Free Diagnostic

The Engine Diagnostic

Find out why your story isn't moving anyone.

Meaning = Conflict × Character × Change × Stakes. The four multiply, so one zero collapses the whole story.

Pick one communication that matters. Answer each question in one sentence, then score it: 0 absent, 1 generic, 2 firing.

1. 1. Conflict. What unresolved problem, threat, or contradiction is forcing attention right now?

   Obstacles hold attention. Dilemmas hold people.

   Score 0 1 2

2. 2. Character. Whose mind are we modeling, and what do they want or fear?

   A demographic is not a mind.

   Score 0 1 2

3. 3. Change. What shifts, and how does it force the audience to update?

   Show someone change. Don't explain change.

   Score 0 1 2

4. 4. Stakes. What could be gained, lost, or irreversibly altered?

   Revenue is the company's stake. Find the human one.

   Score 0 1 2

Fix your lowest score first, and only that one.

The Conviction Engine™ is a proprietary framework of Platte F. Clark and Straw Dogs LLC.

Want this for your team? Ask about workshops. Writing a book? Take the Thought Leader Compass.