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A Criminal's Heart-Prologue (REVISED)



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Sat Apr 10, 2010 9:52 pm
RayquazaKid says...



Here on request.

This seems familiar. I've actually read this before. :)

She twisted her Korth revolver menacingly. But I still couldn't believe that she was going to do that. Kill me.
 
Something seems off about the sentence structure here. The first sentence could be combined with the one before. As for the other two, perhaps "I sill couldn't believe that she was going to do kill me." could work. I understand the intention behind the seperation, but you might want to play around with it a little.

One other thing, the fact that the revolver is made by Korth isn't really necessary, unless that brand name is a Chekov's gun (literally!) of sorts. Unless the fact that the revolver is a Korth brand is important to the story, I would leave that out.
“You have ruined my life. You stole everything from me....fame, money, lfe..everything,”

Typo. Also are these supposed to be ellipsis? If so there are three periods, and a space.
This was another proof that she was determined of killing me.

In my opinion "This was more proof that she was determined to kill me." would work better. The wording is a bit weird.
I barked in rage,not even wanting to hear the answers, just stalling for time .

Spacing at first comma and the period. There are quite a few like this, you might want to go through and find them.
It is unbelievable that a person on a mission would drop the gun so easily.

Don't switch tenses! "It was unbelievable" is better. It isn't good to switch tenses mid-sentence.
I looked down to see the Korth revolver close to me. While she is screaming and howling I should pick it up, I thought to myself. 

Sorry to be nitpicky, the "I though to myself" part shouldn't be in italics.
But who is at home around 10 at Beverly Hills.

This is a question, no? Also, is it 10am or 10pm? Please be a little more specific.
I could see my death near me,  

Huh? Where is the rest of the sentence? Needs a period.
The role which eventually was mine but went to you.

"eventually was mine". Wouldn't "supposed to be mine" work better?

There are a few things to consider.

You know, I actually read this a while back, and I might have commented on it. I really liked this story, and I still do. The floating away from the body thing was and excellent approach. Do you plan to do this from 3rd person narrative? Because it seems that way. I will just say that if you do, you have a lot of freedom with this one, since the narrator is a spirit.

Can't wait to read the next chapter, and fortunately, I don't!
Call me RK :)
  





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Sun Apr 11, 2010 5:27 am
MiaParamore says...



Thanks a lot. No it's not going to be entirely a 3rd pesron narration. But somewhere I am going to introduce it. Thanks for the review.
"Next time you point a finger
I might have to bend it back
Or break it, break it off
Next time you point a finger
I'll point you to the mirror"

— Paramore
  





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Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:08 am
whatevr says...



“Please tell me you're joking,” I pleaded. Olivia’s eyes were full of insanity and hatred. She wasn't going to spare me. What in the world had gotten into her?
“Why would I joke about such a serious matter? I am being serious. Trust me,” Olivia replied. She twisted her Korth revolver menacingly. But I still couldn't believe that she was going kill me
"She wouldn't kill me," I mumbled to myself.
“Why are you doing this to me?” I asked. Her heart shaped face didn’t look dangerous, even now, but I knew she was.
“You have ruined my life. You stole everything from me.... fame, money, life... everything!” she spat at me. This accusation hurt me like a splinter from a bomb blast. I had never thought that my best friend envied me. I had never done any bad to her, so why was she trying to kill me? Just for some silly reason? The part in bold is unnessecary.
Her fingers weren’t quivering and no smile lit up her face. This was more proof that she was determined to kill me. She had never stretched a joke or prank of hers for this long before. She was dead serious about this.
“I don't understand. How have I ruined your life?” I barked in rage, not even wanting to hear the answers, just stalling for time. I tried to free myself from the rope she had tied around my hands, which I was sure must have left a red mark on my wrists.
“You stole my peace. I don't get that part, look over it. I mean "You stole my peace." What the heck? Every night I go to bed wondering about how much God intends to give you. Expensive wardrobe, holidays at exotic places and five star treatment, all of this just drives me crazy. I am jealous of you. Did you hear me? I am jealous! I envy you!” she dropped the revolver and covered her ears with her hands screaming like a maniac which indeed she had become. It is unbelievable that a person on a mission would drop the gun so easily. Either she was insane or really stupid. I made a mental note of taking her to a psychiatrist if I survived this confrontation. Unnessecary.
I looked down to see the Korth revolver a couple of feet away. While she is screaming and howling I should pick it up, I thought to myself.
I took a deep breath before taking the revolver. Olivia was still standing there unaware of my plan. I bent down slowly and tried to bring the revolver closer to me by dragging it with my feet when pain abruptly struck me. Olivia had stomped her sandal on my foot. I screeched in pain, praying that my neighbors would somehow hear me. But who is at home around 10 at Beverly Hills.
Most of them are busy partying in a club or in five star hotels and no one is going to come before next day, I thought. The bones must have broken but... Couldn’t these thoughts go somewhere else? I looked up to see Olivia for the first time, greeting me with a demented smile.
“I should have made myself clear before,” she silently whispered.
I raised my one eyebrow. I couldn't understand her. It seemed like she was a new Olivia, the one I had never come across with, who was going to destroy me forever.
“I should have tied your mouth too. You shout a lot. Just like a B-grade actress. That’s what you are. You are not an A-grade one. People think you are, however you don't fool me I taught you acting! I got you work here! Remember?,” she shouted at top of her lungs.
“What do you want? Money? Fame?” I asked her politely. I had once read that you shouldn’t challenge or engage yourself in a fight with any mentally insane criminal.
“No. I just want your end,” she laughed hysterically . I could sense my death near me,
“Please don’t do this.”
"Okay then I want the role of Casey from Midnight Theft. The role which originally was mine but went to you. The one which made you what you are,” she transported me to those pleasant memories. I began thinking how accidentally the role had come to me. I heard a crackle and saw Olivia pointing the gun at my head. She pressed the trigger.... The next thing I knew was that I was dead. How do you know if you are dead whe you're dead? Like don't you die? lol... I floated above her, above my body leaving behind my paradise, the one I had created with my sheer hardwork and talent. I was leaving everything behind me. No one was going to be the witness of all this except for the non-living things which stood in my house's alleyway.
Then I remembered one old Indian proverb," We come in the world empty-handied and go back without anything. Then why does man crave fame and power?" I could now agree with the creator of proverb. I had spent my whole life earning all this power and success but it took a second for Olivia to separate me from it.
Though I was dead, a new Olivia had born, the one with a mission. To destroy everything which reminded the world of me. From here on started Olivia’s crime life.


I really like this, Shubhi, very creative and thrilling. Just look at the greenish blue and the bold.

:smt003 :smt003 :smt003 :smt003 :smt003 green smiles out of 5

Kudos

Biffle
Literally whatevr
  





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Sun Apr 11, 2010 12:04 pm
Sins says...



Heya :D

Thanks for being my first reveiw request! For that, I virtually hug you. *Gives virtual hug* And thanks for my reviews as well, by the way!

To be honest, I think everyone else has covered pretty much every nit-pick, so I'm not really going to bother repeating them. It will only bore the both of us! :wink: I'm just going to point out the one's that stand out for me.



PROLOGUE
AMANDA:
10:25 PM
25th June
“Please tell me you're joking,” I pleaded. Olivia’s eyes were full of insanity and hatred. She wasn't going to spare me. What in the world had gotten into her?
“Why would I joke about such a serious matter? Trust me,” Olivia replied. She twisted her Korth revolver which scared me more. But I still couldn't believe that she was going to do that. Kill me.
"She won’t kill me," (You need speech marks here) I mumbled to myself. My heart was beating frantically. But it didn't need to worry. All it's future pains were going to be stopped by Olivia. (I like how you've hinted what's going to happen here, but not made it too obvious)
“Why are you doing this to me?” I asked. Her heart shaped face didn’t look dangerous even now but I knew she was.
“You have ruined my life. Why life is (Why is life) so easy for you? You got everything you ever wanted while I was left to become your maid. I resent my life,” she spat at me. This accusation hurt me like a splinter from a bomb blast. It did hurt at first but I knew that she was not in her senses. I had never thought that my best friend envied me. I had never done any bad to her so why was she trying to kill me? Just for some silly reason?
"Maid? You aren't my maid but my manager," I cleared up the blame on me.
"How does it matter? Only the name is different but I am a maid. You treat me like one," she couldn't stop her rows of accusations.
Her fingers weren't quivering and no smile lit up her face. This could mean only one thing; she was determined of killing me. She had never stretched a joke or prank of hers for this long before. She was dead serious about this. (I liked this! It gave me chills...)“I don't understand. How have I ruined your life?” I barked in rage, not even wanting to hear the answers, just stalling for time. I tried to free myself from the rope she had tied around my hands, which I was sure must have left a red mark on my wrists, but in vain.
“You stole my peace. Every night I go to bed wondering about how much God intends to give you. Expensive wardrobe, holidays at exotic places and five star treatment, all of this just drives me crazy. I am jealous of you. Did you hear me? I am jealous! I envy you!” she dropped the revolver and closed her ears with her hands screaming like a maniac which indeed she had become. It was unbelievable that a person on a mission would drop the gun so easily. Maybe, she was insane. I made a mental note of taking her to a psychiatrist if I survived this confrontation.
I looked down to see the Korth revolver close to me. While she is screaming and howling I should pick it up, I thought to myself.
I took a deep breath before taking the revolver. Olivia was still standing there unaware of my plan. I bent down slowly and tried to bring the revolver closer to me by dragging it with my feet when pain abruptly struck me. Olivia had stomped her sandal on my foot. I screeched in pain, praying that my neighbors would somehow hear me. But who is at home around 10 at Beverly Hills. Most of them are busy partying in a club or in five star hotels and no one is going to come before next day, I thought. I looked up to see Olivia for the first time, greeting me with a smile but a demented one. (This seems a bit off to me. Maybe you could rephrase it? Something like, greeting me with a smile, but it was far from comforting. It was demented.)
“I should have made myself clear before,” she silently whispered.
I raised my one eyebrow. I couldn't understand her. It seemed like she was a new Olivia, the one I had never come across with, the one who was going to destroy me forever.
“I should have tied your mouth too. You shout a lot. Just like some B-grade actress. That’s what you are. You are not an A-grade one. You need to put a space between the full stop and the next letter People think you are, however you can't fool me. I taught you acting. I got you work here. Remember?,” she shouted at top of her lungs.
I couldn't believe she just had just said that.
“What do you want? Money? Fame?” I asked her politely. I had once read that you shouldn’t challenge or engage yourself in a fight with any mentally insane criminal or a gonna be. (Huh?)
“No. I just want your end,” she laughed hysterically(Don't need a space here!). I could see my death near me,
“Please don’t do this.”
"Okay then I want the role of Casey from Midnight Theft. The role which eventually was mine but went to you. The one which made you what you are,” she transported me to those pleasant memories. I began thinking how accidentally the role had come to me.
"What are you saying? That's impossible," I said.
"Are you sure?"
"How can I reverse back the time. It's next to impossible
I heard a crackle and saw Olivia pointing the gun at my head.(Need a space here)She pressed the trigger.... The next thing I knew was that I was dead. (This seems a bit sudden. You could maybe include that you felt a sharp pain rip through your head, or something?) I floated above her, above my body leaving behind my paradise,the one I had created with my sheer hardwork (Two seperate words) and talent. I was leaving everything behind me. No one was going to be the witness of all this except for the non-living things which stood in my house's alleyway.
Then I remembered one old Indian proverb, “We come in the world empty-handied (No need for the i) and go back without anything. Then why does man crave fame and power?" I could now agree with the creator of proverb. I had spent my whole life earning all this power and success but it took a second for Olivia to separate me from it.
Though I was dead, a new Olivia had born, the one with a mission. To destroy everything which reminded the world of me. From here on started Olivia’s crime life. (I really loved your ending!)


Overall, I really did like this! You seem to have a problem with spacing, after and before a full stop! I think they're just typo's though, to be honest. Anyway, I can't say much, I have a comma problem. :lol:
I love the idea you've got here, it could definitely progress into an effective, exciting story! I can't wait to read the net few parts!

All you need to do is read over your work and pick up what us reviewers have said. Once you've done that, this piece would be seriously excellent!

Keep writing,

xoxo Skins
I didn't know what to put here so I put this.
  





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Sun Apr 11, 2010 2:23 pm
MiaParamore says...



Thanks Biflle1 and Skins. Thanks a lot.
"Next time you point a finger
I might have to bend it back
Or break it, break it off
Next time you point a finger
I'll point you to the mirror"

— Paramore
  





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Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:55 pm
Rascalover says...



Hello,
Here as requested :). This is a very inteseting piece, and I liked it alot, but I also think that because it looks like one giant block of words that it's harder to read. I don't if that made much sense, if it didn't PM me. Also you do alot of telling rather than showing; if you need help with this you can PM me.

Onto the review:

Olivia’s eyes were full of insanity and hatred.

How? What did they look like physically?

“Why would I joke about such a serious matter? Trust me,” Olivia replied.

The last part of this dialogue just doesn't seem realistic, maybe try "Trust me I'm serious as I could be" or something like that.

She twisted her Korth revolver which scared me more. But I still couldn't believe that she was going to do that. Kill me.

These sentences could all be combined. put a coma anfter more and a lower case b for but, then a comma after to do that and a lower case k for kill.

She won’t kill me, I mumbled to myself.

I think you're missing your qoutation marks here :)

My heart was beating frantically. But it didn't need to worry.

These sentences can be combined a comma after frantically and a lower case b for but. Also, never start a sentence with and or but because these are conjunctions and they combine sentences they don't start them.

Her heart shaped face didn’t look dangerous even nowbut I knew she was.

Even now doesn't seem to fit into this sentence, and there needs to a comma after dangerous.

“You have ruined my life. Why life is so easy for you? You got everything you wanted while I was left to become your maid. I resent my life,” she spat at me.

It should be Why is life so easy for you. there needs to be a comma after wanted. There needs to be a period after life not a comma, and the she before spat needs to be capitalized. Why does she resent her life... do you mean she resents doing what she did in the past, her past... it leaves it too open and has an unclear meaning: I resent my life... Maybe try to change it. :)

It did hurt at first but I knew that she was not in her senses.

This is what I mean by telling instead of showing. Show us how she felt instead of just saying she was hurt. Did her heart sink into her chest? Did her brain go numb? Did she clenth her fist? Also this is redundant you already told us that this statement had hurt her. Plus there needs to be a comma after first.

I had never done any bad to her so why was she trying to kill me?

this sentence is a little awkward how about re-wording it like such: I had never hurt her, or I never intended to, so why is she trying to kill me?
If you leave it the way it is there needs to be a comma after bad to her,.

Just for some silly reason?

This is a fragment, and it doesn't really fit here; it doesn't make much sense.

"Maid? You aren't my maid but my manager," I cleared up the blame on me.

A comma after maid and a period instead of a comma after manager.

"How does it matter? Only the name is different but I am a maid. You treat me like one," she couldn't stop her rows of accusations.

How does it matter? Is a little awkward how about re-wording to something like That doesn't matter; only the name is different... There needs to be a comma after different and a period after one instead of a comma. She after the last qoutation mark should be capitalized.

If you are saying she said replied inquired or anything of the sort there ahould be a comma before the last quotation mark, but when you put something like she couldn't stop her rows of accusations, it makes it into two different sentences so there needs to be a period before the last quotation mark.

Her fingers weren't quivering and no smile lit up her face.

A comma after quivering. this is because when using a conunction there needs to a be a comma before it to combine the two independent sentences.

This could mean only one thing; she was determined of killing me.

A comma not a semi-colon is needed here because this could only mean one thing is not a full sentence.

She was dead serious about this.

Once again telling instead of showing. How was she being serious? Were her teeth clenched? Did her eyes never blink? was her face tight? was she being quiet/ loud?

“You stole my peace. Every night I go to bed wondering about how much God intends to give you. Expensive wardrobe, holidays at exotic places and five star treatment, all of this just drives me crazy. I am jealous of you. Did you hear me? I am jealous! I envy you!” she dropped the revolver and closed her ears with her hands screaming like a maniac which indeed she had become.

What is your inciting incident? What made her go off like this? Obviously she has been jealous for a very long time, but what made her crack? Also capitalize the she after the last qoutation mark.

Maybe, she was insane.

i suggest italizing was just to make an effect on the sentence, but that's just personal opinion.

But who is at home around 10 at Beverly Hills.

The sentence before this and this could be combined just add a coma after the but and make it a lower case b.

Most of them are busy partying in a club or in five star hotels and no one is going to come before next day, I thought.

A comma after hotels is needed

I raised my one eyebrow.


It seemed like she was a new Olivia, the one I had never come across with, the one who was going to destroy me forever.

This sentence is a little awkward. How bout try re-wording it like, "It seemed liek she was a new Olivia, one that I had never came across, one that was determined to destroy me forever."

“I should have tied your mouth too. You shout a lot. Just like some B-grade actress. That’s what you are. You are not an A-grade one.People think you are, however you can't fool me. I taught you acting. I got you work here. Remember?,” she shouted at top of her lungs.

No comma after the question mark, and she shouted, the she needs to be capitalized.

I couldn't believe she just had justsaid that.


"Okay then I want the role of Casey from Midnight Theft. The role which eventually was mine but went to you. The one which made you what you are,” she transported me to those pleasant memories.

A comma after okay. And instead of eventually it should be intentionally and a comma after mine. a period instead of a comma after are and capitalize the she after the last qoutation marks.

She pressed the trigger.... The next thing I knew was that I was dead.

I think you can describ this better than you did. You took the easy way out. try describing the pain or lack there of. A blackout in your head maybe. A sting at the spot of where the bullet entered, or the flash of the bullet coming at you.

I could now agree with the creator of proverb.

the creator of this proverb.

Though I was dead, a new Olivia had born, the one with a mission.

a new Olivia had been born

From here on started Olivia’s crime life.

From here on started Olivia's life of crime.


Overall view: I feel as though the dialogue is choppy and awkward. A writers best technique is observation. I advise you to observe some real like conversation, small talk, or other wise, and make mental notes on how they flow and words they use. Actually things they say. Observation is amazing, and I think it'll help you a whole bunch :)

I know everyone else was nitpicky so if i repeated anything I'm sorry. I really enjoyed this, keep up the good work, and if you ever need a review please feel free to PM me :)

Have a good day,
Tiffany
There is nothing to writing; all you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein~ Red Smith

Who needs a review? :) http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/topic38078.html
  





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Fri Apr 16, 2010 8:04 am
Winterblossoms says...



Hi there, Shubi-chan! :D I can call you Shubi-chan, can't I? (puppy eyes) :lol: Winter here, at your service.

First off...

This could really use some spacing. I got dizzy just by looking at the length and the closeness of the lines, so, if you will, the 'Enter' key looks like a very welcoming prospect for you to press on, now.

So, onto the rest of the piece. Comments in blue, nitpicks in red, what I liked in green.

AMANDA:
10:25 PM
25th June

“Please tell me you're joking,” I pleaded. Olivia’s eyes were full of insanity The word feels kind of awkward. and hatred. She wasn't going to spare me. What in the world had gotten into her?

“Why would I joke about such a serious matter? Trust me,” Olivia replied. She twisted her Korth revolver which scared me more. But I still couldn't believe that she was going to do that. Kill me.

I don't know if revolvers could twist, but I'm sure their barrels can. So, try:

She spun the barrel of her Korth revolver, sending a rising lurch of fear into my gut.

The following sentences are stiff and flat. Try:

I couldn't believe that she was actually going to kill me.


She won’t kill me, I mumbled to myself. Mumbled? No. Thought to himself? Yes. My heart was beating frantically. But it didn't need to worry. All it's future pains were going to be stopped by Olivia. Again, awkward and stiff. Flex and revise, make it sound more natural, as if you yourself were thinking this while you're at death's door.

“Why are you doing this to me?” I asked. Her heart-shaped face didn’t look dangerous even now but I knew she was. Tame, perhaps? 'Heart-shaped' really puts me off. The sentence is also very awkward. Like I've said, try to flex it a little, so it'll come off more naturally.

You have ruined my life. Why life is so easy for you? You got everything you wanted while I was left to become your maid. I resent my life,Dear little darling girl, I think you are diagnosed with a severe case of EECE, the 'Emo Emo Cliche Emo' disease. Please. Do you talk like that in real life? Is that what you would say if faced with the same dreadful situation? I know this may sound harsh, but it's a good and helpful piece of advice for every writer out there: GET. REAL. she spat at me. This accusation hurt me like a splinter from a bomb blast. Forced simile. Find something more natural. You may think I'm being a bit too repetitive about this 'natural' thing, but this is the problem that I see here. You lack the essence of reality in this piece, which is, in my opinion, a crying shame. This piece has promise in it, if only polished in the right way. It did hurt at first, but I knew that she was not in her right sense. I had never thought that my best friend envied me. I had never done any bad to her so why was she trying to kill me? Just for some silly reason? Again, cliche. Also, seeing that this is a conversational piece, you can use contractions (I'd, You've, You're, and such), because this does not necessarily need to be formal. Being too formal actually puts the reader off in some way.
"Maid? You aren't my maid but my manager," I cleared up the blame on me. Stiff. I won't say it again.
"Why does it matter? Only the name is different but I am a maid. You treat me like one," But what's in a name? That which we call a rose; by any other name would smell as sweet. But it's not working for me. Try replacing 'name' with 'title'. she couldn't stop her rows of accusations. Try, 'she couldn't seem to stop with all of her accusations towards me'.
Her fingers weren't quivering and no smile lit up her face. This could mean only one thing; she was determined to kill me. She had never stretched a joke or prank of hers for this long before. She was dead serious about this. Bravo.
“I don't understand. How have I ruined your life?” You are seriously starting to sound like one of those cheesy drama soaps I see on TV every frickin night of my miserable little life, which is a bad thing... for you. I barked in rage, not even wanting to hear the answers, just stalling for time. I tried to free myself from the rope she had tied around my hands, which I was sure must have left a red mark on my wrists, but in vain.
You stole my peace. Every night I go to bed wondering about how much God intends to give you. Expensive wardrobe, holidays at exotic places and five star treatment, all of this just drives me crazy. I am jealous of you. Did you hear me? I am jealous! I envy you!ULUL. :lol: What a pathetic excuse to kill someone. she dropped the revolver and clamped her hands over her ears, screaming like a maniac, which indeed she had become. It was unbelievable that a person on a mission would drop the gun so easily. A person on a mission? Cheesy. Maybe she was insane. I made a mental note of taking her to a psychiatrist, if ever I survived this confrontation.
I looked down to see the Korth revolver close by me. While she is screaming and howling I should pick it up, I thought to myself. Try, 'I should take it while she's still distraught, I thought to myself'. Screaming and howling is so (here I go again) awkward and it sounds so emo.
I took a deep breath before taking the revolver. Taking is becoming repetitive. Try, 'I took a deep breath, cautiously wrapping my trembling fingers around the revolver'. Different notion, same effect, better flow, less cliche. Olivia was still standing there, unaware of my plan. I bent down slowly and tried to bring the revolver closer to me by dragging it with my feet when pain abruptly struck me. I thought he already took it? Olivia had stomped her sandal on my foot. I screeched 'Yelp', perhaps? in pain, praying that my neighbors would somehow hear me. But who is at home around 10 No numbers. Makes you less professional and makes the piece informal. Never use digits. Use only words, unless required to do otherwise. When dealing with the exact time, or if portraying visual images of numbers, you can use digits. at Beverly Hills? Most of them are probably busy partying in a club or in five star hotels and no one is going to come home before next day, I thought. I looked up to see Olivia for the first time, greeting me with a smile but a demented one. Try, 'I looked up to Olivia as if seeing her for the first time, and she greeted me with a demented smile'.
“I should have made myself clear before,” she silently whispered. A whisper IS silent. Have you ever heard of such a thing as a loud whisper before, hmm?
I raised my one eyebrow. ZOMG HE HAS ONLY ONE EYEBROW? :lol: Try, 'I quirked an eyebrow at her'. I couldn't understand her. It seemed like she was a new Olivia, one that I had never come across with, one who was going to destroy me forever. CLIIICHE.
I should have tied your mouth too. Try, 'I should've taped over/muffled your mouth, too', although if you decide to use muffled, remove the 'your mouth' bit. You shout a lot, just like some B-grade actress. I don't get this. That’s what you are. You are not an A-grade one. People think you are, however LOL do people really use that word in conversational English? you can't fool me. I taught you acting. ...Maybe you mean, 'I taught you how to act'. I got you work here, remember?she shouted at top of her lungs. Shoutshoutshout. Can't they do anything but shout?
I couldn't believe she just had just said that. Remove the highlighted parts.
“What do you want? Money? Fame?” I asked her politely. How can you be so polite when your life is being threatened? I had once read that you shouldn’t challenge or engage yourself in a fight with any mentally insane criminal, or one that was on their way to being one.
“No. I just want your end,Epic, but not good. she laughed hysterically. I could see my death near me. Try, 'I could see my death nearing close to me'.
“Please don’t do this.”
"Okay, then. I want the role of Casey for Midnight Theft. The role which eventually was to become mine but went to you instead. The role which made you what you are now.” she transported me to those pleasant memories. I began thinking how accidentally the role had come to me.
"What are you saying? That's impossible!" I said. Try something more dramatic to place here instead of 'said'.
"Are you sure?"
"How can I reverse back the time. It's next to impossible!" Lolwhut?
I heard a crackle and saw Olivia pointing the gun at my head. She pressed the trigger. No need for an ellipse here.

The next thing I knew was that I was dead.

I floated above her, above my body, leaving behind my paradise, the one I had created with my sheer hard work and talent. I was leaving everything behind me. No one was going to be the witness of all this except for the non-living things which stood in my house's alleyway. Here is where you get all detail-y and dramatic, but you failed me in this aspect. You were supposed to describe more the feeling of loosing consciousness, the pain, the fading light, the numbness, whatever; just don't give me the 'I'm dead and I'm now floating above the world' type of cliche that I can live without gladly. Be original. Think up your own concept. Don't follow the general rules. What I mean is, for example, if you're writing about a vampire, don't make him allergic to garlic or turn into ash under the sun! One: be logical. Two: whip up something new! Your imagination is there for a reason, so use it to the fullest extent! ;)
Then I remembered one old Indian proverb, “We come into the world empty-handed and go back without anything. Then why does man crave fame and power?" I could now agree with the creator of proverb. I had spent my whole life earning all this power and success but it took a second for Olivia to separate me from it. Show, don't tell. What I mean is, you're talking about emotion now, how it feels, what the character thinks as he... um... well... floats toward the light. I didn't even feel like the character was feminine. You gave no hint, albeit the given name, Amanda. If it weren't there, and if you didn't mention Casey, I would have totally thought that the character was male. Notice how I used 'he' all through this review to refer to the persona? That's why. Put gender indicators so your characters will be easier to identify.
Though I was dead, a new Olivia had been born, one with a deadly Why did I suggest that you put in this word? ...No reason. :P Just wanted you to emphasize on what kind of mission it is. mission - to destroy everything which reminded the world of me. Holy schnap, Batman. Cool.

From here on started Olivia’s crime life.
I. hate. this. ending! What with all that action, you end it with another cliche and not with a heart-pounding cliffhanger or something of the sort? Dang it. And what with 'crime life'? It just... sounds so... discomforting, in a critique-to-error way, not in the I-fear-thee way, if you get what I mean. I guess that's it.



All in all, this could use some serious work. As I said, you've been very cliche all throughout the piece, and it lacks realism. The dialogues are still too stiff. Try watching more movies. It will help.

I may have sounded harsh, but it's all out of the desire to help you improve. ;) Don't take me too seriously, because I don't. XD

There's my verdict. :) See you around!


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Sun Apr 25, 2010 2:33 am
Maddy says...



I was going to review this, and went "Wait, no". There's already been too many reviews, and I agree with what everyone's said anyway. I think I might move on to the next chapter. 0_o
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Sun May 09, 2010 11:32 am
Lydia1995 says...



Hello Shubi!

I enjoyed this prologue, it made me want to read the rest of the book which is really great :D
There were a couple of things that I noticed. To make this easier for you to spot, I will highlight your work in bold and I will write my comments next to it in red.

shubhiloves2write wrote:PROLOGUE
AMANDA:
10:25 PM
25th June

“Please tell me you're joking,” I pleaded. Olivia’s eyes were full of insanity and hatred. She wasn't going to spare me. What in the world had gotten into her?
“Why would I joke about such a serious matter? Trust me,” Olivia replied. She spun the barrel of her Korth revolver, sending a rising This is a great word but it doesn't work just here. lurch of fear into my gut.
But I still couldn't believe that she was going to do that. Kill me.
She won’t kill me, I consoled myself. My heart was beating frantically. But it didn't need to worry. All it's future pains were going to be stopped by Olivia.
“Why are you doing this to me?” I asked. Her heart shaped face didn’t look dangerous, even now, but I knew she was.
“You have ruined my life. Why life is so easy for you? You got everything you wanted while I was left to become your maid. I resent my life,” she spat at me. This accusation hurt me like a splinter from a bomb blast. It did hurt at first, but I knew that she was not in her senses. I had never thought that my best friend envied me. I had never done any bad to her so why was she trying to kill me? Just for some silly reason?
"Maid? You aren't my maid but my manager," I cleared up the blame on me.
"How does it matter? Only the name is different but I am a maid. You treat me like one," she couldn't stop her rows of accusations.
Her fingers weren't quivering and no smile lit up her face. This could mean only one thing; she was determined of killing me. This sounds awkward, maybe you could try something like: she was determined to kill me. She had never stretched a joke or prank of hers for this long before. She was dead serious about this.
“I don't understand. How have I ruined your life?” I barked in rage, not even wanting to hear the answers, just stalling for time. I tried to free myself from the rope she had tied around my hands, which I was sure must have left a red mark on my wrists, but in vain.
“You stole my peace. Every night I go to bed wondering about how much God intends to give you. Anexpensive wardrobe, holidays at exotic places and five star treatment, all of this just drives me crazy. I am jealous of you. Did you hear me? I am jealous! I envy you!” she dropped the revolver and closed her ears with her hands screaming like a maniac which indeed she had become. It was unbelievable that a person on a mission would drop the gun so easily. Maybe, she was insane. I made a mental note of taking her to a psychiatrist if I survived this confrontation.
I looked down to see the Korth revolver close to me. While she is screaming and howling I should pick it up, I thought to myself.
I took a deep breath before taking the revolver. Olivia was still standing there unaware of my plan. I bent down slowly and tried to bring the revolver closer to me by dragging it with my feet when pain abruptly struck me. Olivia had stomped her sandal on my foot. I screeched in pain, praying that my neighbors would somehow hear me. But who is at home around 10 at Beverly Hills.Question mark :D Most of them are busy partying in a club or in five star hotels and no one is going to come before next day next day sounds awkward, maybe try something like tommorow, I thought. I looked up to see Olivia for the first time greeting me with a smile but a demented one.
“I should have made myself clear before,” she silently whispered.
I raised my one eyebrow. I couldn't understand her. It seemed like she was a new Olivia, the one I had never come across with, the one who was going to destroy me forever.
“I should have tied your mouth too. You shout a lot. Just like some B-grade actress. That’s what you are. You are not an A-grade one. People think you are, however you can't fool me. I taught you acting. I got you work here. Remember?,” she shouted at top of her lungs.
I couldn't believe she just had just said that.
“What do you want? Money? Fame?” I asked her politely. I had once read that you shouldn’t challenge or engage yourself in a fight with any mentally insane criminal or a gonna be.
“No. I just want your end,” she laughed hysterically . I could see my death near me,Again this doesn't really sound right. Perhaps you could say I could see that my end was near.
“Please don’t do this.”
"Okay then I want the role of Casey from Midnight Theft. The role which eventually was mine but went to you.I think you mean the role that was supposed to be myn but went to you The one which made you what you are,” she transported me to those pleasant memories. I began thinking how accidentally the role had come to me.
"What are you saying? That's impossible," I said.
"Are you sure?"
"How can I reverse back the Delete the time. It's next to impossible.
I heard a crackle and saw Olivia pointing the gun at my head.She pressed the trigger.... . The pain in my heart was unbearable before but was nothing in front of the mental pain she had given me. I felt something stuck in my throat which was making breathing even more tough for me. My vision started blackening and I could just see a faint smile lit up my killer's face. You changed tenses here halfway through a sentence. You need to change lit to light I was there on the chair, tied up, fighting for a life. The next thing I knew I was dead.I floated above her, above my body leaving behind my paradise,the one I had created with my sheer hardwork and talent. I was leaving everything behind me. No one was going to be the witness of all this except for the non-living things which stood in my house's alleyway.
Then I remembered one old Indian proverb, “We come in the world empty-handied and go back without anything. Then why does man crave fame and power?" I could now agree with the creator of proverb. I had spent my whole life earning all this power and success but it took a second for Olivia to separate me from it.
Though I was dead, a new Olivia had born, the one with a deadly mission- To destroy everything which reminded the world of me This sounds awkward, to destroy everything that reminded her of my world. This was just going to be the beginning of her crime life, life of crime full of guilt and insanity. :|


Ok so I pointed some of the things out above. Most of the time it was just little blips with the way things sounded. You do need to do some work on how natural you piece is, there were a lot of places were I stopped when I was reading it and where I had to read it again. :D
There were a couple of points where you changed your tenses, you just need to watch that and make sure you read back through to check. There were also a couple of places where you forgot your grammer but that can be easily sorted with a quick read through. I agree with what people have said above, this was pretty cliche in places which was a shame. Try using some really interesting descriptions to help prevent this.


Pace

This was almost perfect, you didn't rush us into the story too much but you didn't spend hours describing what everything was like. I would however have like a little bit more description of her death, you could make it extremely powerful with some relevant metaphors or similes.

Characters

I think you introduced us to the characters quite well, telling us what we needed to know for the purposes of the prologue. I loved your description of Olivias personality but I would have liked a little more physical description of Olivia as I take it she is going to be the main character from now on.

Overall, well done! This was an interesting prologue and it made me want to read on to find out what Olivia is going to do next and to find out more about why she killed Amanda in the first place.

Well Done,
Keep Writing,
~Lydia
Thinking about what you COULD achieve will get you no where. You've got to chase your dreams.
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Tue May 11, 2010 6:25 pm
LauraElizabeth says...



Here is my review for
A Criminal's Heart-Prologue


"But I still couldn't believe that she was going to do that. Kill me. "
This would sound better as
"I couldn't believe that she was going to do this. That she was going to kill me."

Also, when she is thinking, it should be in italics. It's much easier to read, especially aloud, when thoughts and narrative are clearly seperated.

"My heart was beating frantically. But it didn't need to worry. All it's future pains were going to be stopped by Olivia."
I would write this as
"My heart was beating frantically, but it didn't need to worry: all it's pains would soon be stopped by Olivia."
Still, it's a clever piece of humor :)


"Her heart shaped face didn't look dangerous even now but I knew she was."
I would write this as
"Even now, she didn't look dangerous; but I knew she was."
Describe her later on. You switched from talking about Olivia's face to Olivia herself, which is not correct.

TYPO:"You have ruined my life. Why life is so easy for you?..."
Should be "Why IS life so easy for you, etc..."

Also, instead of putting, 'she spat at me' at the end of her speech, put it like this
"You have ruined my life," she spat at me. "Why is life so easy for you?..."


"Maid? You aren't my maid but my manager," I cleared up the blame on me.
This sounds awkward. It should be
"Maid? You aren't my maid, but my manager," I said, trying to clear myself of blame.


"How does it matter? Only the name is different but I am a maid. You treat me like one," she couldn't stop her rows of accusations.
In a sentence when someone is talking, you should always put 'she said' or 'said Olivia', like this
"...You treat me like one," said Olivia.
She couldn't stop her rows of accusations.

'This could mean only one thing; she was determined of killing me.'
Should be
'she was determined to kill me.'


'But who is at home around 10 at Beverly Hills.'
Should be
'But at ten o'clock in Beverly Hills, who is home?'


“I should have made myself clear before,” she silently whispered.
Silently means without any noise, so our narrator could not have heard her. It should just be
'she whispered' or 'she said quietly'


“I should have tied your mouth too. You shout a lot. Just like some B-grade actress. That’s what you are. You are not an A-grade one. People think you are, however you can't fool me. I taught you acting. I got you work here. Remember?,” she shouted at top of her lungs.'
Unless you put that she is shouting earlier in this sentence, we are going to read it as though she is still talking quietly. Put it as
"I should have tied your mouth, too. You shout a lot."
She began to raise her voice.
"Just like some B-grade actress. That's just what you are. You're not an A-grade one, even though people think you are!" her raised tones became a shout. "I got you work here! Remember!"

"Okay then I want the role of Casey from Midnight Theft. The role which eventually was mine but went to you. The one which made you what you are,” she transported me to those pleasant memories.
I would say
"Okay, then," she said. "I want the role of Casey from Midnight Theft. The role which had been mine, but eventually went to you. The one which made you what you are."
Her words transported me back to those pleasant times.


'I began thinking how accidentally the role had come to me.'
I would write it like this
'I began thinking how the role had, as it seemed, come to me by accident.'


'I floated above her, above my body leaving behind my paradise,the one I had created with my sheer hardwork and talent.'
Should be
'I floated above Olivia and my own body, leaving behind the paradise I had created for myself by sheer hard work and talent.'



'I could now agree with the creator of proverb.'

This should be'I could now agree with whoever had said this.'
OR
'I could now agree with the speaker of this proverb.'


'I had spent my whole life earning all this power and success but it took a second for Olivia to separate me from it.'
That's a very insightful sentence.

Over all, I would have to say that this isn't the most original story I've read, but it's pretty well written. I'll probably be back to review the next chapter some time later. Have a good day =D
  





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Tue May 11, 2010 9:53 pm
Nebesah says...



alright, please don't take this personally, but it seems that many times when someone tries to point out helpful improvements to you, you have an excuse. I know this sounds really... witchy but instead of explaining it in your posted replies to readers's comments, wouldn't it be easier to simply explain it better in the prologue? I know you say you will explain it all later, but there is a difference between a mysterious-thought-provoking prologue and a confusing-thought-provoking prologue.
Try this:
Don't put so much detail into why Olivia is killing the narrator. It gets repetitive. Focus more on emotions and feelings like Amanda's fear and how hateful Olivia looks.
Also, you have a nice idea with the way one murder turns into a lot of murders, but the motive for killing Amanda is weak. If you want people to take the murder a little more... seriously I guess, you are going to need to make a more convincing motive or you will need to establish just how crazy this Olivia girl is.
And I will resonate [spelling?] with other authors: the dialogue was worded confusingly. I had trouble following what you were talking about. Try going through this again and just reading the dialogue out loud to yourself. Most people, in conversation, don't use phrases like "I resent my life." I say this because it seemed like you were trying to write in everyday speech which can be good, but then you would try to add in bigger words and, don't take this personally, you often used the big words awkwardly. It made me think that you weren't just being yourself when you wrote, like you were trying to impress teachers with your high vocabulary. I think that if you embraced the everyday language thing you have going on, things would go smoother and the quality of your work would be generally better. Again, please don't be offendeded.

"How can I reverse back the time. It's next to impossible.
I heard a crackle and saw Olivia pointing the gun at my head. She pressed the trigger.... . The pain in my heart was unbearable before but was nothing in front of the mental pain she had given me

Just as an example of how to word things more smoothly, this could go as so:
"How can I reverse the time? That's almost impossible." I heard a crackle and watched Olivia point the gun to my head. She pressed ("pulled" would also work here) the trigger...
The pain in my heart was excrutiating ("unbearble" just sounded funky) but was nothing in comparison to the umbearable guilt (what do you mean by "mental pain"? Mental pain is like a headache after doing math. Perhaps psychological pain? but that would imply some sort of Post-Traumatic Stress which would mean she'd actually have to survive the trauma... which leaves guilt) she had given me.

Also, throughout the entire story, you are constantly switching tenses between Past and Past Progressive. (yes, there is a difference.)
I had created with my sheer hardwork and talent. I was leaving everything behind me. No one was going to be the witness of all this except for the non-living things which stood in my house's alleyway.
This is Past Progressive. Stuff like "was running" and "gone fishing"
I pleaded.
Olivia replied. She spun the barrel...

Both of these are Past. Stuff like "ran" and "fished."

while it may not seem like much of a big deal, they are still two tenses. Using both breaks up the story and the flow. It should be easy to convert them into one tense though because they're so similar which is good for you! :D

So, now I feel like a terrible person for ripping your story apart like that. Please don't be offended or anything. It's just one person's honest opinion. You have an excellent plot idea; you are just having some issues with communicating it.

Please don't be discouraged!
Keep writing!
Toodles!!!
Last edited by Nebesah on Thu May 13, 2010 10:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Wed May 12, 2010 4:14 am
Yuriiko says...



Hello there, Shubhi!

Here as requested. I might give a small nitpick 'cause I've seen a lot of reviews which pretty covered up all those mistakes.[/quote]

“I should have tied your mouth too. You shout a lot. Just like some B-grade actress. That’s what you are. You are not an A-grade one. People think you are, however you can't fool me. I taught you acting. I got you work here. Remember?,” she shouted at top of her lungs.
You need to delete that comma.

"How can I reverse back the time. It's next to impossible need continuation here
I heard a crackle and saw Olivia pointing the gun at my head.She pressed the trigger.... .
An ellipsis and a period? Four periods in total. What is it really?

Anyway, those are just slight mistakes. :wink:

The prologue had a good start though when I went down in the middle there are some sentences that are quite confusing and needs to be improved that are already corrected by most of the critiques. The plot itself was really good and climatic which is good because it's kind of thrilling and very descriptive which convince the reader to read the first chapter of the novel.

Characters: I will go first to Olivia, okay? :smt002 She seems to be suffering of a mental sickness or something.lol. Anyway, I like how you portray her because you placed and showed all her emotions like anger and jealousy towards Amanda, which gives support to the "why" she wants to kill her. She wants fame? money? No, to end her life. Her emotions throughout the story leaves all the reason to that.

Amanda. It seems that she's a celebrity. Of course, who wouldn't be jealous of her having all those fame and money? Everyone thinks she's lucky, no wonder Olivia would surely be jealous of her esp. when she is the manager and is always attached to Amanda. :smt080 At the ending part, Olivia killed Amanda... you could've been more descriptive about her pain physically and not mentally. Another thing is that, why would one think of an Indian proverb when she just got shot? Actually, in that part, I didn't feel any sympathy to her. (sorry :? ) Show us how she feels. Did she fall? Was there any blood coming out from her mouth or something?

Settings: You didn't really illustrate the place and you could've tell us the smell, the things around them... if the windows are open or close, something like that but it's a prologue, so it's okay. :wink:

Overall: Aside from those things...I really liked this especially the "killing" part! hehe. :smt068 The prologue was really descriptive and good. I'll be glad to give a review for the first chapter. :D

Peace out!

_Yuri_
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Mon May 31, 2010 4:18 pm
Tenyo says...



That's a lot of reviews you have already... But, as requested;

As a prologue, I'd say this isn't really suitable, to be honest. A prologue needs to give your reader a taste of the rest of the novel, without providing too much depth. Here you have a girl who is seriously mentally disturbed, and a person who seems to be famous and have a big lifestyle, put together in a scene that would require an entire story to explain.

It's an average situation that people can quite easily imagine if they wanted to, so you've got to add an extra flare. Also, the main character is about to die, but put bluntly, your reader doesn't know them yet, and therefore has little reason to care. You need to draw your reader in a lot more before throwing a scene like this at them.
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Thu Jun 17, 2010 11:39 pm
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zankoku_na_tenshi says...



Hi, shubhi! Wow, that’s a lot of reviews you’ve got here already—I can’t promise that I’ll be able to say anything that you haven’t heard before, here, but I’ll try my best to be helpful anyway ^^;;.

Wow, this was a pretty intense start to a story, and I’m definitely curious to read the next chapter, from Olivia’s perspective, to find out more about her and her motivations. This chapter, from Amanda’s perspective, gave us her perspective on the events, but considering that she didn’t even notice she was treating Olivia as a maid, her version is definitely not the whole story. I’m super excited to her about the developments from Olivia’s perspective, and I’m also super curious as to where this story is going to go next—I really like the premise in your synopsis, as to how one murder just leads to another and another—the whole dominoes-like scenario sounds like a great premise for a thriller, and I haven’t seen many stories like this told from the perspective of the “villain” (or the killer, at least). It should be interesting to see how Olivia’s actions lead her deeper into this world of death and killing.

Amanda’s narration was pretty good in this chapter as well—I felt like I could connect to her feelings of fear and her confusion—they both felt very real. I think her mention of being baffled at the fact that Olivia would want to kill her, and her determination at the beginning that this must be some sort of joke, helped to make her much more sympathetic, as well. They showed that she honestly can’t believe that Olivia wants to hurt her, which reinforces the idea that she didn’t cause Olivia suffering intentionally, and never even knew that she was hurting. I think this makes her character a lot more believable, and makes me root for her, if even a little. I only knew her for a couple paragraphs, but I was still thinking it would be bad news if Olivia were to kill her—both because I felt Amanda’s fear and I knew how much it would mess up Olivia’s life. That’s a great feeling to evoke in the reader when they’re starting out, that feeling of dread and suspense, and it’s one of the main reasons I love this chapter.

Just a couple of quick things I’d look at if I were you:

I had once read that you shouldn’t challenge or engage yourself in a fight with any mentally insane criminal or a gonna be.

This line confused the heck out of me. XD Maybe I’m just a little slow. Sorry, what do you mean by “a gonna be”?

Though I was dead, a new Olivia had born, the one with a deadly mission- To destroy everything which reminded the world of me. This was just going to be the beginning of her crime life, full of guilt and insanity.

I’m not sure if I like this as an ending paragraph—It seems to give away a lot of what’s going to happen in the next few chapters, which I think kind of kills the suspense; plus it gives away a lot of information that I’m not sure Amanda could possibly have known. If I was writing this, I think I might end it just with “Though I was dead, a new Olivia was born.” It doesn’t give things away, but it’s still ominous and contains some foreshadowing. It’s really up to you, though.

Otherwise, I thought this was a pretty strong opening to a very promising new novel, and I’d be glad to read the next chapter! :D I’ll see you there. : )
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