[This message has been edited by Darth Petra (edited February 23, 2009).]
I recently wrote a piece much the same as this... the tone anyway. I found that it is hard to market such an unlikable character. Mine was also a monologue...diary of a madman, but if this man isn't entirely evil, you may consider giving the reader something to sympathize with. It is OK that he gladly killed his father, i suppose, nut you may have him or show him losing something he love. As he sits in the cell does he long for a girlfriend? what it has doen to his mother? Anything like that can go a long way to prevent this character from being instantly hated.
Also the style of speech doesn't seem to fit the era. It felt like modern homogenized English. I am not sure the locality of your scene and the reason I was unable to make an assumption was because of the lack of authentic venacular. Just some things to think about. I like hatable characters... unless they are really smug and aren't as intelligent as the think, so this would be something I would turn to the next page, but others may not share my wilingness.
If I don't like the MC, I won't like the story, however well written it might otherwise be.
One technical point. This passage:
"Now he’s off burning in Hell. I am glad to have killed him. But the price I have to pay for purging the world."
The last sentence doesn't work as is. Did you mean to say "but *that's* the price I have to pay for purging the world"?
Ard-choille,
Rob Roy
Perhaps if you mentioned more openly that the murder wasn't an unprovoked act of evil, your 13 might be more titilating;it would give us the promise of an interesting story. I am more a student of crime writing, and find the villain a more interesting character than many others. Perhaps you may consider submitting this story to a mystery mag, like alfred hitchcock's mystery magazine.
I agree that the style of speech needs work. what social class is your character? That would effect his speech patterns, especially in that era. is there a slang term that was common to the time and place that you could put in your 13 that would give us a hint of locality, or social class or educational background of the character?
i like the journal entry idea. will we see mc spiral into madness, or repentance? perhaps we will see his intellect degrade like in flowers for algernon!! potential here, i think, for the right audience.
As for conflicted about it...he has at least a page of freaking out about it after this point...
Anyway, I'm always glad to get constructive crit. I'm so tired of people telling me I'm great and talented.