Recent content by AlexS

Sorry I did not read all the replies before posting. Great minds etc...

Plot twist: Vashti *is* the antagonist. She's a Daenerys-like character, seeming like a protagonist at first, seeking initially to reclaim her legacy, and later to 'fix' everything that's wrong with the kingdom and the world, but in the end, becomes the evil that she was fighting.

It varies. At some points, the reader is expected to feel "ok this is done and we're not coming back to it" and at others "I wonder if we ever come back to it"

Let's say, around points where a subplot has been naturally exhausted and another begins.

There are going to be questionaires at certain checkpoints. This is of course not a fass/fail test for the reader, but info-gathering for me - was it understandable that X and Y are connected, did Z affect the reader they way I expected it to, etc.

The whole structure. And we're going to assume the reader knows nothing except for the 150-word blurb

First, I want to know the multiple storylines coexist in harmony and their combination is enjoyable, rather than confusing. Because if that doesn't work, then nothing else matter. Second, character arcs and emotional continuity and making sure the major emotional beats land as intended.

He asked, I answered. It's up to him what to do with my answer, I don't insist. But notably, I answered him, not you.

Thank you for your service. I lived in the middle east for 26 years

"The man’s almost-corpse dropped with the heaviness of a boulder" Perhaps try "The half-dead man dropped, heavy as a boulder"? Neither "almost-corpse" nor "with the heaviness of..." sound natural. "surrounding him, like a necklace on a girls neck. Still, they did not dare approach" This...

Update: It's been 31 rejections and I have officially given up

Not everyone can be a Tyrion or a Daenerys. Some are called Jon and it's fine.

"You're a vulgar wench, aren't you? How can you get this drunk on three coppers?" "It's an acquired skill."

Great! Let me know when you're ready to begin, I'll drop you a Google Drive link (I can send PDF or Doc if that's your preference)

My fantasy novel, Kings and Witches, is complete at 97,000 words! Intended as part 1 of the Mistress of the Wastes trilogy, it's a story of personal rivalries and friendships against the backdrop of kingdom conflics and the threat of ancient cataclysm stirring anew. It's a complex multi-POV...