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lovejoybr wrote:Thank you again for all these positive comments about my story. Y'all make my heart sing!!!

So, in this story, Pam represents anger and hate - that much is obvious. Taking from the quote "the greatest of these is love", I thought the best way to fight anger and hate was with love. So, when choosing the names of Pam's team, I made sure that the first letter of their names, as well as the order in which their names appear in the story, spell L-O-V-E: (Louise, Odelia, Victor and Elaine).

And, love is what wins in the end.

This is brilliant lovejoybr!! I did not notice this either, but I love the idea. I just finished the story and I want to congratulate you, it was excellent. I feel like I just read a longer story as involved as I was. That may or may not be because of personal issues I have at work which make me relate to the story like everyone else, but regardless, great choice of subject matter to make your story stand out. I did not even notice the first to third person transition I was that engrossed ha ha. I sympathized with Pam in the end, but not too much, so I can't criticize that. However, I kept thinking that with Holding Fire being such a deep subject, that Elaine would put down her flaming coal of revenge in the end, but that was not the case. That is not, however, a criticism, just another point of view. All in all, amazing job, Joy!! I wish for great success to blossom in your life like a Japanese maple tree

This one was one of my favorites. Everyone has that one mean person at work that would love to get back at. This story let readers "act it out" so to speak. The smile at the end as she was carted away made me smile as well. Afterall, you reap what you sow.

Thank you to the author for writing down a great short story like this. I hope to have the ability to review more of your work in the future. You did a great job.

This is a story almost everyone could relate too. We have all been there and wished that something like this could happen. LOL!! It was a great read and I will admit that I totally did not see that ending coming!! Loved it!!

Who doesn’t know a Pam? Someone taking the credit for your hard work without acknowledging it at all and making you feel worthless and fight to stay where you are in the first place. It was hard not to feel glad that Pam got her due somehow, despite being innocent of what she was being arrested for. For true justice, it falls short, but I understand how triumphant a feeling it must have been for those in the office who only saw Pam being taken away, the vicious Pam being silenced. You never know who you’re dealing with, a lesson well executed by this short story.

Dog Eat Dog was a revenge story that I held pity for the character that was revenged against. I’ve dealt with rude coworkers before but it seems like you need to get to know them to possibly understand their viewpoints to see if they really are miserable in their lives or if there is a reason behind their actions. This was my least favorite story. It threw a curveball into the story at the end that just confused the story that I had built up in my head. I didn’t like the construction of this short story that made it too complicated of an ending. There was more effective, simpler ways to continue without the twist at the end.

Thanks again everyone for your feedback. There's a special place in my heart for those providing positive comments and constructive (thoughtful) criticism on my story. The writing industry can be rife with negativity and rejection but we write for the same reasons we read: to connect, learn, release, understand, escape, celebrate & be entertained. I've found such beautiful voices and gracious support on this site (and especially in this thread). THANK YOU!

To those who have enjoyed my story, DOG EAT DOG, I hope my other stories (so far) and books (someday) will also resonate with you for all the right reasons.

Great twists! I definitely was able to get into this authors writing style. It was a fun read!

I always love it when stories have unconventional twists. More recently, a lot of stories have kind of a predictable twist like how "the demon was me" or "society was the monster all along". Not like they are bad, but they are so abundant that it's no longer a surprise but passe. I like it when authors flash their sparks of creativity!

I really enjoyed reading this story. I felt amused and connected. The switching between first person and third person was also good.