《Essie's Critiques》Minerva X | twistedqueenhere
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Selena Namori is a pyschopath, an incarcerated criminal with no family or friends. That's exactly what the Minerva program is looking for. A tenth planet has been discovered in the solar system, named Minerva X. It's unknown whether the planet is inhabitable, though there's a possibilty that it is. NASA has put together a team of five to find out, including a not-so-cold murderer, a caring volunteer, a failed genius, a hot-headed sociopath, and Selena. A psychotic, charasmatic felon with a violent track record. What will happen next, as they learn, train, live, and... die together?
I can clearly see that effort has been put into the cover. However, have you tried experimenting with the font type, color, and sizing? What about the layering and manipulation of photos? Your cover is definitely impressive as it is now, but a good alternative to think about is to contact a cover maker on Wattpad.
The connection between your story and your title is palpable, and it was an immediate lightbulb moment for me. While it might seem like an obvious choice and title, it also suits your story perfectly. Well done here, I'm impressed!
The first thing I noticed here is that you spelled psychopath, possibility, and charismatic wrong. Always proof-read your blurb and edit it before throwing it out there, since it's an open window for potential readers to see the capabilities you have in writing. Along with that, there were some unnecessary filler words and information. I had to read it slower than necessary to wrap my head around it, and I suggest that you separate this into several paragraphs to make it more understandable and easy to read. So, the principal ideas here are that Selena Namori is chosen to enter the Minerva Program along with four other people. The goal here is to see if the recently discovered planet, Minerva X, is habitable or not. Now, they have to learn to train, live, and die together (that last part of the blurb was pretty dang good, too). My take on your blurb would be:
Selena Namori is a psychopath, and an incarcerated criminal with no family or friends is exactly what the Minerva Program is looking for.
When a tenth planet known as Minerva X is discovered, a team of scientists from NASA bring together a team of five to discover whether it's habitable or not.
Selena, a charismatic felon with a violent track record, is grouped with a not-so-cold murderer, a caring volunteer, a failed genius, and a hot-headed sociopath. Joined together with the most unlikely of people, she's forced to learn how to train, live... and die together.
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It's definitely not my best writing, but did you notice how I've separated your blurb into several paragraphs and restructured which sentence goes where? This doesn't mean you should copy and paste this, but try to use your own writing style and find your own guideline to follow when focusing on your blurb. It's one of the most important parts of your story, as it's often the selling point for readers, if they'll read it or not.
From reading the hook, I caught no grammar/spelling errors. Your writing is clean, and I immediately got a sense of your character's personality from the wit and humor you've incorporated. I became engaged in your story and was clearly able to visualize the scene and situation of this beginning. A solid 5/5!
I was very impressed by the lack of grammar errors I've caught in your story! I did catch some misuse of commas throughout the story, and I've pointed them out for you in your chapter review. Keep in mind that commas are used to separate "topics" within a sentence, although there are of course many exceptions depending on the complexity of the sentence structure. It seems like you have a good grasp on your knowledge of commas, but just make sure to look extra thoroughly for the few mistakes in your writing.
As I was reading through your story, I encountered no spelling typos at all! Well done! I do have to mention however that there were a few spots where you've missed a filler word in order for the sentence to make sense. I've pointed them out to you in your chapter critique.
This story idea is unique and fresh! I kept second-guessing myself on what was going to happen next while reading this, which means you've done a wonderful job at keeping your readers on the tips of their toes.
I did enjoy the brief physical descriptions for your characters, but what other defining features can you use to characterize them? Generic descriptions such as hair/eye color are often overused in Wattpad stories. Try to focus on other descriptions, such as bushy eyebrows or hooked noses or freckles. Along with that, although I understand this is only one chapter, I feel like I didn't get much depth from the personalities. Mia and Selena seemed too similar for my taste. Is there more conflict behind their cold masks? Even if they have mental problems now, did they when they were children? I also didn't get much personalities from the rest of the crewmates.
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I don't even know who you are behind the screen, but I'm strangely very proud right now. Your writing voice is gorgeous, and it thoroughly captivated me throughout the entire chapter! There were a few instances where you could play around with the artistic side of writing (descriptive language, sensory detail, metaphors/similes), but even without them your writing voice is beautiful.
For the most part, your transitions were seamless and almost unnoticeable. There were a few times where I felt that you could expand more on what went on during the time skips, and I've also mentioned that in your chapter review.
"'Hey, I'm not a monster, honey' I informed him." (p.14). You're missing proper punctuation at the end of the dialogue. Correction: "'Hey, I'm not a monster, honey,' I informed him." Along with that, I've noticed that you often add dialogue tags (she/he said, she exclaimed, he pointed out, etc) at the end of your dialogues. Try to mix it up and add some action tags as well (I laughed, he grinned, I tossed my head back, etc).
"I swept his legs out from underneath him, tearing off the cuffs that kept my hands behind my back and snapping one circle around his wrist, the other on the railing next to him." (p.16). Did you notice how this sentence is abnormally long? I suggest that you restructure it and separate it into several sentences. Suggestion: "I swept his legs out from underneath him, tearing off the cuffs that kept my hands behind my back. Snapping one circle around his wrist, I twisted the other on the railing next to him."
"Adam exclaimed, searching his pockets for the keys that were no longer there." (p.18). You've already made it clear that Selena took Adam's keys, so you don't need to include the second half of this paragraph. I suggest that you remove it altogether. Suggestion: "Adam exclaimed, searching his pockets."
"A nothing girl..." (p.23). I suggest you restructure this phrasing here. It's awkward, and it sticks out. Suggestion: "A girl with nothing..." or "A nobody..."
In paragraph 34, I suggest you write "mkay" as "m'kay."
"I pointed to the man, who had warm brown skin, fuzzy dark-brown hair, and a brooding expression." (p.39). You have an unnecessary comma here. Correction: "I pointed to the man who had warm brown skin, fuzzy dark-brown hair, and a brooding expression."
7. Keep in mind that you shouldn't start a new paragraph when the same person is speaking.
"Mirrors weren't allowed in my prison, since the glass could be broken, but I knew what I looked like." (p.59). You have an unnecessary comma here. Correction: "Mirrors weren't allowed in my prison since the glass could be broken, but I knew what I looked like."
In paragraph 60, I enjoyed the physical description you've provided for Selena. Now, how can you add unique features to help your characters remember her? This description is quite generic in many books on Wattpad. How can you "human-ify" her more? Does she have a specific scar that tells a story? A hooked nose, or a mole on her cheek?
"... and the last, male, nurse just had an agonized expression on his face." (p.81). These commas here are unnecessary. Correction: "... and the last male nurse just had an agonized expression on his face."
"I put down the fashion magazine." (p.84). The word "put" stood out to me, as weak as it was. How can you replace it with a stronger verb that connects with her personality? Some examples would include "tossed away" or "discarded."
"My dad was a drug addict and an alcoholic who swallowed a bottle of painkillers when I was nine and my mom abandoned me at fifteen when I was still questioning." (p.100). You're missing a comma here, and I suggest adding in the word "in." Correction: "My dad was a drug addict and an alcoholic who swallowed a bottle of painkillers when I was nine, and my mom abandoned me at fifteen when I was still in questioning."
So they were in the shuttle for a month. Could you write a paragraph describing the conditions? Just describe how the experience was like for Selena. That way, your readers will get the sense that some time has passed.
The ending was amazing! It had a sense of closure, and I could feel my jaw-dropping at this twist. Wonderful job!
Your writing skills are advanced and your writing voice was captivating! There were a few times that I had to go back and reread some parts, as I was too caught up in just enjoying your story. There were only a few minor grammar mistakes I've caught, but the cleanliness of your story was very impressive. Well done!
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