Fic Talk > I Challenge You....
Let the 2013 Summer Reading Challenge begin!
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: usako on July 01, 2013, 02:33:17 PM ---An advice: just stay away from google translator. :D :D
--- End quote ---
Oh I know, they're bad!! That's why I said "get the gist of it" because I know the translation will be terribly awkward! LOL
Alexsgirl_ritz:
--- Quote from: mare on July 01, 2013, 07:50:38 AM ---^ Thanks, Ritz! I think one of the reasons I chose all older stories for this challenge was to see how much I have grown from when I started to write all those years ago! I'm glad you're enjoying it! :)
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You become so much better. I think you have mastered this craft. :)
mare:
--- Quote from: Alexsgirl_ritz on July 02, 2013, 04:22:58 AM ---You become so much better. I think you have mastered this craft. :)
--- End quote ---
Wow, that's a huge compliment. I am VERY far away from mastering the craft, but it's nice to know I'm going in the right direction! Thanks, Ritz!
usako:
Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)
Name of story: Secrets Of The Heart
1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?
I guess it was leaving review. It's the main reason why I decided to do the challenge. Being a foreign reader, it's hard and difficult to put in words everything you want to say to the author while making it understable.
2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
Definetely the former. Especially the last chapters, I couldn't stop reading.
3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
Favorite scene, hands down, is when Brian hears his new heart beating for the first time. I don't have a favorite chapter, I loved every one.
4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
At the end, Brian. Though I cried in the end, I think Julie did an amazing job showing the path that led him to his final decision. And you can not love him because he did it only to protect is son. Even from himself.
5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
Mh... I don't have one really. I guess I'll go with Becci only for the reason that she never really believed Brian during his journey towards his last decision. I get why, she was only concerned about his husband. Still, a little support wouldnt be a bad thing. lol
6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Given how it end, I don't think there is the chance of a sequel.
7) Were you happy with the ending?
Yes, I was. Julie said in the notes of the chapter that the ending was a downer but, as I said to her, I don't agree. It was the perfect ending for that type of story. Sad, very sad, but extremely realistic.
8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
Aj as the killer. That I didn't really see it coming. And the end and how Brian died. I'm still shocked. lol
9) What was this stories biggest strength?
The unique and original storyline and how Julie has structured it.
10) What was it's biggest weakness?
I didn't find it.
11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
I've already read some of her works and I definetely keep reading her stories.
12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
As I said in one of my review, reading this story was like watching a movie or an episode of "Criminal Minds". It was packed with suspence and drama, the kind that makes you stay glued to the tv because you want to see how it ends and if your theory was right.
13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
It's my first challenge so... I love that, in the end, me and Julie ended up reading each other's stories.
14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Yes, she did.
15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?
Yes, one question: How did you come up with the idea and its structure? I loved how you've planned it, with the two storylines that end up at the same common point.
RokofAges75:
Thanks so much for your feedback, Cinzia! I enjoyed your reviews, and I had no problem understanding them. I'm sure it's a lot harder for you to say what you want to say in English than it would be in Italian, but I really appreciated the effort you put in to your feedback. Don't let that stop you from leaving reviews in the future; your English is great!
To answer your question... I got inspired to write in this "medical mystery" genre by a movie called Awake, about a guy who experiences "anesthetic awareness" while undergoing a heart transplant. That's where the heart transplant part came from, anyway. I've always been fascinated by the idea of organ transplantatio n, but I've written a couple of stories around that topic before, so I knew if I was going to do another one, I had to come up with a fresh take on it, and I also wanted it to have more of a suspense/mystery storyline than a typical medical drama.
At some point over the course of brainstorming, I thought, "What if, after receiving a new heart, Brian started experiencing visions or memories of his donor's life?" It sounded cool, but far-fetched, but I did some googling, and whaddya know... it's a real phenomenon known as "cellular memory!" Not scientifically proven, of course, but there are some pretty crazy stories out there that can't just be coincidence. Once I found that out, I knew that was what I wanted to write about.
After that, it was just a matter of coming up with a storyline that would suit that premise well. I figured the only point to Brian having visions of his donor's life would be if she had been murdered and he was using them to try to solve her murder and bring her killer to justice. So then I had to think about how and why she was killed, and I sort of worked backward from there, until I had a story full of twists and turns and motives that made sense.
I knew I wanted to write it in a way that revealed them all in a certain order, and it couldn't be chronological without ruining the mystery, so I got the idea to jump between the two storylines and make them seem parallel to each other, not revealing that they were actually happening at two different times, months apart from each other. I had to do some major outlining to figure out how to piece everything together in the right order; this is the only story I've ever outlined chapter by chapter, but it paid off in the end because everything came together! I've never written a story quite like this before, so it was a challenge for me! I'm so glad you enjoyed it - thanks again!! :)
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