《Essie's Critiques》My Journey To You | TheAlien09
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What happens when Tristan is asked to abduct the girl he loves? And what if an accidental guest comes along for the ride?
Aella Dawson has a father that is a billionaire, a mother that is ill, and an unfortunate talent for uncovering dangerous secrets.
Tristan Villin is an enigma. The same enigma that has sex with Aella only to lose her trust two days later. But what happens when he is asked to abduct the girl he loves? And what if an accidental guest comes along for the ride?
Three tortured souls on a jungle escapade, surrounded by uncertain truths and white lies will decide the lives of many.
And more.
I can see how your cover relates to your story, and it draws in the right audience for your story. I'm a little confused, however, at what role the third main character you introduce in the blurb has to do in the story, considering he/she isn't featured on the cover at all (I'm assuming). Along with that, you can experiment with how you can present your title on your cover. What fonts and colors can you use? Is there a better place to write the author's name where it can be more noticeable? These things can all be improved.
I haven't even gotten around to reading your chapters yet, but I can already see how your title relates to your story. Letting your readers have a lightbulb moment like this is great, and shows that you did a wonderful job at choosing the right title for your story.
First off, I want to commend you on your blurb. It was so well written, and most importantly, it was short and concise. It's clear that you knew what you were doing when you wrote this, and it was clever to introduce your main characters while still staying on topic of the synopsis of your story. I suggest that you include Tristan's last name in your first sentence because by writing just his first name; it gives your readers the impression that they should know who he is—and it can look a little unprofessional. Along with that, how can you rephrase that sentence when you repeat it again in the middle portion of your blurb? Since it's repeated, it can be a little awkward for potential readers. Try thinking of a new way to display this information again without sounding repetitive; and slyly sneaking in more information at the same time.
I enjoyed reading your hook, because it immediately drew me in, and also informed me the state of mind Aella was in at the moment—and that she had experienced something like this before. I suggest that you also focus on the setting and the scene. I got the distinct impression that they were in a room, but it's vague enough that I'm not entirely sure. You want to ground your readers to where they are, so they can look around with your character, breathe the same air as your character, and experience the same things with your character. Along with that, you could definitely dramatize how Aella was feeling in the moment. There was a flash of sympathy from me—but that was it. If you want your readers to know how important Aella felt Tristan was—or could be—to her, you should go in depth about her facial expressions, body language, and stilted dialogue. There were a few grammar errors, but I'll address those later on in this review.
The most common mistake I'm seeing are your punctuation errors at the end of your dialogues. You should only end the dialogue in a comma if there is a dialogue tag afterwards (for example: he/she said). The reason for this is that "he/she said" is not a sentence by itself. It is part of the dialogue sentence, so that's why a comma should end the dialogue, to signify that the sentence hasn't ended. However, when you have an action tag after the dialogue (for example: "She began walking.." or "I sat down"), it is a sentence by itself. It is not describing the dialogue, nor is it part of the sentence. Then, a period should be used at the end of the dialogue to indicate that there is a new sentence after it.
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I've also caught a few capitalization errors. Common nouns such as "morning" should not be capitalized when used in phrases such as "good morning." Along with that, you need to capitalize "grandma" or "mom" when you are writing it directly. For example, it's okay to not capitalize if you say "my mom said," because you are already being specific about it. However, by saying "mom said" you are letting the reader know that your character is referring to a specific mom, so it should be capitalized. Make sense?
The last mistake I've seen is that you've been misusing commas. A few times, I've caught run-on sentences, or sentences that could be split into several sentences. If you'd like, you can research commas more thoroughly on your own. However, just keep in mind that commas should be used to separate different independent/dependent clauses. For example: "When we took a walk we saw a clown." These are dependent clauses, because they "depend" on each other to explain something. These are two different topics, so they should be separated. Correction: "When we took a walk, we saw a clown." There are also independent clauses. An example is: "I walked to my room and after contemplating I decided to take a shower." Typically, commas accompany conjunctions (such as and, but, or, etc). Along with that, these are two different "topics" (as I like to think it). One topic is that "I walked to my room and contemplated." The other is "I decided to take a shower." Since we've just melded these two sentences into one, they should be separated with a comma. Correction: "I walked to my room and after contemplating, I decided to take a shower." In future writing, take a good look at your writing and think to yourself: Should there be a comma? If your sentence follows one of these sentence structures, the answer is probably yes.
I can clearly see that you've gone through your chapters and edited each part thoroughly! You did a wonderful job, and I couldn't detect any spelling errors. Then again, I'm human, so I could have missed something. If you'd like to double check your writing before uploading on Wattpad, I suggest using a writing site to help you (such as ProWritingAid) and it might not only correct spelling errors, but grammatical ones as well, and suggest new diction/spelling styles for you to experiment with.
This is definitely a unique twist that I'm seeing, and I like how you've incorporated it into your writing. It's new, fresh, and different. It looks like you have a definite plotline, so I won't worry about that. What I did notice, however, is that I've read through your first five chapters, and your story hasn't taken off yet. It looks like you've written some filler chapters that aren't important to the plot. If you need to convey information for your readers, you can easily sneak them in through at most two chapters, then be on your way.
I like how each of your characters has their own voice! I can really see them shine. Ironically, Aella is the character I'm really struggling with. I'm still not sure what her personality is, or her role with her friends. Try establishing habits or quirks for your main character that will make your readers remember them. For example, maybe she looks angry when she's just thinking. Maybe she twirls her hair around her finger when she's nervous. Even if they're common habits, it can make your readers feel more connected to your main characters and relate to them.
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Another thing is that I haven't seen a lot of physical descriptions. It's good to not overdo the "she had an amazing body with a tight red dress and long slim legs and a swan-like neck" because they aren't important or vital to the plot. However, it's still important to let your readers know the small details. What color hair does she have? What about her eyes? You shouldn't describe this in one whole paragraph; try to sneak these pieces of information in through your chapters. Along with that, I suggest that you don't describe your main character as being an out-of-the-world beautiful girl with no physical flaws whatsoever. Frankly, that is really cliche and overdone by a lot of authors on Wattpad. Readers won't be able to connect or relate with your main character if they are godlike and gorgeous all the time. At the same time, don't say, "I have honey-blond hair and bright blue eyes. My skin is fair and creamy and I have an hourglass figure. But I think I'm really ugly." because if your character thinks they're ugly, why are they describing themselves in a flattering way? (I'm sorry, I'm ranting. You can skip this part). What I'm trying to say is that you can make your character look any way you want to. But make sure to establish some ties between them and your readers.
I can really see your writing voice through your work! There were a few times where I could see you struggled with finding adequate descriptions, and I've also noticed that you use a lot of adverbs. Adverbs are basically when you are describing a verb, such as "running quickly". The word "quickly" is describing the verb "running." If you want to have a strong effect on your readers, don't try to cover up weak verbs with adverbs and hope it'll work. Instead, get rid of the verb and adverb completely, and replace it with a stronger verb. For example, you could replace "running quickly" with "sprinting." This happens frequently throughout your story, and I've made a few suggestions through your chapter reviews. In future writing, I suggest that you incorporate stronger verbs into your sentences.
For the most part, your transitions from one scene to another were seamless and very natural. However, there were a few times where you've used filler words or filler sentences. Or even filler paragraphs. Before you write something, ask yourself if it's contributing to the plot. Is describing so-and-so's morning routine really moving the scene along to the actual plot? What about walking down the hallway and opening the door and deciding to take a shower? Is it really necessary? I've suggested a few improvements you could make, but I'm hoping you'll use your writing skills and apply this suggestion to your work on your own in future writing.
"Once Again." (paragraph 2). The word "Again" should not be capitalized, because it is not a specific thing, place, or person. Nor is it the start of a sentence.
In paragraph 4, can you elaborate on Tristan? A good idea is to describe characters you introduce as fast as possible, without info-dumping. Maybe his something-colored-eyes glinted with malice or sorrow as he stared at Aella, or he ran a hand through his something-colored-hair in frustration. What expression was on his face? What impression does he give off that convinces Aella to leave? Try to really draw your readers in the moment.
"Tristan began but I interjected." (paragraph 8). There should be a comma separating the two clauses. Correction: "Tristan began, but I interjected." This is also the perfect moment to check back with your readers how Aella is feeling. How did she interrupt Tristan? With anger, frustration, or with a blank face? Or, you can take the time to have her glance around the room—and describe the scene for your readers.
"I said evenly though my heart was thudding loudly in my chest and my stomach felt queasy and tight." (paragraph 9). You are missing a comma here. Also, try experimenting with your diction. What stronger word can you use to replace "loudly"? Keep in mind to try to avoid using adverbs (words that describe verbs) and use direct verbs, because they can have more of an impact on your readers. Since you used the word "thudding," the word "loudly" isn't even needed, unless you're looking for a stronger verb such as "roared" or "hammered" to replace "thudding loudly."
"'Wait!' Tristan shouted but I was out the door and running past people, my breath getting heavier and my heart pounding with each step I took." (paragraph 11). You are missing a comma here. Correction: "'Wait!' Tristan shouted, but I was out the door and running (suggestion: pushing/sprinting—any verb that is stronger than "running") past people, my breath getting heavier and my heart pounding with each step I took." Remember to show, and not tell. Don't just tell your readers that Aella's breath gets heavier. Maybe her breaths get stuck in her chest, or she wheezes and gasps for air as she runs.
"A guy shouted as I bristled past him." (paragraph 12). It looks like you're using repetitive words here, like "shouted" and "past." Make sure to change up your diction once in a while. Along with that, you've misused the word "bristled." "Bristled" means to be offended at something, or hair/fur to stand upright on the skin.
In paragraph 13, you can tighten your sentences. You often use unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. For example, you don't need to write "lightly" because "drizzling" already implies that it's raining lightly. If you're worried about ending sentences on a stilted or awkward note, you can rewrite the sentence as: "It was drizzling outside" rather than "it was drizzling."
"Less than thirty minutes later, I was in front of large ivory gates." (paragraph 14). Because you are listing descriptive words here, there needs to be a comma. Correction: "Less than thirty minutes later, I was in front of large, ivory gates."
"They were opened wide by Charles after he shone a flashlight in my face." (paragraph 14). Here, you are using a passive voice. You can describe the action directly to have a better impact on your readers. Suggestion: "After he shone a flashlight on my face, he opened the gates wide." Do you see how I wrote that someone did something, rather than something was done by someone?
You did the same thing in paragraph 18. Rather than saying "the first one to make me hurt," try to shorten it and write it directly by saying, "The first one to hurt me."
"'You are early, Miss Dawson?'" (paragraph 24). This is not a question, so the question mark is incorrect here. Either write it as a question using "what, why, how, etc" or simply end it with a period. Then, you can tell your readers that she was curious/inquisitive by saying, "she stated it as a question."
"She sobbed in her sleep," (paragraph 34). The comma should be replaced with a period, because it would be incorrect to include it in the next sentence. Another option is to write it as a dialogue tag for the previous dialogue, which means you'd have to un-capitalize "she" to indicate it is part of the sentence, "Micheal! No!"
In paragraph 37, I feel that your description of the bedroom can be shortened and tightened. It's great to give your readers a visual of Aella's surroundings, but describing too many (insignificant) things can scramble their minds and make this description easily forgettable.
In paragraph 40, you have an abnormally long sentence. Try to break these clauses up into different sentences so it can be more understandable for your readers.
Keep in mind that background information should only be displayed when it's important. It was not necessary for your reader to learn about Aella's parents this early into the story; in fact, it's good to keep the mysterious aura of your story to keep your readers reading. I won't reprimand you on this though because you incorporated the background so well into your story that it flowed seamlessly with Aella's POV. Just keep this information for future writing.
"My finger on the home button unlocked the screen and I squinted my tired eyes through the glare of the blue light to make out the text message." (paragraph 46). I've noticed that this is happening a lot; you often describe Aella's body parts doing things instead of just describing Aella doing things. You don't need to say that her finger unlocked the screen, you can shorten it and say, "I unlocked my phone." That way, you can tighten your sentence without unnecessary filler words.
"Megan shouted, her British accent thick, as she charged towards me." (paragraph 7). You have an unnecessary comma here. Correction: "Megan shouted, her British accent thick as she charged towards me."
"Her body slammed into me..." (paragraph 7). Again, you can tighten this sentence. It has less of an impact for your readers if you describe someone's body doing something, rather than that someone doing something directly. Suggestion: "She slammed into me..."
"She turned to me," (paragraph 8). The comma here should be replaced with a period, as it is its own sentence. Correction: "She turned to me."
"'Ah, sophistication at its finest.' I mused loudly as Marie chuckled lightly." (paragraph 12). The period in the dialogue should be replaced with a comma, because "I mused loudly..." is a continuation of the sentence. Along with that, you tend to include a lot of adverbs/adjectives in your writing. "Chuckled" basically means to laugh lightly, so you don't need to write "chuckled lightly." And, if you want to indicate that Aella mused out loud, write, "I mused out loud" instead of "I mused loudly." Try searching to replace verbs with strong verbs instead of cushioning them with adverbs and adjectives.
"All I got in response was an angry grunt from her." (paragraph 15). This sentence can be tightened here. Your readers will already know that you're referring to Megan, so you can say, "All I got in response was an angry grunt." Along with that, what does Megan look like? You've done a wonderful job at establishing her personality, but your readers will want to have a strong visual to keep in their mind, so when they see the word "Megan", they can automatically think back to a description and visual you'd have provided for them.
"The 'almost' stems from the fact..." (paragraph 21). You have a tense slip-up here. Keep in mind that your story is set in past tense. Correction: "The 'almost' stemmed from the fact..."
"All the previous playfulness was gone..." (paragraph 26). You used passive voice here, which has a weak impact on your readers. I suggest replacing it with a stronger verb such as "disappeared" or "vanished."
"She asked with a sh*t-eating grin stretched across her face as I stared horrified at her." (paragraph 29). You're missing a few commas here. Correction: "She asked with a sh*t-eating grin stretched across her face as I stared, horrified, at her. The reason for this is that you didn't convert "horrified" into an adjective or descriptive word, so you need to separate it from the clauses.
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- In Serial86 Chapters
The Anime Trope System : Stone vs. the Viper, a LitRPG. [WEB NOVEL SUSPENDED.]
By the will of unknown deities, Clyde is swiped from Earth and tossed into an anime world. He’s the declared the Stone aka main character. One day, he must kill the Viper, the antagonist. Too bad things aren’t exactly as black and white as that. The Stone is something much more… This world and its inhabitants are real. It’s another dimension with a lot to explore. This is the story of a young man’s evolution from college boy of Earth to godhood and beyond. The challenges stand ahead of him: demons, monster girls, crazy yanderes, even a girl with maxed charisma. He never thought he’d ever see a magical girl… A story of comedy, action, and going from weak to completely unstoppable. He is the system disruptor… In a world where tropes are present, anime girls falling in love so easily, and city-wide issues intertwining with the main mission, Clyde must level up power and his mentality, RPG-style. He can no longer be that earthling. He will learn… whether he likes it or not. Someone who breaks systems…Feared by the gods… ~A lover of character development... -----WARNING: Episode 7 and beyond will intensify in sexual content, sexual humor, sexual/sex scenes, + references may ramp up a lot. You have been warned. (This is humor and mature content. FICTION. Anything that an adventurer-type do is risky. This is not for the faintest of hearts.) (There are also Monster Girl Quest/Encyclopedia references and sex scenes in here. Once again, fair warning.) Additional tags: [ Satire, Adult, Mature audiences only, Monster girls from the monster girl encyclopedia enemy types mostly in volume 1.] NOTICE AS OF FEB 2019: Web novel hiatus indefinitely due to Amazon policy, people translating my shit and charging money for it, posting this on other sites without my permission. Please join discord and/or Facebook page for updates. Patreon will continue to get chapters as normal. Thank you truly for understanding! This is my livelihood and I don't want to lose it. ----- This series will cotninue on--a fun tribute to anime of all forms and satire--so much fun to write. Feel free to let it be that safety net in your library. Author note: get in now before you're left behind. I'm planning to be around for years xD. [See Amazon for edited versions + further continuations. See Facebook page or patreon for updates. And welcome to Team Stone.] Inspiration: PERSONA. Mob Psycho 100., Dragon Ball Z, Anime in general, anime waifus, anime waifu monster girls and MGE, The Land LitRPG audiobook. ---------- Advanced chapters and special bonuses now on: Patreon.com/syr456 Discord channel: https://discord.gg/t2qVaAR or cQMPSJG ^if you have any questions, concerns or vents, this would be the best place to reach me. Or if you're bored, want to increase the numbers, etc xD. MANGA can be found here: (https://Animetropesystem.net) Anime 3-minute OP and series are still TBA. There is a studio that will be contacted. Artwork can be found on Discord: Official Artwork channel. Facebook page: Syr456. Patreon. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Series timeline: -Professionally edited version of the works can be found on Amazon. Audiobooks can be found on Audible, released as the narrator in line with the narrator's schedule and Audible's.Reborn editions = old versions edited by the editor and converted to the new format. Volumes 12 and beyond began in the new format. It's a free update if you already own it. Volume 1-20 = season 1 on amazon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus: Volume 2's description: The story continues, following the events of its predecessor. In the anime world, Satovia, Clyde still battles the anime tropes, but no longer dances at the fingertips of the watchers. However, his friends have real issues, problems that intertwine with his own mission. Casting away selfishness, he finds himself awakening his real power. The Anime Trope System volume 2 brings with it, humor, anime tropes and… yanderes, references, perverseness, and a lot of character development. So, let’s level up and accidentally capture the hearts of anime girls while at it… ----------- Volume 3's description. The Anime Trope System is back in a 3rd action-packed, humor-packed, adventure in Satovia. Clyde’s next threat comes in the form of a classmate. While her descent occurs, the young man must deal with hornets (the monster girl kind), prepare to meet up with vampires, and even depose Alice’s father, the demon lord, once and for all.December’s volume will make you wish to be a part of Clyde’s party. His evolution from college boy to leader still has a way to go. But…how long will the gods stand by while a new rival rapidly grows.?----------- Volume 4's description. It's festival time! All would be perfect, fun, competitive. Well, try telling the vampires not to crash the damn party.January's volume arrives, a fourth book containing Clyde and his amazing party, humor and ass-kicking, happy and sad moments.While Clyde continues to strengthen himself so that he wouldn't die to the Viper, figures and organizations begin to move in the background. Join again to accidentally capture more anime girl hearts and combat those tropes... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 5's description: Ah, peace! Exams, a tiny break from the fighting, relaxation. Yeah, right. First of all, who left a certain potion in the fridge! Second, what will it take to get some common sense into the team ninja’s head. Clyde would like to know. Third, it is time to face a threat that has lurked in the city since volume 1…Clyde and his party is back in February’s issue, ready to dish out some fun in Satovia. Welcome to the fifth volume—and more anime shenanigans… --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 6: A questline mentioned in the very early volumes has finally pulled Clyde's interest. Niyoto. However, it isn't some side quest or filler. In this city, things will get very interesting. From being introduced to a quite frightening faction that claim to fight for the good of humanity, crazy cultists, a demon lord with a rather...different personality, the sixth volume comes in strong.Clyde and his party is back in March's issue to take a step toward the ultimate goal of being strong enough to defeat the Viper.And the anime tropes continue to show themselves. Do you believe in the heart of the cards? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 9: stakes incredibly high, very intense! A dark volume. Can the team bounce through this?
8 303 - In Serial52 Chapters
Kryp
A modern girl in the grimdark world of Warhammer 40.000Olga, a young Russian girl with a hard past. Fidus Kryptman, an Inquisitor plagued by the weight of his father's shadow. Pulled together through time and space into Ballistic Station XVI, an installation overrun by deadly and mysterious interlopers. Can Olga save the wounded Kryp - and can they survive the horrors of 40k, where the consequence of bravery and survival is often an even worse fate? T.N. THis is translation of the book by Igor Nikolaev. Please support him here.
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House Fortino: Village of Steel
Life is full of unexpected turns and twists, but sometimes they can be so turned and twisted that the events in your life seem impossible. For Santos, life decided to throw him and his entire family a huge curb ball. Without rhyme or reason, they all found themselves taken during a large family gathering and dropped into a new world, one without technology nor the conviniences of the modern age. How will they fare in this world that has no evidence of technology beyond the rock and stone? How will they fare in a world where food is no longer just at the store? They will have to answer this or perish.
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Chronicles of Xod (returning from hiatus)
After a long recovery over a chronic motion sickness issue, I feel I'm ready to return to writing this book. It might be slow at first, but I'm hoping to pick up where I left off. I apologize again for the long hiatus. The pages following are a true account. An account of how I, Josh--a teenage nerd from modern suburbia--ended up in a strange world filled with fantastic magic, bizarre creatures, and terrifying dungeons. Despite the troped-up fantasy feel of the world, this is hardly an ordinary tale. For one, don’t expect a happy ending. With the trials I’ve been through, the horrors I’ve seen and the atrocities I’ve committed, believe me when I tell you, this is not a happy tale filled with friendly rainbow bears or teenage flying unicorns. It’s more likely you’ll finish this book mentally scarred as I will not spare the details of my unfortunate adventures. With the help of my trusted companion Gui, I gain an insight that no one else in the world has. This knowledge allows me to exploit and, for lack of a better term, metagame the system which gave me a clear advantage over its residents. “With great power...,” someone might begin to quote to me. In my defense, I think maybe even you, reader, might have acted similarly with how this reality changed my view of good and evil. This story will be updated regularly on Wednesdays around 6 PM. There will only be about 1000 words per update. The focus is to finish the story before doing any major changes or editing. Please read as if this is a work in progress, not a finished product. Feel free to let me know if you see any error, whether glaring or minor. If you help me out, I'll be sure to add you to a thank you list at the front of the book when it is published. Chronicles of Xod is a first-person fantasy novel that follows the adventures of a young man from Earth. Through unknown circumstances, he finds himself in a fantasy world where life is not all wonders and happy endings. The story takes common fantasy concepts from my favorite video games, books and movies and gives them an adult edge. It also introduces some taboo concepts often glossed over by stories written for broad audiences. The style is meant to be immersive and heavily detailed. The short novel will be written in a way that attempts to bring a sense of realism to an unrealistic genre. Where there are realistic consequences and dangers in a world populated with violent monsters, cruel demons, bloodthirsty undead, and immoral bandits. In this fantasy world, the inhabitants are essentially gender blind as far as sexuality is concerned. There is also more variation amongst male and female physiology. This isn't meant to be any kind of promotion or demotion of social behavior in reality. Just a concept I thought would be an interesting idea to have in a fantasy setting. I highly discourage anyone from reading this material if you are personally concerned with being offended or traumatized. Both violent and sexual content will be graphically detailed. All characters involved in sexual scenes are mature and of the age of consent(18+).
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Hex [h.s]
"To break the curse is to kill the one who casted it upon you."Book #1Trailer is made by: @BoundToLoveHighest rank: #51 in Fanfiction
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Re:Shinobi
probrably not going to update until winter break. Death is an unusual thing.It's A force only few can escape.yet when you do you feel so lonely.I never counted myself among those few,that was until i died.My death was something only seen in web novels. You know it is really the most common of deaths in web novels. When i died i didn't stay dead.I was reincarnated into a world of ninjas.A world of death,pain sorrow and destruction.Yet in all that there is beauty.My past won't leave me alone,my emotions are to stubborn.i don't want to remember.........I hope i survive this.This is the new summary hope you like.Creative roasting allowed This my first fic so show the errors in my waysReviewGive ideas of what you want to see in the future.
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