Looking for feedback

coronavirus

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My series is a short story collection (avg. 500 words per story) called Cultivator Stories. Please give a lot of feedback in almost all aspects: storyline, plot, structure, dialogue, description, characterization, etc. I'd also like some advice on chapter management and author-reader interactions.

For this series, I'd like to tackle deeper and more human themes
  • without me sounding like a retard or an immature brat
  • without insulting the reader
  • with realistic and human, not cliche writing
  • with confidence that it will be enjoyed and deeply understood
Thank you.
 
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Ram5

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This was the story of a man named Kevin Eisden. Kevin was a man who loved video games, being one of the top 5 professional players in the VRMMO game Virtual Legends.

Considering that Kevin's doctor diagnosed him of something called an 'internet gaming disorder', he must really love video games.
This is redundant, you can shorten the sentence like: Kevin loved to play video games to the point he was diagnosed to develop 'internet gaming disorder'

As the days passed, Kevin increasingly felt wary that his doctor might take action and send him into some instiution, away from his beloved VR gear. Thus, he decided to preempt his doctor.

Today was the day Kevin finally escaped. Bringing only his wallet, some documents, and his gear, he called a taxi to go to a nearby forest. After arriving in the forest, he immediately logged in to his account.
I don't know much about treatment or such, but was he being forced to meet the doctor or something? And you needed to explain first why he must go to the forest instead of just go to the next city or town then rent a place, especially if he wished to play Virtual Reality Game which I believed required stable and good connection.

After two days of playing, Kevin's mind and body was exhausted. He removed his VR headpiece, sat under a tree and looked around his surroundings
Is this full dive or merely like oculus? Full dive system usually came with a safety measure when someone mentally exhausted or their vital seemingly not quite alright, like their body requires fluid or food, if this is oculus then why he didn't prepare any supplies? Give explanation in this so the reader wouldn't stop to think about it.

Afterward was just... confusing... I understand if you wish to be creative and unique but maybe give it more detail instead?
 

coronavirus

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Thank you very much for your response. I didn't expect anyone to reply.

For the first point, I just didn't know how to write it; like I wouldn't be able to emphasize his love for games without understating it otherwise.

For the second point:
but was he being forced to meet the doctor or something?

No, at first, no one forced him; he was just concerned over himself initially, but as time passed by, he lost the thought of loving and caring towards oneself due to his gaming addiction, and felt like society was intervening through his doctor. Thus, he no longer wanted to go to the doctor.
why he must go to the forest instead of just go to the next city or town then rent a place

Renting a place or playing in a cafe would remind him of the real society he lives in. The sights of buildings, walls, lights, and people makes him feel alienated, which is ironic, because due to his condition, going to a place where he can avoid feeling alienated is making himself physically alienated.
required stable and good connection

There's fast and stable connectivity anywhere in the world he's living in.
Is this full dive or merely like oculus? Full dive system usually came with a safety measure when someone mentally exhausted or their vital seemingly not quite alright, like their body requires fluid or food

This world has their own VR counterpart that has a safety measure, but is disabled so that Kevin would get a few more hours of game time. If you ask if he even eats or sleeps, yes, he does occasionally eat and sleep.
if this is oculus then why he didn't prepare any supplies?

He couldn't be bothered. This also comes in with the lack of self-care thing.

I don't know in what way/s were you confused, but here's the gist of the next parts. The cultivator Wu Han:
  • is the narrator of the story
  • was Brutinized but self-detonated; his enemies died while he survived
  • received the System which Kevin was the former host
  • saw Kevin's memories through the System
  • sighed on Kevin's unfortunate life
For that part, I wanted to pick on the common idea of transmigrating, specifically:
  • how transmigration is always successfully performed
  • how transmigration plots revolve around how powerful/willful/special (and sometimes unfortunate) the transmigrators are in their previous life
  • how transmigrators inherit the memories of both their previous life and the body's previous owner (assuming they don't coexist) and use such memories to "change" their lives
For more picking, I wanted to contrast how Kevin had a "weak" soul, even though he had a strong spirit, to Wu Han, a cultivator who has a "strong" soul, and how cultivators can also tell stories.

Overall, I feel like if I add clarifying information, the readers (as I perceive it) will treat it as stating the obvious, or an infodump unnecessary for progressing the story. If I boil down the story to its most essential parts, it would feel short and flat. Now, I want to be subtle and let the reader realize what's going on and think for themselves, but I do not know how to do it the right way.
 
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Ram5

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Thank you very much for your response. I didn't expect anyone to reply.

For the first point, I just didn't know how to write it; like I wouldn't be able to emphasize his love for games without understating it otherwise.

The fact that he was a top-five player already gave away his love for the game or any game in general, only people dedicated to something that usually came out at the top.

No, at first, no one forced him; he was just concerned over himself initially, but as time passed by, he lost the thought of loving and caring towards oneself due to his gaming addiction, and felt like society was intervening through his doctor. Thus, he no longer wanted to go to the doctor.

Ok, you need to elaborate this kind of thing instead of just telling he 'escape' from the doctor.

Renting a place or playing in a cafe would remind him of the real society he lives in. The sights of buildings, walls, lights, and people makes him feel alienated, which is ironic, because due to his condition, going to a place where he can avoid feeling alienated is making himself physically alienated.

Ok... but don't usually stay in their own room is enough?

There's fast and stable connectivity anywhere in the world he's living in.

Put this in the story, don't make people think the same as the way I did...

This world has their own VR counterpart that has a safety measure, but is disabled so that Kevin would get a few more hours of game time. If you ask if he even eats or sleeps, yes, he does occasionally eat and sleep.

Wait, who disabled the safety measure? Kevin? And if he also ate and slept, why he died? I assumed he died because of exhaustion due to hardcore gaming (happen in a lot of case)

For more picking, I wanted to contrast how Kevin had a "weak" soul, even though he had a strong spirit, to Wu Han, a cultivator who has a "strong" soul, and how cultivators can also tell stories.

Err, don't a soul and spirit usually the same?
Overall, I feel like if I add clarifying information, the readers (as I perceive it) will treat it as stating the obvious, or an infodump unnecessary for progressing the story. If I boil down the story to its most essential parts, it would feel short and flat. Now, I want to be subtle and let the reader realize what's going on and think for themselves, but I do not know how to do it the right way.

It's good you want the reader to think, but don't make them think in the middle of the story, that broke the immersion, something that not usual must be stated in order not to confuse the reader, for example; good and stable internet in a forest, there is no such a thing as infodump, there is only an exposition, either it was a boring one or engaging one, that depends on us, the writer to weave it.
 

coronavirus

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Thank you for your response.

I have noted your helpful feedback. Here are more points:
Ok... but don't usually stay in their own room is enough?
I don't think so. He has been staying inside most of the time, and I just wanted to show that his condition has come to that point.
Wait, who disabled the safety measure? Kevin?
Yes, Kevin.
And if he also ate and slept, why he died? I assumed he died because of exhaustion due to hardcore gaming (happen in a lot of case)
Yes, he died of physical and mental exhaustion.
Err, don't a soul and spirit usually the same?
No, in my cultivator-speak, they are different. A "soul" is a manifestation of an entity's identity and personality, while a "spirit" is a manifestation of an entity's will and motive. Kevin had a strong "spirit", if not, he could not endure such long-term gaming and make it to top; however, he had a weak "soul", which is evident from his lack of self-love and anti-social behavior. But this is not mentioned and unnecessary in the story, only for reference.

I will post a major update of the chapter next week. Cheers.
 
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