Editor Profile: Gavin Williams
I've been interested in books since I was old enough to walk to a shelf and pull them down and try to figure them out. And then I actually learned to read, and things really started rolling. I could try to impress you with credentials, like the fact that I have a degree in English Literature, and test scores, but really, the thing you need to know is that I love the power of imagination.
Books are unique in the artistic field in that the writer and reader must have a meeting of the minds for a story to truly have an impact. You can see a painter's work, experience a director's vision of a film. But your own imagination has to interact with the writer's words to create the story world. And what amazing worlds there are, on the printed page!
However, traditional books lack something the online world has: interactivity between writer and audience, and frequent updates. Online serials are exciting and experimental. I believe in their value as an emergent art-form. I get excited about well-written stories, with interesting plots, realistic characters, and creative details. I'll find them.
And then you can come along for the ride. You'll be glad you did.
Explanation of how I rate:
5 stars go to stories I try to read daily, with creative concepts, excellent characterization, and interesting plots. Usually they feature really accessible writers who interact with their audience. These are my personal favourites.
4 stars go to stories with great concepts and imaginative worlds, but with minor flaws in some aspect of the writing that keep them from being my personal favourites. Such minor problems are outlined in reviews, alongside the positives.
3 stars go to good solid stories that just don't capture my attention on a regular basis. Maybe the plot is too slow, or fragmented. Maybe the characters are derivative or static. Maybe it's a great concept that just hasn't been pushed to its full potential. But it's still a fun story.
2 star and 1 star ratings: I give this rating when I think an author would benefit from an audience willing to comment on stories to improve them. Works in progress.
Gavin Writes:
Gavin Recommends:
Most Recent Review
Lost Days: A lot to be gained by reading "Lost Days"
"Lost Days" has a lot of potential. It features multiple characters, from vampires to magicians, in a modern setting. While the entire text needs a good job of editing (parades have routs instead of their usual routes, and the only Santa Clause I know is a movie) the narrative voice itself is very strong and engaging.
I resist any story about vampires on principle, but certain characters make it worthwhile. Dori, a girl transformed at the age of ten ages ago, has a particularly interesting skewed perspective, and is so far my favourite thing about the story. She collects junk from dumpsters and wears old watches up and down her arms: the first was from a fellow vampire to warn her of daybreak, and the rest because she likes collecting things. As a result, it’s hard for her to keep track of the time. She’s a charming creation, and a sign of the author’s potential for originality.
My only complaints so far are about the text’s need for editing, and the author’s tendency to jump narratives in the middle of a chapter: she’ll go from Dori’s explorations right to a girl named Eve’s night at a club, without any transition or marker to denote the change. Making scene changes like this more obvious by ending a chapter or using *** or a ruled line would help differentiate the text. Technical details like these are a minor problem, however, when the story itself is engaging and well-paced.
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