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Review of Snow Yellow  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
*laugh* so funny. I love this retelling. It's so creative and... well, twisted. Just the idea of her being called Snow Yellow... dont eat the yellow snow comes to mind - anyway, that was great.

I thought the idea of the wizard being a bio-chemist was so funny. And I couldnt help but giggle at the mention of Prince Moderately Charming. *grin* very amusing story. Thanks for posting it.

Happy writing,
Jen


just a little image to go with my signature with my pen name on itLittle sketch dude-ed up on the computer
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152
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
*Smile* nice piece, interesting ideas expressed. I can tell you've thought this out *grin* I like the character development you have here. *Wink*

Ok, on with the critique:


Saturday is the sentimental day.
Or so I’ve found out. I’ve come to realize that I have a habit with Saturdays. Every Saturday it’s my day to review the previous week.

*Idea* Ok, about these opening statements... It is here that you will either keep your reader, hooking him or her in, or you will lose your reader all together. I like your first sentence. It makes me ask what's so sentimental about Saturday so I read the next sentence. It's in that one and the following one that I'm lost a bit. I like the conversational tone of your piece, but I'm not sure about the clarity. What I mean is, it would be more clear to just state something like 'Saturday was my chosen day to look back on the happenings of the previous week.' That sentence still isn't great, but I think you get the idea. IMHO to begin a piece you need structured sentences with very clear meanings to orient your reader into the scene.

The only other thing I think I should comment on is the use of fragments throughout. I like using them in my own writing, but as a reader, if I read a piece and notice a fragment I consider that fragment to be out of place and in need of correction. If I dont notice the fragment - I consider that to be good use of one. Unfortunately there were several fragments in this piece that just made me wonder if they were oversights in the editing passes. I'm not sure why, cause normally with a conversational pieces such as this one I dont notice fragments at all. *shrug* go figure.


Well... again, overall I thought this was an interesting piece. It has great potential so keep at it. *Smile*

Happy writing,
Jen

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153
Review of Remembering  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: E | (3.5)
*grin* I know, I know - it's about time I reviewed this. *Wink*

nice piece, my fellow turtle *Wink* I like alot of it. The details are interesting and creative.

*Smile* Ok, on with the critique...

*Idea*Maybe consider switching the first and second paragraphs. That way you begin with the entanglement and use the second paragraph to orient your reader and help to further set the tone.


The sunshine streamed cheerily through the living room’s picture window of the newly remodeled one story house.
*Idea*Not sure about the use of 'cheerily' in this sentence. Can sunshine be cheery? I think the idea is still there without the adverb, you may not need it.*Smile*

“We had so many dreams and plans, didn’t we, Peter?” she said out loud, still standing in the heat.
*Idea*I like this dialogue, but I think there needs to be some other kind of vivid thing to bring Melanie out of her memories and back to the present. Maybe use that heat you mention. Perhaps something about watching ice melt on the driveway, or her being barefoot and the concrete underfoot getting too hot to continue to stand on it. I donno. I like this dialogue, but just... there needs to be something a bit more vivid to bring me, as your reader, back to the present - well, *laugh* I didnt read the rest of that paragraph. Ok, ignore all I've said about this *Blush*
Though the paragraph could use a little 'brushing' up*Wink* I loved the idea of them having a little paint war but there are alot of repeted words in that paragraph. Maybe try to rephrase some things - push those creative juices to work for you.


The wind blowing through the trees sounded like the applause that had erupted from their family and friends at the church.
*Star*Very nice *nodding* very nice.

After class let out, she had decided to go to the mall as a reward for getting a perfect score on the new massage technique the instructor had taught them the week before. It had been a perfect day for shopping.
Just some repetition.*Wink*

I'm not sure about some of the dialogue. I think it could be taken care of in a quick edit sweep. The officer's dialogue when he's telling her what happened - that seems strange. Do officers tell people via cell phone all the details? Would an officer even be involved with this seizure thing? Wouldnt Mrs O'Brien have called Melanie? Another place, was the doctor's explanation of the lack of oxygen. It's phrased a bit funny for me:
...but he was deprived a lot to oxygen in his brain... Seems like it should read 'his brain was deprived of oxygen for (however long)...' instead.

Another section was the one where the doctor is telling Melanie what to expect. Are there really machines they hook up to people and monitors to determine brain waves? When my grandfather died, they said that they knew his brain was functioning up until a certian point because he took breaths on his own indicating the brain stem was alright. So... maybe do some research about that.

Um... I dont wanna give you my speach about adverbs being the coackroaches of literature... cause you were in that class like me *laugh* but there are several adverbs in this piece that could be removed and the sentences would flow better and sound better. Press yourself to come up with other ways to state what you mean. I mean, look at this sentence - the little boogers are climbing all over it*Wink*


Suddenly, the monitors that were connected to Peter began beeping impatiently, and Peter started shaking violently in his bed.

If she's crying uncontrollably, mention something about how she's doing that - can she breathe or is she wracked with sobs? Just about anything you use for that would be more powerful than using 'uncontrollably' IMHO *Wink* ((see, see - this sentence is what I mean: As they hugged, Melanie’s violent sobbing shook them both.))

I'm not sure of the believability of the death scene in the hospital room either... I mean, wouldnt the family be ushered out of the room when a patient is being worked on?


The next few days all passed by as if Melanie was watching it happen to somebody else.
nice sentence*Smile* love the depth of emotion... the connotations this has.

um... nice end. I was wondering how you'd end this thing. I like it. You're so much better at endings than I *grin*

Overall, I thought this was pretty good. I liked the action, it kept me reading to the end - that kinda takes some doing nowadays. I dont have alot of time to read and review as I am getting ready for school again and taking care of my other responsibilities. So, good job *Smile*

Happy writing,
Jen


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Review of Wreaths of Love  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
Hi *Smile*



Uh, first impression - confusion. After trying to decipher the first five sentences I felt kinda abused. It's so much to take in. The language use is creative - I applaud you on that. But I had a hard time decoding it enough to understand its importance to the story. I was looking for a hook, an entanglement, a clincher to grab me by the neck and pull me in, but I get a description of what I can only say was a hairy butt covered in yellow banana mush. Um... I like the description so much I hate to even suggest this blasphemous thing, but maybe consider beginning with these sentences instead:
Ethel lived alone, ate alone, and slept alone. She was the epitome of loneliness, the last grape on a shriveled up vine.

Anyhoo... I hated to just close the window on this one and normally if I dont get stuck in a piece at the beginning I dont bother to read the whole thing... so just the fact that that first paragraph showed an unusual creative effort, I had to continue despite my innitial confusion - and I'm glad I did. I like this story overall. This piece is full of imaginative characters, amazing metaphors, wonderful word choices... of course, it isnt perfect, but has great potential.

Happy writing,
Jen


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Review of tired  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: E | (4.0)
*Smile* Hi

Thanks for an interesting read. I like the repetition of this piece. It adds to the overall meaning of the piece. The word 'tired' get's used over and over until it in-and-of-itself gets tired. I got to where I read the last half of the phrases all the way down... sounded neat.

I think the only suggestion I have that would make it better would be some stanza breaks right before you take a breath to begin the next 'I'm tired of' line. That way you'd have seven or eight separate groupings of lines.

Happy writing,
Jen


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Review of Mind Over Matter  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
Beautiful lines, they feel self-contained in a way I havent encountered before. I love the depth of emotion portrayed within each line. Ok, I'll admit it - I'm a little impressed. I know I shouldnt be *laugh* but I am all the same. The form is nice, the word choices are great...

I have only a few suggestions.

*Reading*sharp as needles-
*Idea*I like the idea being expressed here, but feel that a simile about sharpness using needles is cliche. You further the idea in the next two lines with the concept of a bed of needles... maybe if you put 'bed of' before 'needles' it may not seem so cliche... I donno - that may not have been what you meant to communicate...

*Idea*The parenthesis kind of bounce me out of the poem, though. I like the idea of 'self-directed' emotions... maybe there's some other way to phrase it.

Anyhoo. I very much enjoyed this piece and look forward to raiding, er, I mean, reading more of your work *grin*

~Jen


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157
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
You had me laughing so hard that I almost woke the whole neighborhood. The first few sentences and then the next paragraph - so funny! By the middle of the story, when the head popped off during class... I liked to had an accident. I've never laughed so hard at something written before. This one's going into my highlighted items!

~Jen


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158
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Well written piece. I very much enjoyed reading it. The characters felt real and were nicely developed.

I found only a few grammar/punctuation errors - nothing that couldnt be caught with a quick read through edit. I did have a problem with the quotations. There were about three or so missing ones that tossed me out of the narrative. But other than those, this was a well crafted piece.

I like the metaphor. It became clearer at the end of the story. It resonates. I like the last line too - it being the eleventh hour seems significant, like it's the winter of his life, the garden is dead and he's about to be too.
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Review of The Prodigal Son  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
*shiver* Eerie... well crafted story. I wasnt expecting anything like this with the quote at the beginning and everything. I kept thinking how can he be accepted back into the family now...

There were a few gramatical errors and typos, but nothing that tossed me out of the narrative, which takes a little to do with me. Once I kick into edit mode... *laugh* anyhoo.
I think those few things could easily be caught in a once through.

Happy writing,
Jen

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Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Ok, count me impressed. I'm impressed by the careful writing, the plot line, the great dialogue... Very nice piece.

*Reading*Gilbraith and Satrana glanced at one another, but neither of them spoke.
*Star*It was here that I figured the dragons would eat the people, but I love the way you handled this.
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Review of chapter three  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
*Flower3*Another great chapter. I'm loving this character development. I love the narrative voice of the story and am having to sit up late at night to review *laugh* Thanks for putting this up.*Bigsmile*

General edit comment -
I dont remember if I gave you my 'adverbs are the cockroaches of literature' speal in any of my other reviews of this story. I think I did, but let me reiterate. Try to remove as many of those little -ly words as you can to help the flow of your sentences. Dont rely on them too much. And I think that you can express the same ideas as with the adverbs by pushing your creativity and language to come up with some other way to put it. (I wont bother you about this anymore *Wink*



*Reading*Stu on his keyboard without pushing Mike into playing bass while singing, which he didn’t like to do.
*Idea*Dont need that last phrase 'which he...do.' It isnt needed.

*Reading*Susie knew it was his opinion that Evan most wanted. And he wasn’t saying anything.
*Idea*In that second sentence, maybe use 'Mike' instead of 'he' if that is the person you're speaking of. I'm not sure if it's Evan that's not talking or Mike in that sentence.

*Reading*“What do you mean, what? Do we offer him a job if he wants it?”
*Idea*Who says this? I think it's Evan but if it is, the second sentence throws me. Maybe it's Mike that says it... *shrug*

*Reading*And she didn’t want Mike chasing him off, for Evan’s sake as well as for Raucous.
*Idea*Is 'Raucous' the name of the band? I dont know if I saw it mentioned before here.

*Reading*Her friend propped his bass against its stand and came over to join her. She used the excuse to pull her eyes away from his buddy, who had continued staring silently.
*Idea*I need some names here to keep up. I thought she was friends with everyone in that room. Do you mean Evan is her friend? and his buddy is Duncan?

*Reading*She spoke softly, so the man whose eyes she could still feel wouldn’t overhear.
*Idea*I love, and I mean LOVE the way this sounds, but I think you may run into a few people who will call you on it. I mean, the fact that you cant 'overhear' someone with your eyes unless you're a lipreader.

*Flower3*Great story, lots of tension. I cant wait to read more.

~Jen


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Review of Dawning  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: E | (4.0)
*Smile*nice piece. I like the last two lines the best. Something about the idea of not being sure of your own heart... the 'Truth's unkind embrace' is a nice touch too. I quite enjoyed that.

I'm not sure about the format though. When I began to read I thought 'ok, so this piece is going to be in lowercase' but there are uppercase words in the poem. Normally, when I see lowercase poems, they are devoid of punctuation as well, but this piece has lots of punctuation. Perhaps you should consider re-thinking the use of punctuation, especially at the end of the lines. I find that there is a natural break in the pacing at the end of a line so unless you are using a period or a question mark, maybe consider removing all end punctuation and see how it feels to you.

Anyway, I very much enjoyed reading this. Thanks for putting it up.

Happy writing,
Jen
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Review by JustTurtle
Rated: ASR | (5.0)
funny poll

it's possible to tell a great deal about someone by the way they vote. See, I voted for the chocolate tree. I guess that says that I'm more interested in food than in freedom - but not exactly. Absolute freedom would get me into trouble, I dont have anywhere to put a flying elephant (and how could I feed him), I need work and school to keep me sane, and I think if a ring laughed I'd have a heart attack.
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Review of chapter two  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Another nice chapter. I think I liked this part better than the last one.



*Reading*A funny place for his friend to land.
*Idea*I'm sure it's just me, but this sentence threw me. I was still in Duncan's point of view. I think that if you just use his name in here to further orient me into the scene...

*Reading*“Thanks, but I’ll think we’ll get back. Another time though.”
*Idea*This seems awkward. Maybe try: ..., but I think we need to get back. Another... I dont know if that is what is meant here...

*Reading*“Not yet, but keep trying.”

He looked back. Was that a spark of amusement in his buddy’s eyes? Taking the guitar without asking, he tried to keep it a joke. “Come on in, if you dare.” There was no mistaking the slight grin. For just a moment, he looked almost like himself.

*Idea*I think Evan states the first line? If that is right, then consider combining the paragraphs. Another thing... the last sentence - I think I understand who is being refered to as 'he' but need it stated for clarity.

*Reading*His friend glanced over at Mike, who had resumed the condescending stare, then back to Evan. “If you want, bu’ no’ if I am in the way.”

*Idea*This is another section that was confusing. There's alot of info here. The first two times I read it I thought Mike had said the line. Maybe consider adding a dialoge tag. There are several spots of dialoge after this one that I have to read through a few times to find out who spoke it. I've found that it's wise not to discard a tag unless it's obvious who is speaking.

*Reading*Stuart badgered him with questions on the way down to the basement. Where had he learned to play? Taught himself. How long had he been playing? A while. Who was his biggest influence? Clapton. Did he play anything except guitar? Didn’t have any interest. Did he read music?
*Idea*I like this... I like this a lot.

This chapter was great. It was really interesting, Despite the confusion about who was speaking, I really liked this section. I dont know much about Evan. I thought I'd learn more about him since it was from his point of view I was reading, but I learned more about Duncan in this section than I did in the last one. This Duncan character is extremely magnetic/interesting.

Cant wait for chapter three
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Review of chapter one  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Nice chapter. I'm definitely going to keep reading.

The character development is pretty good, though I had a hard time sticking with it long enough to get to a hint of conflict. I'm sure it's just cause I missed the intro section. I need to go back and read it.

Here are a few lines that kinda bounced me out of the story:


*Reading*Here, they were looking down at him, or not even bothering with a glance.
*Idea*Maybe consider mentioning the name of the place again to keep your reader oriented. I wondered where 'here' was and went back up to the top of the story to find out cause I'm not familiar with Lakewood.

*Reading*And what was she trying to hide behind the dark pink rouge, caked-on blue eye shadow and bright red lipstick?
*Idea*Um... I like the idea of this description but I think it is cliche. Perhaps consider giving her a little more personality with green eye shadow and pink lipstick? Donno, just a suggestion.

*Star*Anyway, I enjoyed this.

Happy writing
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Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Good intro.

Story beginnings are so terribly hard. The beginnings I write, more often than not, seem dull and by about page four or so, the story finally gets going. Not so with this one. It's jam-packed with great stuff. Good characterization, good action and dialoge... what kind of accent does this guy have? Where's he from really?

Anyway, I only found one thing, edit wise:

*Reading*Ignoring a snigger from the bartender, he again...
*Idea*What's a 'snigger'? Do you mean 'snicker' as in a laugh?
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Review of The Military Mom  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: E | (4.5)
This is a nice piece. It's got an... how can I say it? It's told with strict control, as if the speaker's emotions are being held back with stiff arms. I love it. The style adds to the military idea and my overall enjoyment of this particular piece.

Ok, on with the critique:


*Reading*His skin was white then, [we are Irish] not freckled but pale like cream...
*Idea*Maybe consider removing the 'we are Irish' part. Include the idea in the description somehow. Try something like: ...skin was Irish white then... or pale like Irish cream...

*Reading*It was surprised that my heart could hold them with its ragged edges.
*Idea*

*Reading*I learned to cope in my usual way. Writing is therapy. When life is too hard, I turn on the computer, and time passes in the fog of another world.
*Idea*This is my favorite paragraph. I think it's the 'fog of another world' part that gets to me.

*Star*Again, let me express how much I enjoyed this piece.
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Review of The Writer  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: E | (4.0)
Ok. *Bigsmile* I'd like to begin by saying that I loved the poem. It shows creativity - which is often hard to come by. I liked the subject matter as well. There are a great many things in here working for you.

Alright, on with the critique *Smile*

*Right*Firstly, I'd like to suggest that you consider breaking this into four line stanzas, if for no other reason than to see how it looks to you. Personally, I like to have just one large strophe like this (cause it's less work), but often times the poem works better/reads better when broken into sections. I do like your line breaks. They seem relatively effortless.


*Right*In the recesses of Daylight the shadows trick,
*Idea*Is there a reason daylight is capitalized? Does it represent a diety? Intersting to think about if it is, but if it isnt, consider using lowercase. Same goes for 'Ghosties and Goblins'. The capitalization draws unnessary attention, especially for those two words. I mean, they draw attention just for their connotations.

*Right*With one mighty stroke of the pen.
*Idea*This is nice. I love the idea, but you could make it 'pop' by fitting it into a meter/rhyme or just chosing another way to word it or maybe consider adding - and take flight. I think perhaps the whole piece would blow me away if it had a solid rhyme scheme. Maybe an ABAB CDCD type of thing would blow my house down.

*Idea*This is what I would do to the first part:


In the recesses of daylight the shadows trick by
Fireflies
dancing against a vine laden wall.
The
Ghosts and Goblins round the fire do fly
And I
breathed life into them all.

*Star*Anyway, maybe consider patterning the rest of the piece into the rhyme scheme.

*Right*I shape them to do, what my will deems them to,
*Idea*I like this idea, and I even like the way it sounds, but I looked up 'deem' in the dictionary and I dont think you mean 'to judge or consider.' I think what you mean is that the writer can order his/her creations to do whatever he/she wants on a whim.

*Right*I toy with the words that builds them a world,
*Idea*Do you mean: ... the words that build them...?

*Right*Yet give them no voice to complain.
*Idea*Whohooo! *Laugh*This here is my favorite line. I liked the simplicity of the word choices over the complicated idea expressed. Great job.


*Star*Anyway, I dont want to rewrite your poem for you. I hope you can go on the things I mentioned. I love what you have started here. There are a great many nice lines and wonderful ideas in this. I do think it needs a bit more work, but 'writing is rewriting' as they always say. It's that horrible writer's curse. Once you've edited, that is if you plan to*Blush* let me know and I will come back and either re-rate or review again. I'd like to see this piece again.

*Bigsmile*Good work and happy writing.

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Review of 15 Minutes  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: E | (3.5)
... I seem to remember this one from the class. Firstly let me comment on the physics of the scene. I think perhaps you should consider speaking to a vehicluar homicide cop. I know one if you wanna talk to one, but I think you should do some math and find out more of the physics of the wreck. Also, you should find out what would happen to her and her friend if they were hit at 60mph. I have a hard time believing each would be alive afterwards.

Another thing I want to mention is that... I have a hard time identifying whith either of these characters. I dont care if either come out alright. Maybe if you could do some character development nearer to the beginning of the story then near the end put in the wreck. Maybe have them both go to the mall or something. One can have her purse stolen as the entanglement at the beginning and then on the way home this happens. I donno, just suggestions, but I do think the characters need some more development.



Fresh out of college, Cindy bought the car with no help from her parents.
Consider: Fresh out of college, Cindy financed the car without a word from her father.

She succeeded in playing the same game as the car dealers. Just to make the sale, the salesman knocked $3,000.00 off the sticker price.
Um... I like these details, but try to give the sentences some kick. Try: She played the car dealer game well and the salesman knocked off three thousand dollars after only two hours of discussion. I think that three thousand is not alot to have talked him out of. If it were eight thousand... I'd take notice of her seeming prowess and call her the next time I want to get a car at the dealer.

They were out driving nowhere in particular when a 1999 Dodge Ram extended cab came speeding from a side street on Airline Highway. ...Cindy’s car to hit four other vehicles.

This paragraph... seems like narration, like it is in a tv announcer voice. Maybe consider picking a point of view and tell what they see. I have a hard time believing that either girl could know some of the details that were mentioned in this paragraph. It will be more powerful if you pick a point of view and go with it. What would it feel like to the passenger? You could switch points of view from Cindy to Marilyn in this moment... I donno - just a suggestion.

“I can’t move my right arm and left foot. How about you?”
This is Marilyn's response to the 'are you alright' line Cindy says. Um... I think perhaps it's obvious that you are trying to inform the reader through dialoge what could be better told through action. I mean, when you were in your wreck - could you cognate anything for a while? I had a hard time answering questions when I first got out of my car after my last accident. And not only that, right after my first accident... I think I sat there kinda dazed for about ten minutes trying to get my brain to work with my mouth. So, what I'm trying to say is that this line seems unrealistic for someone who's just been in a tramatic situation.

Cindy put a hand to her head and felt the warm blood trickling down her cheek. Her seatbelt kept her in place, but her airbag didn’t deploy. At a height of only five feet, she sat close to the wheel. She saw the indentation of her forehead in the steering wheel.
Ok... this first sentence is what I mean. Showing how she feels instead of saying it. That whole - dont-tell-me-show-me thing we all strive to do. Anyhoo... that last sentence... the one about the indentation of her forehead in the steering wheel is not possible. It's kinda like hitting the dashboard - the material it's made of will not hold a dent - though I liked the inclusion of detail in that moment. Maybe consider having her look at herself in the rearview to check her head. I think she will likely have a concussion after such an accident...

They resembled a child’s toys tossed aside and landing in every direction.
Nice detail... but do you mean 'they resembled a child's toy' and not toys?

As he laid on the pavement, Marilyn could see blood coming from his face and arms.
Try: As he lay on the pavement...

Marilyn looked at the truck that caused the chaos. The front end of his truck was pushed in, causing part of the engine to rest beside him on the front seat.

A sparkling substance on the floorboard and on both their legs caught Marilyn’s eye. She looked toward the sunroof and found only broken glass around the frame.

The windshield had three areas of shattered glass that resembled a spider’s web, ready to capture its prey. She felt like its prey, trapped and not able to get free.

These are great paragraphs.

I wont pull out any more... if you want me to come back after you've edited I will re-rate and review.

I think you should kill one of the girls off in this wreck. Then the story could go on for quite some time. If Marilyn is killed and Cindy lives... there's alot you can do with that.




Title suggestions for current story:
                    Cindy's Car
                    Bumper Cars
                    Monster Truck
                    Car For Sale
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Review by JustTurtle
Rated: E | (3.5)
you have good stuff in here, several things working for you - the narrative is interesting enough to warrant a serious read through. I mean, it was interesting enough for me to read the whole thing. That alone makes it an above average piece in my estimation.

Naturally I have a suggestions I feel would help make this piece even better.

Firstly, consider repunctuating it. There is a comma at the end of almost every line. I've found that there is a natural break in pace at the end of a line and so the comma punctuation isnt needed there.

Um... consider using simple past to help the narrative feel more immediate. For example, instead of saying
A prince on his horse by the shore, write it as A prince rode his horse by the shore.

Also, the blank line between each line of text isnt really needed. This would work well as one stanza.

Another thing - maybe think about exploiting the pattern you have established with the first word of each line. Notice that the first three lines begin with 'A' and then a few lines down there are three 'He' lines. If you make it obvious that you meant for the repetition, it wouldnt bother me. If you dont make it obvious, perhaps if you give the prince a name or call him something other than 'he'. The 'A' lines can easily be switched up - be creative.

I'm not sure what is happening at the end of the poem. Is she dead or has she swooned? If she's swooned, then why's there blood flowing from her heart?

Anyway, here is a line by line:


A prince on his horse by the shore
A prince rode his horse by the shore

A look over his shoulder and his heart soar
With a look over his shoulder, his heart soared

A beautiful lady lay in distress
This is a great line. Maybe put a period at the end.

So similar, but not, to his dreamed of princess
Her visage so similar to that of his dream princess

He rode to this lady right away
I like this line.

It was then that he saw her deadly lay
This line is confusing... you may not need it if you keep the next one.

He saw blood gushing from her heart
This line is a bit overdramatic, but it's good.

He then saw the dagger that tore it apart
And the dagger beside her pale hand.

He prayed for the lady and kissed her on the cheek
Praying for her, he kissed her on the cheek.

Then awoke the lover he seeked
This is where it kind of falls apart for me. If she's dead, bleeding from her heart, how's it possible he could wake her?

The harsh dagger turned into a crown
She used the dagger to poke him in the head?

It was then that he realized it was true love that he found.
Um... so, he's a masochist?

*Smile*Anyway... I think this piece has great promise, but needs work. Once you work on it a little, let me know and I will take the time to read it again and perhaps even rerate it.

Happy writing.*Smile*
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Review of The Chinese Box  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
*laugh* ok ok. Be gone genie of the lamp, hello dragon of the box. I loved this. It was so funny. I couldnt keep from laughing out loud, especially when the Japanese couple ran by saying it was Godzilla. *shakes head* this was so good.

At the end, the character asks herself what tomorrow will bring. I think it will probably bring the police to her if she spends the 'stolen' gold *laugh*
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Review of Lost in Life  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: E | (4.0)
I really enjoyed reading your piece. It was great


"...had quickly become on everyone’s A-list." The use of the word 'become' is awkward in this sentence. It may work better if it is stated: 'had quickly topped everyone's A-list.'

"Having only taken but a brief nap earlier that morning after..." May flow better if 'but' is removed.

"...neck with an intensity that he had not felt since he was still in college some ten years earlier." Sounds a little strange. It would flow better if it read 'neck with an intensity he had not felt in ten years.' The part about college is good, but unless you have a specific reference, like if he'd played football and the sun felt like that on the field at practice or whatever... Donno, just suggestions.

"James closed his eyes and took a deep breath that seemed to rejuvenate a spirit that had long since been crushed." This is an interesting sentence. It could be better if the second 'that' was removed and the first 'that' was replaced with 'which.' I do suggest you consider editing out all but the necessary 'that's. Even I have a problem with duplicating those in my stories.

"The holes in the screen were large enough to allow giant dragonflies to pass freely in to and out of the house and the frame of the door was bent out of shape and rested a good six inches off of the ground." I like this sentence, but there seems to be too much going on. Maybe if it read like this; 'The holes in the screen were large enough to allow (giant) dragonflies to pass freely (in to) and out of the house. The frame of the door was bent out of shape and rested a good six inches off the ground." The word 'giant' seems strange in reference to a dragonfly. I like it, but I think another word may be better suited. Something like over-sized or something like that. And, should 'in to' be into?

In paragraph 5 you used the word 'shack' several times close together. Consider rewording. You could use 'building' or just change the sentence to be speaking about one specific room. Also, the last sentence is great. I think that paragraph should lead with that sentence about the smells.

"Unable to move or to divert his glare from the scene that he found his gaze fixed upon, James watched the sun set over the Florida Bay for the next forty-five minutes until the last ray of reddish-orange light was no longer visible." Beautiful sentence. It would flow better if 'from the scene that he found his gaze fixed upon' were removed. I also believe that the amount of time he spent at the window is not necessary.

"Partly from the pain caused by staring directly at the sun for such a long period of time and partly because of the overwhelming feeling of pure joy that he now experienced for the first time in years." This is an interesting concept. I like it. I think he may have some serious vision problems if he was staring directly at the sun for 45 minutes. You may need to research and find out. The sentence could flow better. Maybe if it was like this 'Partly from the pain caused by staring directly at the sun for such a long period of time and partly because for the first time in years he felt an overwhelming sense of joy.' I just love the paragraph this sentence comes from. It's very nice.

"...call from his office requesting his presence at work immediately." I've heard it said that adverbs are the cockroaches of literature. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I do know that the overuse of them makes a story hard to read. I dont think this story has an overabundance but this particular adverb could easily be avoided if the sentence was worded as such '... call from his office requesting his immediate presence at work.'

"The endless steam of yellow taxi cabs. The bright lights. The black suits and the evening gowns. The subway stops. The colossal buildings. The people. Himself." I love these. They are great.

"...ominous city that an overwhelmingly destructive sensation struck him in the face with an unspeakable force." This is an interesting concept, but it is overdramatized with the last phrase 'unspeakable force.' Perhaps consider removing everything after 'struck him.'

Is that a description of a panic attack? What kind of physical/mental ailmentt would make one's muscles tense and make them fall onto the floor, aware of their surroundings but unable to react? I'm also not sure about the taxes on the land. Are Florida landowner taxes really that low. Is this a story running in our current time?

great part about him leaving too early to get the stuff from the bank *grin*

nice ending

Ok, some general comments. I enjoyed this. I liked a great deal of your descriptions. The similarities between the viewing of the sun in NY as opposed to the viewing of it in FL is nice cause of the stark difference in emotions the character is feeling. I have a hard time beliving that he didnt go ahead and be responsible and resign and maybe empty his bank account there in NY. If I were going, even on a whim, I would've at least done that even if I hadnt taken a suit case.
But anyway, again - I enjoyed this. I look forward to reading more from your portfolio. Great job and happy writing.

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Review of Ariel Part 1  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: E | (3.0)
interesting plot line. Once this gets edited a little I'll be happy to raise my rating - just let me know.

There were several gramatical things I noticed in just the first few lines.
>>Carter looked at the twp teams facing off. “There going to cream your guys he told Jillian.
I think it's supposed to read: Carter looked at the two teams facing off. "The're going to cream your guys," he told Jillian.

There are several gramatical things like this throughout that threw me out of the scene... distracted me, I mean, from the story itself and I found myself sitting in my uncomfortable chair in front of the computer instead of surrounded by the created scenery of the story. If you'd like me to point them out, I'd be happy to help but I dont have time tonight *grin* too many other new friends to review. Another thing I noticed was that there was little to no detail about the scenery or the physical description of the characters other than a little about Ariel from the perspective of her subordinant. I think it would round out the story better if small scenic details were included. What kind of office does she have. Is it neat? Devoid of personal effects? What does this guy look like? What does she think he looks like? What's the base look like... I'm assuming they're on a base, that is. What's this "game" they are playing at the beginning? I'm not familiar with military things. It may be save to assume that most people will not know what is being talked about. Anyhoo... Overall I thought the story was interesting and I'd like to read more about the characters you've created. So... when you do edit this, please let me know.
One question though... what does "snit" mean? I looked it up in my little pocket dictionary but couldnt find it...
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Review of Deep Wounds  
Review by JustTurtle
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Very good story. Very well told. Good detail, good dialoge, etc.

There was some confusion when Ryan hit the dad... It sounds good, but just isnt clear enough. For a while I thought Mike had bear-hugged the dad and not Ryan, let the dad and not Ryan into the other exam room. I think simply mentioning some names in there would make it crystal.

And I'm not sure if there is a typo in this or not:
"Okay Ryan. Calm down. Take a deep breath and calm down. You won't be much good to Claire if these knuckle keep ripping open."
These knuckle-s-? But this sentence seems a little out of place. I mean, sure it's bad that his hand is messed up, but I'm not sure what it has to do with his ability to help Claire.

Anyhoo, I so enjoyed this story. I hope to explore more of your writings soon.
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