Story Review

Analytical review of existing prose. This skill is for diagnosis, not rewriting. Keep /reader-sim separate when the task needs a felt first-time reader experience rather than analytical critique.

Choose the review level before reading. Start big before small unless the caller explicitly asks for a late-stage pass. The edit levels move from structural to surface, and each assumes the levels above it are stable:

• Editorial review — holistic third-party book-editor pass. What kind of revision does this draft need, and in what order?
• Developmental edit — structure, promise, causality, pacing, character arc. Is the draft the right shape?
• Line edit — voice, rhythm, clarity, texture. Does the prose move well?
• Copyedit — grammar, usage, punctuation, consistency. Is it correct?
• Proofreading — final surface pass. What slipped through?

Each level has a dedicated resource with method and checklist: