DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS
Investigate the problem before you decide what to do about it.
These are small thinking tools, not literary scorecards. They help you put words around what you are noticing so you can decide what is worth looking at next.
READER EXPERIENCE
Reader Friction Diagnostic
Map where a reader may lose orientation, curiosity, investment or momentum—and test possible causes before assuming the answer is “pacing.”
Run the diagnostic →CONFLICTING FEEDBACKFeedback Conflict Analyzer
Separate agreement, contradiction, individual preference and recurring concerns before turning a pile of comments into a revision plan.
Analyze the feedback →A useful tool should leave you with a better question, not a fake answer.
If the result is still unclear, that is not a failure. It may simply mean the answer lives in the manuscript rather than in a checklist. That is where a proper reading becomes useful.
Start with the question