Answers · By Sun Yi, creator of the Myth Sandwich

How do I know if my story is good?

Short answerRun your story through four tests: transformation, relatability, show don't tell, and one story with one lesson.

Four tests

• Transformation: is there a clear old you and a new you?
• Relatability: the myth you're busting is something people really believe, not something you made up.
• Show, don't tell: the reader can draw a picture from a five-second slice of your life.
• Kill your darlings: one story, one lesson.

Is it ready?

• Know who it's for, ideally one real person.
• Try telling it in three sentences and see if it still makes sense.
• Aim for a sixth to seventh grade reading level. Simple and clear beats smart and complex.

Test it out loud

• Read it out loud near the end and notice where you get stuck.
• Then have someone else read it to you. You'll see things you couldn't see alone.

In Sun's words

Before you add any bells and whistles, run your story through four checks. First: transformation. Is there a clear old you and a new you? Second: relatability. The myth you're busting has to be something other people actually believe — not just something you made up. If you say "everyone thinks yoga is hard" but nobody actually thinks that, you've already lost them. Third: show, don't tell. When you tell me your story, I have to be able to draw a picture in my head. There has to be a five-second slice of your life that you can describe to me. Fourth: kill your darlings. One story, one lesson. That's it. If your story passes all four, you've got something real. If it doesn't, go back and fix the part that's broken before you do anything else.

▶ Watch Sun explain this

First, ask who this story is for. The more specific the better — ideally one real person in your mind. Then test it: can you tell the whole story in three sentences and have it still make sense? If yes, now try writing it in ten sentences or less, with ten words or less per sentence. There's a free tool called Hemingway App. Paste your story in and it shows you the reading level. You want to land between sixth and seventh grade. Simple and clear beats smart and complex every time.

▶ Watch Sun explain this

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