Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-27028306-20150926010953/@comment-26425680-20150927204823

This one blows by pretty fast without too much happening. I get the feeling that there's a lot more going on under the surface, and that you expect the reader to try and analyze the dream sequences and the narrator's thoughts to try and figure out what they mean. This is all fine and good if your basic narrative is compelling enough to make the reader want to dig deeper, but in this case, it falls somewhat flat. How can we be expected to be interested in his dreams if the waking character isn't all that captivating? Essentially, a pasta that requires the reader to put in extra thought needs to earn that privilege first. The character of Erik is underdeveloped as well, and the most promising aspect of his personality (that maybe he's a killer himself) isn't really explored. Also, his friendship with the narrator is barely expounded upon, to the point that he seems to be more of an acquaintance rather than an actual friend. This makes the narrator's angst, and his need for therapy, come off feeling unnatural. As the author, you probably know how everything ties together, and what everything means, but as a reader, I'm left wondering how all this connects, and I have very little incentive to explore further.