are there any elements of instability in the story?

• Is the outcome plausible considering the direction the story was previously taking?

• As the story unfolds, is there any suspense, any element we are waiting to have revealed?

• What is the primary interest in the story, the ending or the journey?

• Which is the most important, characters, plot, or setting?

• What is the uniting factor that brings all the different elements together? Is it a character, the setting, an activity etc.?

• What and how much information is imparted about characters, setting, and situations?

Characters

• What contribution does each character make to the overall plot?

• Does any character development during the story seem plausible?

• What motivation do the characters have for their actions and behaviour?

Setting

• What significance does the setting have for the plot? Would the story be different if the setting were different?

• Are the characters a result of their setting?

• Do any of the characters grow as a consequence of the conflict created between them and the setting?

Language

• Are figurative language and symbolism present?

• Is the sentence structure simple or complex?

• Does each character have their own distinctive dialogue?

• Do any images take on importance due to their repetition?

Comparative analysis

• Does comparing this work to other works by the same author help to understand the story and give it some context?

• Thinking about the story’s genre, how does it compare to other works from the same genre?

You as a reader

• Does the story’s point of view on important matters, politics, society, race etc., match your own? How did this change your opinion of the work?

• How is your view shaped by the author’s choices?

This checklist was inspired by:

KENNEY, William. Appendix One Study Questions. How to Read and Write about Fiction, 2^nd ed., Arco Pub, 1988, pp. 131-34.