Response to The Grind

This story was about an aspiring writer who goes to New York with the hope of writing for a well established TV show. He has an interview and he makes it through the first round and is invited back the next day only to find that many other people have as well. During the second day he hears all the jokes being told and he finds himself disgusted with the style of humor. He considers himself to be an artist and thinks that the jokes are crude and corporate, not aligned with his own artistic ambitions. He decides to leave and stands up, proclaims his distaste and walks out.

                I like the way this story developed the main character as an ambitious kid ready to go straight to the top, I think the story captures that very well. I also thought the scene while the main character was waiting for his first interview was good because it described his competition in a unique way.

                This story was told in first person, which I believe works quite well because you can get into the narrators mind.

                The main character is the only character that really shows any development, so I think if some other character could be brought in more it could add to the story.

                The story starts off interesting because you have a sense of a young kid going to New York to chase his dreams. Even thought there is not a whole lot of action you still feel drawn into the story.

                The pacing is even throughout the story and it really builds at the end when he is finally fed up and decides to leave. 

                The dialogue is good but I wish there were more of it utilized in the story.

                The opening really draws you I because the main character is likeable and you are curious to see if he can make his ambitious dreams come true.

                The closing is satisfied because it shows real change in the character. He decides to stick to his principles. The very end was slightly confusing to me, I’m not sure if what the main character said made the interviewers laugh. I thought that might have been the direction the author was trying to go and if so it needs to be clarified.