peer letters

Writer’s Name, This is an interesting story. I love the world you’ve created with the trapeze artists, and I could clearly see the characters’ choreography, especially during the circus scene.

I’m curious about Marty’s and Steve’s motivation in the piece, and why Vicky would assume they would sabotage her. From what you’ve presented, Vicky’s only offense is she’s promiscuous and wants the men to do all the heavy lifting. The tension here reads a bit underdeveloped and somewhat catty. I wonder what would happen if you revisited the story and raised the stakes a bit more? It might be beneficial to explain why Marty wants to teach Vicky a lesson—especially since he seems to be the only one who is driven by this action. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive reason for his betrayal, which is fine, but since so much of the story is focused on this conflict, I think you could explain it a bit more.

Also, I would like to know more about Steve’s motivations during the house scene. What motivates his actions? Why does he withstand Vicky’s abuse and participate in the show? Is it simply so he can gather the money to purchase something of his own? There are a lot of interesting elements to Steve’s character that I think could be explored. It might mean expanding the piece, but I think that’s necessary to avoid any unanswered questions. There are a lot of moments when I asked why specific events happened, and I think you would have more time to connect the dots in a longer piece.

The story is well-written, and your use of language and details are strong, but I don’t know if I have a real sense of who the characters are in the story. I have a vague sense of who Vicky is, but, for the most part, her character feels somewhat cliché (the slutty trapeze artist who all the boys love to hate feels a bit familiar). It might help to develop the characters a bit more so that the reader gains a better sense of who they are and what they want in the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I loved the setting and the pacing of the plot, and I hope to read more in the future. Sincerely,

Reader’s Name