strident
05-11-2009, 11:04 PM
Need an experienced writer, published or not, to crit the first draft of my novel set in Depression Era Waco, Texas. I'll take feedback however you like to give it.
I'm trying to portray sensational events in a straigtforward but still engaging way. In my story, there are themes which could easily segue into soap. There's a white prostitute killed by a rich white guy. A dim-witted black kid confesses to burying the dead woman but blames the murder on another black youth - also innocent. There's a black Sunday school teacher who turns agitprop vandal. There are issues of race and class, power and privilege, and people doing whatever society will let them get away with.
Overall, I want feedback about how it reads. Specifics about character development, dialogue, plot, and style are welcome. It's at 98,000 words now but I expect that word count to drop while I slash through the chapter revisions.
Please see first two chapters under Literary SYW, THE BRAZOS SUITE. The newest revision should give you a taste of what I'm reaching for.
I'm trying to portray sensational events in a straigtforward but still engaging way. In my story, there are themes which could easily segue into soap. There's a white prostitute killed by a rich white guy. A dim-witted black kid confesses to burying the dead woman but blames the murder on another black youth - also innocent. There's a black Sunday school teacher who turns agitprop vandal. There are issues of race and class, power and privilege, and people doing whatever society will let them get away with.
Overall, I want feedback about how it reads. Specifics about character development, dialogue, plot, and style are welcome. It's at 98,000 words now but I expect that word count to drop while I slash through the chapter revisions.
Please see first two chapters under Literary SYW, THE BRAZOS SUITE. The newest revision should give you a taste of what I'm reaching for.