Reactions

I let my family read the new short story and received a wide variety of responses.

My boyfriend, who went first, liked it immensely.  He told me that I had written what felt like a polished copy on my first draft and said that the introduction was especially compelling.

My father was next.  He said that it seemed kind of like a Phantom of the Opera rip off and wondered if I had gotten one of the characters' names from an individual in the morning comics.

My mother actually offered me some useful criticism.  She suggested that I explain how the protagonist's fiance would think she knows her ex-lover, since their relationship was a secret.  She also asked for clarification on one of the lines of dialogue.

My father, hearing me thank my mother for her helpfulness, must have felt guilty at this point, because he tried to bring up the topic later.  He said that the story felt like part of a larger work, like we came in at the middle of something.  I asked if this was bad and he said that, no, a lot of stories did that, so it was fine.  I thanked him too.

My sister, who mostly reads nonfiction, was unimpressed by the fact that I didn't explain the workings of the magic in the story.  She said it felt like a cop out.

My grandmother, who reads old romance novels exclusively, said that it reminded her of her favorite soap opera, but then laughed and said that it was very imaginative.

The moral of the story is that I love my family, but this is why I am grateful for Sylvanopolis.

-Melissa

Posted in: family,writers groups,writing