David Meredith's Blog - Posts Tagged "self-published"
5th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards' Results Are All In! Aaru is a Perfect 5/5!
Aaru scores a perfect 5/5 in the 5th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards for
ALL
sub-categories! Here's the score card...
Entry Title: Aaru
Author: David Meredith
Entry Category: Middle-Grade/Young Adult books
Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 5
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
Plot and Story Appeal: 5
Character Appeal and Development: 5
Voice and Writing Style: 5
Judge’s Commentary*:
Author has put great thought into the story’s structure, and while dipping us in disturbing situations and images, never leaves us there for too long. Pace instinct is terrific. Author has a talent for story structure. We open with engaging sensory details, providing a sense of place and tone. Some great phrasing here, such as describing the setting as ‘quiet and not’ in the hospital, and ‘the white was not the comforting sort, like gently billowing linens on the clothesline.’ Brilliant imagery here! Rose is in cancer treatment, and the description of it as an ‘ignominious defeat’ provides terrific depth. Descriptions elevate the book. When we find the amazing things that Rose can do in Aaru, we can feel a higher level of energy, and we can put ourselves in her shoes, a fine sense of engagement for the reader. I would have loved to get more dialogue in character interaction scenes, such as ‘Rose and Koren chatted a little.’ As this is the start of a relationship that will evolve, it would have served the story very well to get dialogue here, to sense the emotions in their connection, to get further into these characters. Where dialogue scenes are more fleshed-out, author excels at differentiating character voices for realism. Well done. Author has crafted fanciful creatures, and I was especially taken with the author’s description of wardrobe. Author has a terrific instinct for painting such details. Koren’s abduction and threat of rape is very disturbing, and again, author dips us in that fear but does not indulge in too much trauma. Excellent restraint here. An intriguing closing section strikes a creepy tone, leading into what we believe may be a sequel. A fine work and a unique concept with nice interplay of conflicts.
Entry Title: Aaru
Author: David Meredith
Entry Category: Middle-Grade/Young Adult books
Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 5
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
Plot and Story Appeal: 5
Character Appeal and Development: 5
Voice and Writing Style: 5
Judge’s Commentary*:
Author has put great thought into the story’s structure, and while dipping us in disturbing situations and images, never leaves us there for too long. Pace instinct is terrific. Author has a talent for story structure. We open with engaging sensory details, providing a sense of place and tone. Some great phrasing here, such as describing the setting as ‘quiet and not’ in the hospital, and ‘the white was not the comforting sort, like gently billowing linens on the clothesline.’ Brilliant imagery here! Rose is in cancer treatment, and the description of it as an ‘ignominious defeat’ provides terrific depth. Descriptions elevate the book. When we find the amazing things that Rose can do in Aaru, we can feel a higher level of energy, and we can put ourselves in her shoes, a fine sense of engagement for the reader. I would have loved to get more dialogue in character interaction scenes, such as ‘Rose and Koren chatted a little.’ As this is the start of a relationship that will evolve, it would have served the story very well to get dialogue here, to sense the emotions in their connection, to get further into these characters. Where dialogue scenes are more fleshed-out, author excels at differentiating character voices for realism. Well done. Author has crafted fanciful creatures, and I was especially taken with the author’s description of wardrobe. Author has a terrific instinct for painting such details. Koren’s abduction and threat of rape is very disturbing, and again, author dips us in that fear but does not indulge in too much trauma. Excellent restraint here. An intriguing closing section strikes a creepy tone, leading into what we believe may be a sequel. A fine work and a unique concept with nice interplay of conflicts.
