Which opening establishes both who is telling the story and where it takes place?

Which opening introduces the people the story will be about?

A draft begins: (1) I could not sleep. (2) Rain drummed on the tin roof of my grandmother's porch. (3) I counted to fifty. (4) Then I gave up. Which sentence gives the reader the setting?

A draft moves from a scene in March to a scene in June. Which transition signals that shift in TIME?

Which transition signals a shift in SETTING rather than a shift in time?

Which transition signals neither a shift in time nor a shift in place?

A scene ends in the fall, and the next scene happens the next spring. Which transition fits that gap?

Which detail names something the narrator can actually smell?

Which detail names a sound the reader can hear rather than a general impression?

Which detail names something the narrator feels by touch?

Which detail names something the reader can see rather than a judgment about it?

A story tells of a lost dog: the narrator prints flyers, a neighbor calls, the dog slips its collar, the family drives to the shelter. Which event must come first?

Events in a draft: (1) the power goes out, (2) I light the candle, (3) the storm reaches the coast. Which ordering is chronological?

In a draft, the narrator apologizes to Dana. Which event must the writer narrate BEFORE that apology for the story to make sense?

The narration says only that Mia arrived late and said nothing. Which line of dialogue reveals something the narration has NOT already stated?

A writer wants to slow down the two seconds before a jar hits the floor. Which sentence stretches that moment instead of summarizing it?

A narrative tells how the narrator loses a swim race but keeps her lane for the next meet. Which conclusion follows from the narrated events?

A story tells how the narrator finally fixes his grandfather's radio. Which ending introduces a NEW event instead of closing the narrated one?

A narrative opens, "I was nine the summer we moved to Bell Creek." This opening names both the narrator's age and the place the story begins.

(1) the dough rises on the counter, (2) I knead the dough on a floured board, (3) the oven timer beeps, (4) I slice the warm loaf. Which event must come first?