I've thought of a few more ideas for my novel and have been reading the works of my fellow housemates and can't wait to provide them with feedback.
HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT THE PROCESS?
Listening to the creative works of everyone else in the class has allowed me to start planning future events within in my own work. The creative juices are flowing, I'm excited and I hope everyone else is as well!!!
WHAT AM I READING NOW?
I just read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for the first time. I have always heard about it but this was my first time sitting down and reading it for myself. I definitely recommend it.
Hi James,
ReplyDeleteJust two years ago I read Jekyll and Hyde for the first time. It's a classic ingrained within our culture (so we know the twist), but just imagine reading it way-back-when... It would be quite a surprise.
In other news, here are some notes about your submission:
James’ Submission: Chapter 1: Primus Gradus
Expectation:
Lots of questions. Who is the woman at the beginning. Is she the one who is murdered? Who/what is the Shane county Killer? How did the basement get there. What’s up with the secret passage. Why is Rogers so cynical/bored. Why does Edwards look up to him so much?
Connections:
The blood dripping / open chamber sequence reminds me a little of the film “Cabin in the Woods.” There are LOTS of serial killer stories… Find ways to make yours stand out. (A fantasy/horror angle might be the way to go…)
Admiration:
I am enjoying the banter. And I like that the younger cop wants to look up to the disgruntled older cop. That could easily be a cliché situation, but so far it feels fresh enough for me to want to continue to learn about the characters.
Suggestions:
Because the detectives swear so much, I don’t know how I feel about the opening character swearing when she stabs her foot. “Fuck you Dr. Fluffy” is pretty funny… but then the profanity of the detectives feel stale in comparison.
Figure out if you are telling a fantastical story or one that could take place in the real world. If you are going for realistic fiction, there are certain aspects to this story that feel untrue – mainly the secret basement, dripping blood, secret passage stuff… If some of those things happened in real life, it seems that the characters would have different reactions. Instead, Rogers is still pretty bored with his day job. If there’s an element of fanstasy/horror to the story, let us know in a distinct way.
The more you learn about police work, the more we’ll enjoy the reading experience. I would also like to get to know these characters beyond their job.