Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-29356260-20170702193133/@comment-32461413-20170702203915

I really enjoy the idea of the basil taking over everything. It's quite eerie being that basil is just a tiny leafy plant.

I feel like your diction can be varied up. "It started to grow up the walls of my house" is a pretty obvious way to make that point. Try to think of a more creative approach such as "it began to silently creep and overtake the walls of my house." Adding a bit of personification will make your writing pop and make the basil seem even more human like which adds a scare factor to the whole story. You use the word "growing" quite a bit so make sure to think of other ways that you can talk about the growth of the plants without being so literal about it.

I feel that the introduction seems cliche. The whole "I don't know how this happened, help me" scenario is one that I have read a bunch. The same also applies for the "it happened three months ago." The problem is that so many stories start out like that it just feels obvious. I almost think you should start out with "It turns out that when I think that something bad will happen, the exact opposite happens." I think starting out with something like that allows a breath of fresh air as it takes away the whole cliche of what you had before as well as provides a more clever way to open.

Some more description could be beneficial as well. Specificially in the area that you mention the strength of the plant. "Now, the basil might have looked weak, but it was one of the strongest plants I’ve ever seen." Exactly how strong is the plant? When I think of a strong plant, I think of one that you really have to saw on to break the stem. I don't exactly think of one that is so strong that you can't cut through it. Also, a bit of a side note, if the protagonist considers that basil plant to be one of the strongest plants he's even seen, then what is the strongest? Some more description would help clear up some confusion about the strength of the plant. Give some insights to how the protagonist reached that conclusion, perhaps he sawed away at the stems for hours with a sharp knife to no avail, or even that the stems felt as strong as steel, something along those lines. As it stands, it is hard to imagine a plant that is so strong that it can't be cut without any sort of description of the plant's characteristics on why that may be. I also find it hard to believe that no one would believe that basil is growing on the side of the protagonist's house despite the physical evidence as well as the recall statement. So make sure to add more description to why some things are happening and why the protagonist decides to take action or to be passive to prevent some plot holes.

I really do enjoy the idea of the whole story. Just keep in mind that diction and description will go a long ways in making a well rounded story that is not only colorful but more effective.