General Fiction
Plot/Idea: Booked to Death offers a clever and self-aware central concept that pivots on the notion of going to extreme measures to secure a book deal.
Prose: While the writing is clear, it suffers from a clunky quality, with a reliance on exposition and familiar expressions. Dialogue is often on-the-nose, doing little to uplift the interactions between characters.
Originality: The story's originality is its primary strength. Fellow authors will welcome the focus on writerly frustrations--especially when it comes to navigating the publishing world.
Character Development/Execution: Characters come across as somewhat artificial. Readers will want to feel for them, but the writing doesn't allow for them to fully come alive on the page.
Disqualified due to word count under 30,000.
