SEP1A I don't think there's anything wrong with what you're doing, but it's just harder to write in the present tense, and some readers don't like it. Do what you think is best for the story, since the tense is up to the author to decide.

As for the intimacy part, I don't really feel any different than if it had been written in the first person or in the past tense. I don't know if that's just a me thing.

Since I don't have much knowledge on the effects of tense, try looking up the pros and the cons to see what suits your story best.

    Finally, a thread like this!! I was wondering because I go and get a review swap from others and saw that some just copy and paste their review and give 4-5 stars on the book itself just to gain the count for the book (LOL) and it's kinda frustrating to see because I honestly try to read a few chapters into the book and see what can be done to improve it even if I'm not much of a reader.

    Anyways, I hope someone will be interested to pick this one up :D


    Title: Luna's Diaries

    Book 1: Secrets, Lies, and Deception

    Genre: Romance, Slice of Life
    Tags: Female Lead, Riches to Rags, High School Drama, Coming of Age
    Schedule: Every Sunday and Wednesday 18:00 (GMT +8:00)

    Link: https://www.webnovel.com/book/luna's-diaries_18722276206893505

    Synopsis:
    Luna Harper, a senior high school student of Greenfield University, is also known to be the reigning Queen since freshman year. She's known to be the Queen of Bad Behavior but the Sweet and Proper Daughter of the Harper Industries. She truly has it all - the fame, the status, and beauty.

    She went missing for a year and returned to the University with a secret and is as if everything is still perfect. Her life isn't the same as before anymore because of one mistake that ruined her life. She has become a fragile girl that is walking with a ticking bomb.

    Her everything suddenly became nothing until she meets Nathaniel Cooper.

    alernatetext

      Hey! I am comparatively new author and would be glad to get somd pointers and advice from fellow authors. Would appreciate any opinion.
      Thank you in advance!

      SPACE LORD
      Genre: Fantasy, Action, adventure
      Tags: Reincarnation, Magic, progression, cultivation, war and military, nobles
      Synopsis:
      Killed by a Restoration Emperor and reborn as his 12-year-old self, Theo was given a second chance at life. A second chance to save his family and survive in the coming hardships. He will once again battle against Emperor and his armies on the battlefields. With the vast knowledge of magic and battle energy he accumulated in his previous life, wielding the most unique treasure, he shall reach the pinnacle of magic once again.

      What to expect from the story:

      -Intelligent, experienced, and careful MC

      -Detailed worldbuilding, serving to introduce the reader to the fantasy world

      -Some elements from the eastern cultivation genre

      -A steadfast focus on MC's story and his actions in his attempts to change the future

      Link:
      https://m.webnovel.com/book/space-lord_17433895806977305#

        @theanneleen I've read up to chapter three. It's not bad, but it's not my type of genre, so I didn't feel like reading any further. Anyway, here are my thoughts.

        1. All Hail the Queen

        What exactly is the Queen in your story? Is it the person with the most influence in the school. If so, what can they do with that influence. What makes a queen? How did Luna become the Queen in the first place?

        The schools where I come from don't have Queens. In fact, nobody really rules the school at all (other than the principal and staff, of course). There are some "cool kids," but it's not like they have any influence on the student body.

        You need to make sure that you explain the significance of the term Queen. You can't just throw the word around and expect people to infer everything. Consider creating a scene or two about how Luna can use her power, and maybe a short flashback of when she used to go to the school.

        In addition to this, you also need to develop the social hierarchy in the school some more. So far, we've only seen the high-classed individuals, and they really haven't done much. Is there even any reason to be a high-classed student?

        So far, Luna doesn't really have any motivations for becoming the Queen again, other than she used to be one. What's so good about being the Queen, other than you have social power?

        You've done a good job at introducing conflict with the Transferee, but Luna needs to have her own motivations in mind. So far, she's mostly reacting to the circumstances around her, trying to cover up her past and trying to deal with the Transferee.

        2. Proofread

        There are many little mistakes that you could easily catch if you proofread some more (I usually end up reading through my chapters three times). Two should be fine if you're short on time.

        Also, some sentences are worded confusingly. Try reading some sentences out loud to see if they flow well.

        Finally, you tend to switch between present and past tense during narration. I think that your main tense is past, but it changes every now and then. If you plan on fully writing the story in the past tense, there isn't much of a reason to suddenly change to the present tense.

        That's about it. I didn't see anything wrong with the plot so far other than the whole Queen thing. I hope I could help.

          Epyonnn
          Sorry mate, I've been leaving you to do this alone. Kinda busy right now. I'll try to make some time to come by more often.

            Epyonnn

            Hi there! Thank you so much for taking up to review my novel. I really didn't think of that one actually. It was only then on my draft chapter 24 that I started out actually building the social hierarchy and background of the friendship between the girls and what it means that Luna is Queen because she was caught up with the Transferee.

            Thank you really. I will keep this in mind :D It really helps!

            Hello! I've just started my story and would really appreciate an honest critique. Thanks!

            Title: Chaos Awakening
            Genre: Fantasy, Male lead
            Synopsis:
            All his life, Cilix Trimaran felt as if something's been missing, a hole in his being that cannot be filled even if he tried to. He chalked it up to his broken memory. There were pieces, bits of the past that he can't seem to remember however hard he tried. Memories close enough to reach, but vague enough that it kept slipping past his fingers like smoke. And then there was Oleah.
            Oleah Vanderbilt was a model student. She was powerful, excelled in whatever task she put herself into, a woman of many talents. But her cold disposition and blank stares grate something in Cilix that he can't put his finger onto. There was something in those eyes that seems to call out to him.
            He just have to find out, doesn't he? Good thing his group of misfits accidentally uncovered a conspiracy in the ministry and seem to want to initiate an anarchy. Good riddance, in Cilix's humble opinion.

            Link: https://www.webnovel.com/book/chaos-awakening_20316599005138205

              alernatetext

              LINK: THE KEEPER OF UNHOLY MIGHT

              TAG: ACTION, FANTASY, ADVENTURE, ACTION, MAGIC, MALEPROTAGONIST, MONSTER, CULTIVATION, EVILMC

              SYNOPSIS:
              Nicolaus Asenon had a detached feeling and drifted through life aimlessly.
              Everything he had done had no purpose. He had sacrificed almost everything in his life for the sake of his work.
              Family, friends, and mindset were all taken away one by one. His mentality, bit by bit becoming corrupted.
              In his darkest hours. He was struck by a vehicle and died. As a result; his eyesight started to dim and he gave his final breath.
              In a world without mercy. He had transmigrated from the modern world to an alternative universe.
              With no remorse, Nicolaus Asenon is willing to go to any lengths to reap benefits. As a corrupted man. He already has no qualms.
              He has now seen all that life has to offer, transforming him into a cold, merciless, cunning villain, never allowing himself to get attached to anybody who may get in the way of his ultimate goal.
              This is the story of a man cultivating his strength to rise up above all... A Lord overlooking the entire world!

              ...................................
              I would like for any opinions please, to see if my novel is subpar or great compared the other novels in this platform.

                World_Wanderer

                Hi there! I read the prologue till the second chapter. I honestly like the plot, but I'm no digital reader so, I have a hard time coming to terms with myself reading online. But your story all in all has an interesting plot. Keep it up. Here are some points I would like to share.


                Distinct Features

                In the prologue, I found it kinda confusing. Maybe because I wasn’t able to figure out who is who and what is what.

                I think it would be great to be able to distinguish the army of the Space Lord between the Restoration empire. Although, you did give a description regarding the restoration empire which has griffons, but not really with the Trade Union. So, I was a bit lost who’s army is losing or advancing. Not until you literally mentioned that the Trade Union was losing.

                I would also probably add descriptions of the Emperor. So, I could picture him out in my mind. There wasn’t really enough description to make an image out of him compared to Space Lord.

                Space Lord Origins

                It kinda does pique my interest why “Space Lord”? I’m not sure, this is my personal thought to it.. but I think it would be great to show a little bit more of a credential to his title. I mean, yes… all great and powerful mages would eventually get that specific title for them, but since it’s in prologue… you are creating his backstory, it would be nice to hint as to why he is feared and respected at the same time. Maybe point out his greatest achievement? Just a hint because I know that you will tell the story of how he became to be one. At least, in the first ropes, you will be able to get your audience’s grip on Theo’s journey on becoming the known Space Lord.

                Dialogue

                I think the dialogue can be improved. Sometimes, I had to read it twice before I can understand what the characters are trying to say (this is in the prologue - dialogue became a bit better in the following chapters). Maybe also try to enact how the conversation will flow before typing it. That’s how I do mine, so I get the picture of how the people involved in the conversation are acting. Add a bit more body language in between to give it more of a mood in the conversation.

                I also notice that there will be lots of flashbacks. In the first chapter, I was kinda confused for a sec because it suddenly jumped into the past. Maybe add some signifiers? (sorry, I'm no expert in terms and definitely not an expert critic). But yeah, just be careful because it might cause confusion and then lead to disinterest.

                Sentence Structure? (not sure what it’s really called for)

                Learn to break long paragraphs into portions. Don’t chunk it all into one block. Honestly, I lose interest reading because it’s too long, so I just skim to the end of that block. I also notice that you use lots of commas instead of periods to break sentences. I think this must be improved.

                World Building

                Definitely a great start to world-building. I like how you were able to map out the setting of the story. But I think don’t be too general in the descriptions, because your world is a fantasy world, so the sky’s the limit for building the world. Add tiny bits of details to the surroundings and what the character sees, for more solid ground on world-building.

                Grammar

                Definitely not an expert, but I can see some that can be improved. Just proofread before publishing. I know it’s tiring but it definitely helps.

                As I said, I'm no expert, so I hope you won't take it against me. :)

                Title: X FORCE

                Genre: SciFi

                Synopsis: Max is one of the two X Forces soldiers was confirmed dead and his partner disappeared shortly after his demise after confirming that it was a planned kill from their inner circle.

                Now with new threats arising and being unable to defend, they put out a search for Max after being spotted on a CCTV camera as he's the only one who can help with the destruction of their enemies.

                When the new arrivals get wind of this, they send forces after Max as he and his partner are the only ones who can help them win their mother planet back from their oppressors.

                What will Max do:

                A road to revenge?

                Join the faction that 'killed' him or,

                Join the new arrivals from another planet.

                What if I tell you Max isn't human!

                Stay tuned for more updates.

                Link: https://www.webnovel.com/book/x-force_18382108905457905

                  Anyone interested for review swap.

                  Title: X FORCE

                  Genre: Sci-fi

                  Synopsis: Max is one of the two X Forces soldiers was confirmed dead and his partner disappeared shortly after his demise after confirming that it was a planned kill from their inner circle.

                  Now with new threats arising and being unable to defend, they put out a search for Max after being spotted on a CCTV camera as he's the only one who can help with the destruction of their enemies.

                  When the new arrivals get wind of this, they send forces after Max as he and his partner are the only ones who can help them win their mother planet back from their oppressors.

                  What will Max do:

                  A road to revenge?

                  Join the faction that 'killed' him or,

                  Join the new arrivals from another planet.

                  What if I tell you Max isn't human!

                  Stay tuned for more updates.

                  Link: https://www.webnovel.com/book/x-force_18382108905457905

                  Yulainei cool, good luck! I'll give it read once I get finished with the one I'm doing right now

                    THE 7TEEN: LET THE PAIN EXIST

                    Genre: Thriller
                    Synopsis: Dhruv is a 17 yr old teenager, who is a boy full of mysteries. Six months ago Dhruv's father died in a car accident and from then Dhruv hasn't had a good day ahead. From his mom's negligence towards him to school bullies, everything seems to add more and more to his misery. But things are different now, it's 17 Jan 2017 and things aren't as they were. Fate had taken it's dark turns and now police is standing on his doors, asking questions regarding the serial killings of three of his classmates. What does Dhruv has to do with it? Does Dhruv know something?
                    It's not a teenage drama! it's FUCKIN murder mystery! Here, don't expect anything, things are bit twisted as.... TRUTH ISN'T WHITE ANYMORE‼️ And Pain, Let It Exist!
                    Link: https://www.webnovel.com/book/the-7teen-let-the-pain-exist_19117090906475105

                    alernatetext

                      Title : Ghost Busters

                      Genre : Urban, Horror

                      Synopsis : A guy going by the name of Felix joins the team known as 'Ghost Busters' because of an invitation. A team consisting of 6 members.

                      Nobody knew his past, nor his personal info. Even his name Felix was an alias created by himself. What was about to come? Was the decision to invite him was correct or everything will crumble?

                      Felix embarks on his journey along with his new team to unveil the secrets and mysteries of the world, including his own past too.

                      However, there was another secret to it. Something related to him. Something which defied the laws.

                      Join Felix on his journey to explore the eerie, unreal, and perilous side of the world as he uncovers the mysteries one by one.

                      Alernatetext

                      Link : https://m.webnovel.com/book/ghost-busters_20322367305200405

                        https://www.webnovel.com/book/20487494906949305

                        As weird as the name is, this weird soul is asking if anyone willing to have an honest review swap... (Don't worry, no s*x scene... The title is really just weird) Also, I am already here, I wanna ask if you guys could support me by donating power stones for two weeks... If only guys... Thanks in advance...

                        Title: Yanderes: The Harem Of The Luckless Man From The Earth

                        Genre: Fantasy

                        Synopsis:

                        As a commoner front the earth, I don't have anything for a girl to like me, which ended up I am being rejected.

                        On a normal night, an unforeseen accident occurred which caused my life to perish.

                        However, that isn't the end of all, because I once again found myself alive, in a half and unfamiliar room.

                        @Praefactuss I've only read two chapters so far, and the novel is pretty unimpressive. Let me explain:

                        1. Formatting

                        Split up your paragraphs. Remember that you should start a new one every time there's a new plot beat or if the subject changes.

                        The grammar and stuff are good for the most part, but proofread some more so that you can catch the tiny little errors. I tell this to everyone, and it feels like I'm beating a dead horse at this point.

                        2. Mid

                        I'll be real with you: the story is really average. It's your basic isekai/transmigration with nothing special.

                        What differentiates your work from others? What is it that will capture readers' attention?

                        So far, there's just nothing interesting about your story. I'll elaborate more on how to fix that.

                        (Side note: You forget to mention the MC's age in the first chapter, so I was confused when he revealed that he had become a fourteen-year-old. I assumed he was older and got younger, but according to the story, he was younger and got older)

                        3. What Makes a Scene

                        The core of a scene is that a problem must be solved. For example, at the beginning of "Re: Zero," the problem is that the main character, Subaru, is trying to help Emilia find a missing item while also trying to avoid dying over and over again.

                        In your novel, there's no problem that the main character is trying to solve. Sure, he gets transmigrated, but what's the problem? He just has to learn how to adjust, but there's really no tension anywhere that would make me want to continue reading.

                        Granted, I didn't read any further, so I assume the plot eventually starts rolling, but you need to establish at least some tension.

                        You see, it's not enough for the character to be confused about his own situation. Yes, that's a problem, but it's not big enough. You need to shock the reader (not to be confused with abusing shock value) to get their attention.

                        That's about it. Hope I could help.

                          honest review please? I've read Yoan's Woodcutter novel and reviewed a while back lol~ (it's still in my library)
                          But if anyone is up for an honest review on my BL novel, please let me know. I shall do the same for you.
                          I've just stared so it's still in the early stage _~
                          - Title: QT: Lazy Prince Becomes Protagonist with a System
                          - Genre: LGBTQ+, fantasy, comedy, romance
                          - Synopsis:
                          Shun had been a lazy prince most of his life. The fifth of 7 siblings, he was free to do as he pleased. Until he died and was swept away to wake up in a new world.
                          What is this stupid system thing and why is it telling him to do the mission or people die?!
                          What the hell?! He was no knight!
                          It had to be a witch’s doing to make him work!

                          //////****\\\

                          Vol. 1- Idol Popstar
                          Shun had to hit the 100% Star Meter to return back to his kingdom. However, being an idol was hard work, but thanks to that witch of a system, he was forced to finish.
                          No way was he going to let people die!
                          So working hard and making friends, Shun found himself infatuated with Suu Jin, an idol prince that stole his heart and his first kiss.
                          Would Shun be distracted by the beauty of Suu Jin to complete his tasks? Would he want to leave this world to return to his old one?

                          For Suu Jin, he had done everything the world asked of him. He was a puppet dangled in front of the audience, but what they did not know was his past covered by NDAs. Would his flaws be spread out for everyone to see? Would Shun accept him? Would they ever get together?

                          *Rated 18+ for later volumes/chapters
                          - Link: https://www.webnovel.com/book/qt-lazy-prince-becomes-protagonist-with-a-system_20496998405848805
                          - Cover picture: alernatetext

                            Who wants an honest review swap
                            Title: The do-over
                            Genre: Realistic Fiction
                            Synopsis:
                            Sometimes you just have to do things for just you regardless of what other people think because you just might not get the chance to have a do-over.
                            Andrew is a guy who had to be a doctor in order not to let his mother down. But deep down he wanted to be something else but he didn't have the courage to tell his mother no. Later he finds out his life isn't the fairytale he thought it was.

                            https://www.webnovel.com/book/the-do-over_20234475205317705###

                            • Jo_J replied to this.

                              Epyonnn Thank you! I did try to express in the latter chapters that the problem at first was the protag's character but I guess I need to make it more apparent. My inital plan was to start dealing with the protagonist's personality since most novels I read about shut-ins just basically transform the whole character after they transmigrated.

                              I appreciate the input and will work on it, you're doing good work here! Again, thanks a lot!

                              @Yulainei I've only read the first chapter so far, and I have quite a few things to say about it. I'll probably do another review for the later chapters if there are any glaring issues.

                              1. Prose

                              Good word choices and stuff, but you tend to repeat certain words multiple times within close proximity of each other, making the sentences choppy. In the first paragraph, you used "rain" three times (I'm counting the instance of rain in the word rainfall). In the second paragraph, you used "up" twice. These are a nitpicky thing, but your sentences will flow much better if you use more word variation. This is why English has a million synonyms for almost every word.

                              Another thing is that there are some incomplete sentences and some that are weirdly worded, making them hard to follow.

                              2. Omniscient POV

                              Be careful when writing in the third-person omniscient POV because things might get confusing if you switch to another character's POV. In the chapter, you switched from Nicolaus to the driver, but make sure that you clarify who is who. Give Nicolaus a distinctive feature instead of just calling him "that guy" or "that man." When the POV shifted, I wasn't sure who the speaker was, and who the speaker was referring to until I read a couple more paragraphs.

                              Also, make sure that you don't reveal too many of the thoughts in other characters' heads, especially if they're not one of the main characters.

                              Finally, you mainly write in the past tense, but sometimes, it changes to the present tense. Just stick to the past tense.

                              Tragic Backstory

                              Yes, Nicolaus may have a tragic backstory, but it doesn't feel impactful if it's narrated. Instead, it might be better to cut the narration altogether and just leave the MC with the feeling of rage and keeping it a mystery as to why he was angry.

                              Then, in the next chapter, maybe you could have the MC floating through time, watching the events of his past life unfold before him. With that, it would really cement the reason why the MC will no longer tolerate people who mess with him.

                              This is only one suggestion, and there are many ways to handle it. You can even sprinkle in his backstory while he in his new body.

                              That's about it so far. I'll probably keep reading to see where it goes.

                                Epyonnn thank you so much bro... Indeed, but the driver is a main plot in the story. xD

                                Grand_Void_Daoist

                                Edit (after thinking a bit more about it):

                                What's your take on it?

                                I'm thinking about leaving this "unlocked" for now. Creating a new thread might be a bad idea since it's not a pinned thread. People who need help with their novels still come by from time to time and I fear that it might be jarring for them to create a new thread. At least for now. Maybe next month tho.

                                Moreover, it's not that popular either. And I think I should change the title to "Detailed Review" instead of "Honest Review" since it does discredit the.... original "Review Swap Thread." But... I don't know how to do that xD.

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