INK AND INSIGHTS

ᶜʰᵉᵐⁱˢᵗʳʸ | ᵗⁱᵐ ᵈʳᵃᵏᵉ ²

The fourth sample review is for my dear friend and fellow DC enthusiast icecoffeeluver. I am reviewing the first fanfic I read by her that, of course, happens to be written on my favorite Batboy Tim Drake.

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1. Title of the story:

Chemistry.

Your title refers to two things that are very important in the story. The first is the subject of Chemistry which brought Will and Tim close to each other. And the second thing is the chemistry between the two of them. So using this word as the title is a very good choice. Well done!

2. Cover of the story:

Your cover is simple but clear and has an overall pleasant outlook. In simple covers, the color theme matters most so the fact that you have chosen pinks and blues for the background and kept the font centered and well-sized makes it easier on the eyes. Also, I love the line "Love is the only acid that touches the heart" inscribed on your cover. It reflects the theme of the story while also conveying a deeper meaning of how love can be both a pleasant experience and a painful memory. I like it very much.

3. Description of the story:

For a character-driven story, your description is to the point but effective in telling the readers about your characters. We get to have an intro to both main characters and the background of their relationship. You might not have introduced your readers to the stakes just yet but I think this simple format is fine too and works well if your audience wants to read Tim Drake's love stories. Breaking down your description into elements, we can see a simple format that other writers will also find very easy to use.

In which Tim Drake falls in love with his science partner, William Donovan. [Intro to the central idea of the plot]

Where the smart, coffee-addicted, depressed, insomniac falls in love with the anxious, hyperactive, somewhat popular, football player. [Intro to the characters]

Tim Drake, an intelligent seventeen-year-old with a life-threatening secret, has never looked at a guy the same way he looked at girls. That is until he meets William Donovan, his new Chemistry partner. [Background/setting of the story. We can see it's a high school story by mentioning the character's age and the subject Chemistry]

So basically what you are using for this story as well as the rest of your works is a simple formula of central idea + characters + setting for the description. And that works if the stakes in your story are multifaceted and you can't summarize that in one or two sentences. The words life threatening secret can be a hint to the upcoming conflict and if that's the case then your description is good enough to attract readers. However, a little elaboration on the conflict can make it even better.

4. Character Dynamics:

As this is a character-driven story, I can see that you've put most of your focus on fleshing out the characters.

Will - Will is just so adorable and I want this cinnamon roll to be protected at all costs. The way you are tackling his complicated family issues and his whole coming out situation, adds more to his character's depth. I genuinely enjoy reading about him as he's such a precious little kid, who I'd say again, needs to be protected from all the evil Gotham has to offer.

Tim - I relate with Tim so much, the whole awkward energy around Will and then slowly melting in the warmth of his presence... He's just as adorable and smooth, I may add. I love his dynamic with his brothers because we need to see more fics where Tim isn't just the weird kid who feels like an outcast (I mean he does feel like an outcast still due to all his internal self-degradation) but it's always good to see the family appreciating him and making him feel worth everything he has.