Write a useful story brief

A useful brief names who is present, where they are, what they want, what blocks them and the intended feeling. Add background, voice and length when they matter.

For example: “Two adult former friends meet in a bookshop before closing. She wants a letter back; he knows it has already been posted. Write a restrained 180-word opening and let actions carry the emotion.”

For revisions, identify the passage and the intended improvement. State that a local change is local, so a temporary note does not become a rule for the whole manuscript.