The Curse of Memories, by V. Griffen (26:26)

IOD-CurseOfMemoriesAs a curious counterpoint to yesterday’s lesson, today we learn that a good story can be damaged by weak editing.

What I gleaned about the story: Some kind of paranormal thriller about a body guard for hire with the ability to sense residual memories of strong emotions in a place.

Find the book on Amazon.

WTF #1, 2, and 3: Continuous and sustained editing problems. Missing words. Missing spaces. Flopping tenses. Spelling mistakes. The story is actually pretty good, and the world seems well thought out and well rendered. But eventually, I found myself checking the clock for about the fifth time and I realized that you just don’t time check that often when you’re immersed.

Analysis: This one felt like it had a good story going, with interesting characters, and I suspect that it would have gone the distance, if not for those pesky slivers. They just kept catching at my attention as I tried to glide by. I can forgive the occasional gaffe. We all have them. But more than one per minute? This book would benefit greatly from a real editor. And while we’re on the subject, a real cover would do wonders, too.

Note: Some people may feel that I’m being overly harsh. Hey, a good story is all that matters, right? But I disagree. Keeping a reader immersed in your story is vital to the reading experience, and that means a smooth ride. A Batman pole is all kinds of fun, but not if it keeps giving you slivers.

The Improbable Rise of Singularity Girl, by Bryce Anderson (40:00)
The Secret of Stonehenge, by Yury Nikitin (6:24)

About the author

Jefferson Smith is a Canadian fantasy author, as well as the founder, chief editor and resident proctologist of ImmerseOrDie. With a PhD in Computer Science and Creativity Systems compounded by a life spent exploring most art forms for fun and profit, he is underqualified in just about everything. That's why he writes.