VIC'S VIEWPOINTS (Private)

Victim #7 - What the Eyes Can See

Victor sat in the office of the ballroom studio; his dance shoes propped on the desk as he gazed at the laptop perched on his lap. His last client of the day had canceled, and Rosetta's lesson had another forty minutes. No use driving home if he had to wait for his sister. The teen logged into his Wattpad account, surprised and thrilled at the red dot over his screen name.

"I haven't had a victim in days. Let's see..." he muttered. The notifications showed a request, and Victor smiled. "Jolly good! Something to do while I wait for the poppet. What the Eyes Can See, the title sounds absolutely smashing." He settled down and began to read.

The door opened, and Adam Sinclair, the irascible and sharp-witted instructor, eyed the lounging youth. "Having a seat, I see. Watching everyone else work must be so exhausting for you, dear." He slapped a manicured hand to his chest. "Good thing I don't think of you as a coworker. You never do any work."

Victor laughed as he took his feet off the desk, taking no offense to the older teacher's waspish comments. He placed the laptop on the desk. "I had five clients today, and the last canceled. Just waiting for my sister, mate."

Adam ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair as he sauntered over and looked at the screen. His eyes widened. "Ooo, papa likey! Wattpad! You're reading smut!" He pulled a chair closer to the teen. "Let's read together!"

"I'm doing book viewpoints, Adam. My mates, Jasper and Noah and I started a service, giving writers our thoughts on their books."

"Oh, darn. Well, I'll read with you anyway," said Adam, crossing his legs, then paused a moment to admire his dance shoes. "I'm older and wiser, so perhaps my intellect will rub off on you." He read the first several lines of the book and brightened. "Was hoping for smut, but this looks even tastier."

Victor only laughed, and the two instructors began reading.

*****

Half an hour later, Victor pulled out his digital recorder. "Welcome to Vic's Viewpoints with my special guest today, Adam Sinclair, one of the most amazing ballroom and Latin dance teachers ever."

Adam snapped his fingers. "Recognizing perfection... moi."

"Today, we have a treat. We'll be giving our views on seven key elements of a story and afterward a few hopefully helpful hints on the book, What the Eyes Can See, by the talented @heyennbee. All righty, let's get chummy and give it a go."

"ORIGINALITY is, how original is the story? Would the story be considered cliché or have a few new ideas in the mix? Now, stories of seers, a person who sees what the future holds through supernatural insight, has been done many times, from books like Harry Potter to movies like Star Wars and the Twilight Zone. But each iteration needs a new and fresh twist. Our clever author completed that task by creating Isla, one who sees what's in store for others, but the outcome leans heavily on the negative. Our MC, Isla, isn't some shrinking violet who hides from her reality but forces isolation upon herself. Although her character seems hard, Isla is a survivor. Her plight is new, fresh, and deliciously eerie. I say well played, author."

"Next is the SETTING, where we ask, how well developed are the places in the story and how well do they impact aspects of the story? Do we see the setting as a powerful draw and feel transported into the tale? The author did involve the senses in describing some of the settings. Yes, we sat at an outside café and a parking lot, and we traveled to Isla's home, lounging on the sofa, we've dallied in a hallway watching mayhem... but at the outdoor café, we don't feel the sun shining or swoon over the tantalizing aroma of the coffee. We don't hear the traffic or the noise of the movers, but we do taste the burn of alcohol, hear the footsteps and feel the bulge of... uh, dreadfully sorry, let's just say it's rather romantic and Bob's your uncle!"