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Thread: 1st chapter of my book

  1. #1
    veni vidi vixi Bakiryu's Avatar
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    1st chapter of my book

    Hullo, I need some constructive criticism. Can you please read this draft (it's really short) and comment. Pretty please?


    Her first memory of that day was being caught in the rain. Drizzling rain. Cursing rain. Loved and hated rain. It was her one and only memory. She was eight years old.
    It had rained for months, flooding the plains and destroying the huts. The guava trees on the patio were empty and forlorn and the corn drooped in defeat.

    The road was deserted, it had been for ages, living so far away from the city. The only cover from the heavenly assault was the forest, menacing at night through a child's eyes.
    She ran, eyes closed until no droplets touched her face.
    Opening her eyes she saw a cave, dark, empty but above all: dry. She fell grateful into dreamless sleep.


    *********************
    "Oi! What's this?" Vada nosed.
    Cien fluttered before coming down "Weird. Look at it, all hairless and smooth."
    "I'm hairless!" Nami wailed.
    "You're also blue," Vedra pointed out.
    "No wait," he picked up a loose braid, "it does have hair!"
    "What an odd color! Can I change it?"
    "Can I poke it?"
    "Nami calm down."

    The faerie giggled as they danced round her, faster, faster, wingtips touching, double hearts beating faster. Until dawn they danced and the trees danced with then, the rain stopped falling and the sky turned the color of her eyes.
    Until her lids started fluttering.
    "Good Bye!" each one muttered as they left, kissing her on an exposed cheek.

    *********************************

    "Oh gods!" it was too late and her house was far.
    Still, she ran all the way, braids bouncing on her back.
    Thump. Thump. Thump. They drummed a pattern, music of curls and wrapped twine.
    Thump. Thump. Thump. Feet on wet ground sang.

    At last. Home.
    She opened the door, grubby fingers and half-dry clothes.
    Her mother was on the kitchen, she walked fast.
    "I'm back!" her heavy backpack landed on the floor. thump.
    Rai-da looked up, bread on hand.
    "Oh gods!"
    Thump.
    "Your hair is silver! Maldita*."
    Thump. Thump. Thump. Her heart beat.
    And that was forever her name.


    ______________________________

    *Maldita is the female verb for cursed in spanish
    Shall these bones live?

  2. #2
    Wearing a vegetable!! BulletproofDork's Avatar
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    Cool! I love the first part, because it's so descriptive
    Gr8 job!
    Ethel Mertz: Gee, this high altitude sure gives me an appetite.
    Fred Mertz: What's your excuse at sea level?

    Fred Mertz: Now what are we supposed to do? Thumb a ride on a passing halibut?
    Ricky Ricardo: I can't afford it.
    Lucy Ricardo: Those must have been the first English words you learned.



  3. #3
    The Word is Serendipitous Lote-Tree's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bakiryu View Post
    Her first memory of that day was being caught in the rain. Drizzling rain. Cursing rain. Loved and hated rain. It was her one and only memory. She was eight years old.
    It had rained for months, flooding the plains and destroying the huts. The guava trees on the patio were empty and forlorn and the corn drooped in defeat.

    The road was deserted, it had been for ages, living so far away from the city. The only cover from the heavenly assault was the forest, menacing at night through a child's eyes.
    She ran, eyes closed until no droplets touched her face.
    Opening her eyes she saw a cave, dark, empty but above all: dry. She fell grateful into dreamless sleep.
    This is very lyrical. I loved it! Bueno Bakiryu

    There is nothing to crititicise on this
    I sent my Soul through the Invisible,
    Some letter of that After-life to spell:
    And by and by my Soul return'd to me,
    And answer'd "I Myself am Heav'n and Hell :"


    Blog: Rubaiyats of Lote-Tree and Poetry and Tales

  4. #4
    veni vidi vixi Bakiryu's Avatar
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    Thanks lote! It's still on draft form so it'll probably end up taking about 20 or so more pages.
    Shall these bones live?

  5. #5
    The Word is Serendipitous Lote-Tree's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bakiryu View Post
    Thanks lote! It's still on draft form so it'll probably end up taking about 20 or so more pages.
    Look forward to reading it

    But tell me are other exerpts connected with the first story?

    It was not clear to me...
    I sent my Soul through the Invisible,
    Some letter of that After-life to spell:
    And by and by my Soul return'd to me,
    And answer'd "I Myself am Heav'n and Hell :"


    Blog: Rubaiyats of Lote-Tree and Poetry and Tales

  6. #6
    veni vidi vixi Bakiryu's Avatar
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    huh? It's written in parts if that's what you mean.
    Shall these bones live?

  7. #7
    A Brand New Mystery RoCKiTcZa's Avatar
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    ...please see next post. Sorry for the inconvenience!!!
    Wish hard enough, I could turn it to what I like.

    Fall Out Boy, "Tiffany Blews."

  8. #8
    A Brand New Mystery RoCKiTcZa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bakiryu View Post
    *Maldita is the female verb for cursed in spanish[/COLOR][/SIZE]
    Yeah I know this one. Got any Hispanic ancestry?
    Wish hard enough, I could turn it to what I like.

    Fall Out Boy, "Tiffany Blews."

  9. #9
    veni vidi vixi Bakiryu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RoCKiTcZa View Post
    Yeah I know this one. Got any Hispanic ancestry?
    yeah, born cuban and raised there
    Shall these bones live?

  10. #10
    A Brand New Mystery RoCKiTcZa's Avatar
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    just a question, i don't mean to offend anyone... do you happen to be familiar with the parts of a short story, particularly the Internal & External plot? Knowledge of this aspect would help you a lot on your writing, I believe.
    Wish hard enough, I could turn it to what I like.

    Fall Out Boy, "Tiffany Blews."

  11. #11
    Registered User cactus's Avatar
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    Hi Bakiryu,

    I like it! It sounds very interesting...

    Quote Originally Posted by Bakiryu View Post
    [COLOR="Black"][SIZE="5"]Her first memory of that day was being caught in the rain. Drizzling rain. Cursing rain. Loved and hated rain. It was her one and only memory. She was eight years old.
    It had rained for months, flooding the plains and destroying the huts. The guava trees on the patio were empty and forlorn and the corn drooped in defeat.
    Now just being a bit of a nitty-picker.. the last line in the above passage "The guava trees on the patio were empty and forlorn" do you mean to say the guava trees are "bare", "barren" because "empty" doesn't seem... fitting....

  12. #12
    Phil Captain Pike's Avatar
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    The hyper-spatial jumps make it difficult for me to discern the protagonist and any predicament she may be in. Something seems wrong about a cave being dry; maybe something like "even the dampness of a cave seemed dry as a desert once out of the torrent". But very interesting, keep writing!

    -- Phil

    Ничего нет лучше для исправления, как прежнее с раскаянием вспомнить.

  13. #13
    veni vidi vixi Bakiryu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RoCKiTcZa View Post
    just a question, i don't mean to offend anyone... do you happen to be familiar with the parts of a short story, particularly the Internal & External plot? Knowledge of this aspect would help you a lot on your writing, I believe.
    Yeah, I know the parts of a short story. This is supposed to be the prologue of a book. You know, that first page that has to catch your attention.

    Quote Originally Posted by cactus View Post
    Now just being a bit of a nitty-picker.. the last line in the above passage "The guava trees on the patio were empty and forlorn" do you mean to say the guava trees are "bare", "barren" because "empty" doesn't seem... fitting....
    Well, I meant it in the senso of being fruitless and leafless, but still i have to edit a lot.

    Thank you
    Shall these bones live?

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    I really like the opening but when I found out we were talking about a fairy, in the dialogue portion, I was a little taken aback. Then, just like that, the fairy is gone. If the story is about a girl's/girls' experience with a fairy, I would recommend easing more smoothly in and out of her first appearence, so that guys like me don't say "Is this really about a fairy?" and then stop reading.

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    Nice! I wish you'll also publish here the next chapters!

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