# Public Story Audit Checklist Use this reference when a nonfiction draft needs structural repair before prose polish. ## Minimum Inputs - Draft or outline. - Target reader or viewer. - Thesis or point of view. - Intended format. - Desired last-line takeaway. ## Audit Order 1. **Opening distinction:** The first sentence, scene, number, or visual separates the piece from surrounding noise. 2. **Captivation:** By the first paragraph or first 5 seconds, the reader has a clear question in mind. 3. **Anticipation:** The draft leaks enough information for the reader to guess, but not enough to close the loop early. 4. **Validation:** The payoff is non-obvious and useful, not a predictable restatement. 5. **Loop structure:** Beats connect with "but" or "therefore"; reject flat "and then" sequencing. 6. **Lens quality:** The piece has a non-obvious angle. Prefer a lens only this founder or operator could credibly hold. 7. **Audience mapping:** The reader knows why this is for them in the opening section. 8. **Rhythm:** Sentence lengths vary visibly and read aloud without monotony. 9. **Ending:** The last line is written before final drafting and survives in isolation. ## Failure Modes - Bell-curve intro that starts too low. - Leading with where or when instead of what and why. - One hook followed by no rebuys. - No antagonist, status quo, or opposing force. - No one for the reader to root for. - Payoff cannot be compressed into a shareable sentence. - Abstract claims with no concrete image, number, scene, quote, or example. ## Output Return: 1. First failed rung or structural gate. 2. Diagnosis. 3. Rewrite target. 4. Revised beat outline. 5. Last-line candidate. 6. Concrete visual, quote, number, or scene to anchor the opening.