VIC'S VIEWPOINTS (Private)

Victim #5 - The Malik's Chubby Queen

Victor Grant lay on his bed, bare feet crossed at the ankles as his foot tapped to the sounds of the video game music. He held the Android phone on his chest; the Wattpad app opened to his viewpoint shop. When he saw a name under the rules page, he gave a brief shout of joy.

"Oi, I can't believe it," he said, his accented voice alluding to the English countryside. "I got another victim! Well, I bloody well better get on this one." He glanced over at his younger brother and sister, also known as the Dueling Duo, as they sat playing a video game together. It shocked him to see the two not arguing, but he did want to warn them in case his talking annoyed them. "Jason, Rosetta, I'm going to do a viewpoint for a book, The Malik's Chubby Queen, by vikasiniv711. Do you two want to stay, or do I go to another room?"

Rosetta hopped off the floor and skipped over to Victor. "Ooo, stay. And can you read to me, Vic?"

"Poppet, you're old enough to read to yourself."

The little girl looked at him with eyes wide with excitement. "Please? I like the title."

Victor sat up and made room for his sister. "Okay. What about you, mate?" He gazed at his younger brother.

Jason turned off the video and laid back on a pile of dirty laundry. "I'll listen. I hope somebody gets their head chopped off."

With a grin, Victor began to read aloud. After he finished three chapters, he took his recorder off the nightstand and turned it on. "Welcome to Victor's Viewpoints. Today we'll be giving views on the wonderful, The Malik's Chubby Queen, by the talented @vikasiniv711. As usual, I'll be hitting what I consider the seven key story points and a few helpful hints." He grinned again. "Speaking of helpful hints, Jaz, Noah, stay out of trouble, mates."

"When it comes to ORIGINALITY, the last thing an author should want is for their story to fit in the genre of overused and lacking original thoughts. The Malik's Chubby Queen does not fall into the category. The story is set in the fictitious Vazhavan Empire in the south of India, and I'd have to say, it has quite an interesting concept. A marriage of convenience to shore up an empire is not exactly a unique idea. Still, the clever author spices the story up with very engaging characters that draw a reader in."

"The SETTING is the time period, geographical location, be it in real-time, or a fictional world. It includes things like the climate, the landscape, weather, etc. Think of it as the backdrop of the action or a place and time for the story. Our author drops hints of a palace, a throne room, the yard of the palace, to name a few. These places are mentioned in passing, but it would be so nice if the author described the settings as it would be a wonderful draw to transport us more fully into the tale."

"I'd love to 'see' from the author's perspective, the palace hall, or Varshika's chambers (as they made the poor girl stay there until her marriage) or the fields where she trained. I'd like to 'hear' the sounds of a town that has gone down in stature celebrate or 'smell' the garlands and flower petals. Using all the sense in describing the setting would be fabulous!"

"This story is so rich in ambiance and history. The sheer beauty of the land and what you could describe would make an exciting story an even bigger draw. "

"CHARACTERIZATION relates to how well-drawn the characters are in the story. Good characters should show the reader they grew up in the world, and the setting is familiar. They should have complex reasons, conflicting attitudes about morals, ethics, politics, and so on. They should have friends, enemies, secrets, hopes, and fears. Good characters have history. The characters in this story hit a majority of the points."

"Let's look at a few. Kanikeethan fears for his crumbling empire. He feels shame and remorse for what it has become. The people are dying. And poor Varshika, the poor dear, had a bloody screaming fit when she discovers she's getting married. She's tough but seemingly oh-so insecure. And Omar, stoic to the end, has such a sad history for one so young. He's the younger brother and destined for the throne, a great accomplishment."