“Smirk”

By: Sehunmilky.

Reviewer: St-renaissance.

1-Title: “Smirk” sounds like a story that includes romantic aspects, perhaps as well. It suggests the presence of “push and pull” type of relationship, a rollercoaster of colliding characters. It definitely has a hint of ual aura, which may or may not attract a certain type of readers; ones that anticipate a unique mix of characters and outlook on how both of the characters view paramount elements such as: ual freedom, political and environmental influence. The title isn’t necessarily original, I’ve reviewed a couple of stories with similar title but, with proper description and gripping plot, your audience are guaranteed to enjoy it.

Rating: 4/5.

2-Description: Usually, the description is there to provide a glimpse into the general plot of the story, perhaps a mentioning of the main character is also included. However, since your story is really short (one-shot) and it’s narrated using the second-person POV, it’s best to keep it short and simple.

Rating: 3/5.

3-Plot: You’ve decided to use the second-person POV to narrate your story; it’s naturally less flexible to employ and may backfire in some occasions. The purpose of a second-person POV is to indulge the reader in your story as seamlessly as possible. Borrowing experiences, adventures, and opportunities and showcasing them depending on how professionally you allure the audience. For example, having your character go through a tragic event will simultaneously bring about the reader’s response and reaction to said event; any exercised emotions should reflect the reader’s psychological and emotional range.

Naturally, there is no plot, background info, fixed/flexible environment, or character arcs. This may weaken the qualities of your story considering the lack of literary foundation in your work; short stories still require the basic pillar of drama (introduction, , conclusion) despite it being labeled as short or one-shot. But, since your work is merely a one-shot, it would be best to maintain your focus on the current event (any past info/background is also great) and develop a more realistic outlook using the chosen narrative. The introduction is rather important in all stories; how you choose to start the narration will decide whether a reader is interested or not.

The introduction is interesting, we’re introduced to two main characters: Sehun and “You” or Jiwoo. But, the one-shot doesn’t carry a substantial plot enough to leave a mark on me as a reader. You see, when we write one-shots, we’re encouraged to focus on the details of a certain situation/event/memory while employing lesser yet effective words. This, however, doesn’t mean you should sacrifice the quality of a decent characterisation. Your work revolves around two characters and a, single event, but the characters clearly share a past together. So, it would be interesting if you were to supply the readers with enough details to support the couple with their relationship. Whenever we write romance, our purpose is to elicit a certain reaction out of our readers, if we fail to do so, the couple in question will be dismissed.

So, how do we make the couple likable, or at least, realistic? The emotional and psychological range is the