Purpose. What is my story, and why do I want to tell it? What message, main idea, or moral do I want to convey? What makes my message so important?

Audience. Who are my readers? Why will my story matter to them? And how will I reach them?

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

Modes & media. Will I compose my fairy tale in written, audio, or visual form? Will I present it 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 the story, and how? To what extent will I use symbols to convey meaning? How about magical objects? Talking animals? What is the central conflict of my tale? How will I get to my moral?

Style. What tone will I take in my writing? Will my tale be funny? Preachy? Both? What kind of language will I use? How much detail?

Design. How will I format my story? Will I include illustrations? If so, what kind? And for what key scenes? Why?

Sources. Will my fairy tale connect to an existing tale? Will it connect with actual events in history? What sources, if any, will I draw on for my story? Why will I use those sources?