Purpose. What is my story, and why do I want to tell it?

Audience Who are my readers? What is the main message I want to deliver? How will I reach readers and make my story matter to them?

Rhetorical appeals. How will I use ethos, pathos, and logos to tell my story and reach my audience? How will I establish my authority as a writer? To what extent will I appeal to my readers’ emotions? Do I want my story to elicit laughter, horror, sadness? What role, if any, will logic play in my story?

Modes & media. Will I compose my short story in written, audio, or visual form? Do I want to present my story in print, electronically, or face-to-face?

Elements of the genre. How will I structure my plot? Who are my characters? What is going to happen to them? What is my story’s setting? Who will narrate my story, and how? What is the central conflict of my story?

Style. What tone will I take in my writing? Will my story be funny? Serious? Tragic? What kind of language will I use to emphasize my approach? How much detail will I include?

Design. What format will my story take? Will I include elements other than prose with my story (visuals, etc.)? If so, what kind? And for what key scenes? Why?

Sources. What source, if any, will I draw on for my story? What about that source interests me? How will my fictional story depart from the source story? That is, what will I invent? Do I want to base my story on a news article I’ve read? If so, how will I fictionalize it?