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How We're Spending Friday Night...
How We're Spending Friday Night...

by listeningforthemuse in Dramatic Poetry
Young Writers Society Forum Index » Action/Adventure Fiction

This thread was created on July 4, 2008
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The Prophet The Prologue

The Prophet Chapter One
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:13 am    Post subject: The Prophet Chapter One Reply with quote

OK, I expect a lot of mistakes. I need to get this perfect so could you point out all the mistakes you can find. Thanks guys! I really appreciate it!

Chapter One

Jack Muldoon

"Class!" shouted Dr Bannockman. "I want silence in this classroom." The class then shut there mouths and sat down. "That's better," continued Dr Bannockman. "There should always be silence in a maths lesson. Now, today we're gonna start a new topic. Algebra." The class all groaned.

Dr Bannockman was Head of the Maths Department at Waid Academy. He was a very tall man with a small moustache and wore a black, expensive-looking purple striped suit and a black tie. He was in his late thirties but looked around forty-five.

Dr Bannockman looked around at his second year class. A handsome-looking boy with magical blue eyes then caught his eye. Dr Bannockman grinned.

"Jack Muldoon," said Dr Bannockman, smiling.

"Yes, sir?" replied Jack.

"Could you come and demonstrate to the class how you would explain algebra?" asked Dr Bannockman.

"Of course, sir. Just tell everyone to look up page a hundred and thirty-seven in their text books and it tells you all there and saves me a hell of a time talking," said Jack, grinning. The whole class erupted with laughter.

Dr Bannockman smiled again. "Well done Jack. Everyone look up page a hundred and thirty-seven. And Jack, do you have IT this afternoon, period five?"

Jack nodded. "Yes sir. It's my favourite subject."

"Well," said Dr Bannockman. "Instead of going to IT, you can come here where you will sit in detention for being so cheeky and embarrassing me." Dr Bannockman smiled, but Jack's smiled disappeared.

Jack couldn't stand Dr Bannockman. Jack described him as 'a very bad pain in the arse'. Jack looked over at his girlfriend, Jennifer Carol. She smiled at Jack and blew him a kiss then turned round. Jack felt his spirit come back. Jennifer had long red hair that went down her back. She had green eyes like cats and her face was as clear and as smooth as Jack's. There wasn't a spot or freckle in sight on Jack's or Jennifer's face.

*

Jack sat on the bus home, plugged into his iPod, listening to Maroon 5. He passed through the town and then went out into the countryside. Jack was the only one sitting on the bus now.

Jack lived in a forest near the town of Crail. He lived in a massive house which was over a hundred years old and had originally been built for the local minister of Crail. It had six massive bedrooms and grand living room with a golden chandelier. The house had a hidden passageway when was in Jack's room and was under his bed. It was a trapdoor that led out to the start of the forest.

Jack got off at the next stop about two miles away from the forest. His mother, Jessica Muldoon, sat in front of the bus stop sitting in a BMW M5. Jack stepped into the passenger seat of the car.

"Hi mum," said Jack.

"Hi Jack," she said. "How was school?"

"Fine. Bannockburg gave me a detention." said Jack with a grim look on his face.

His mother glared at him. "For God's sake, Jack. This is the fourth time in second year you've had a detention. And respect your teachers and don't diss them by calling them names like that. We've already had to go up to the school with a meeting with the Rector." Jack looked away, with a scowl on his face. His mother then sighed. "Jack, I'm getting worried. You used to be a very good boy. You had great results at primary school. Now you're turning into a devil. I want a change from you starting from tomorrow morning. If you don't change by tomorrow morning, there's gonna be consequences. You got it?"

Jack nodded. He turned his head away from his mother and looked out the window. He was feeling about a million different things. He felt extremely angry with his mother, but he felt guilty that he had become a bully.

Jack's mother then released the hand break and put her foot down on the accelerator. She drove down the road, praying to God that her son, who was once her little angel, would change back into an angel.

*

The yellow sun was just rising when Jack woke up the next morning. It was still dark and only some of the sun's rays were lighting up the world. Jack pushed the bed covers away and sat up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stood up. He slipped his feet into his slippers and put on his dressing gown. He looked at the time. Six thirty. There was something weird. Jack never woke up at six thirty. He was usually dragged out his bed ten minutes before the bus came. But the other weird thing was that he didn't feel tired.

Jack walked out of his bedroom door and downstairs to the kitchen, where his mother was frying bacon. She was in a pink dressing gown with white slippers. Jessica's mouth was half open. "Em...morning Jack. You're up early. I've not cooked enough bacon. I've only cooked enough for your dad and me. I didn't think you'd be up this early." Jack shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'll just have Cornflakes." Jack smiled at his mother and sat down at the kitchen table. She smiled back, not knowing what was going on.

Jessica took the frying pan off the cooker and put it on a pot stand. She then went over to the kitchen table and sat across from Jack. "Jack, are you feeling alright?" Jack looked up at her. "I feel fine. I thought about what you said yesterday. I thought I'd surprise you." Jack's mother smiled, shocked.

Jack thought he'd change the subject so his mother wouldn't get emotional. "So, where's Dad?" he asked, thinking off the top his head. His mother pointed at the ceiling. "He's in the shower. Your Dad's got a meeting with the Head of the NHS for Scotland. He's so busy since he became Head of the A&E at Ninewells."

Jack rolled his eyes. "He was always busy anyway. He's probably the most hard-working consultant in this country."

John Muldoon was the Head Consultant of the Accident and Emergency Department at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. John's sift start at half past seven in the morning and ended at half past eleven at night. John was forty-five years old. He was a tall man with black hair and brown eyes. John wore a long white coat and looked like he needed a shave, but in a stylish way.

Jack stood up and walked over to the cupboard and fetched the Cornflakes. He placed them on the table then poured them into a bowl. He went to the fridge and took the milk. He poured the milk over his Cornflakes. Just as he did that, he felt something inside him fill up his heart up.

(C) Copyright Luke Hutchison 2007-2008 All Rights Reserved


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:01 pm    Post subject: Re: The Prophet Chapter One Reply with quote

Quote:
The class then shut there mouths and sat down. ... "Now, today we're gonna start a new topic. Algebra." The class all groaned.

Sentence 1 - 'there' should be 'their.' Their mouths aren't over there, they're on their faces. Simple mistake. 'There' refers to a location, 'their' refers to that person, 'they're' is just 'they are'.
Sentence 2 and 3 - Not necessarily a mistake, it's just a thing of mine. Algebra is not a sentence
by itself. I would put a full colon, making it "Now, today we're gonna start a new topic: Algebra."
Sentence 4 - Elaborate, I personally don't like sentences that aren't elaborate. Maybe, "The classroom shook with the unanimous groan of the students."
*Also, specify which type of Algebra. Algebra is a type of mathematics that one studies, are they working on FOIL? Formulas? Order of Operations?*

Quote:
He was in his late thirties but looked around forty-five.

Why does he look 45 if he's in his late thirties? Is it stress? Please specify.

Quote:
Just tell everyone to look up page a hundred and thirty-seven in their text books and it tells you all there and saves me a hell of a time talking

That is wayyyy to long for a sentence with no commas or semi-colons. Shorten it to something pretty please!

Quote:
Jack lived in a forest near the town of Crail. He lived in a massive house which was over a hundred years old and had originally been built for the local minister of Crail. It had six massive bedrooms and grand living room with a golden chandelier. The house had a hidden passageway when was in Jack's room and was under his bed. It was a trapdoor that led out to the start of the forest.

The italics: I would not put the phrase 'lived in a' in this sentence because it's already in the sentence before. Maybe, "It was a massive house ... "
The bold: Don't repeat the word massive so many times. There are different adjectives that are the same as massive.
The underlined: Again, you don't have to repeat the word 'was.' I would recommend: "The house had a hidden passageway that was in Jack's room, under his bed."

Quote:
His mother, Jessica Muldoon, sat in front of the bus stop sitting in a BMW M5.

I think the word 'waiting' would do just fine replacing 'sitting.'

Quote:
He was feeling about a million different things. He felt extremely angry with his mother, but he felt guilty that he had become a bully.

What were the other 999,999,997 things that he felt and how does he look out the window? Does he look out, guilt written on his face, or does he look out with his brow furrowed in anger?

Quote:
Jack stood up and walked over to the cupboard and fetched the Cornflakes. He placed them on the table then poured them into a bowl. He went to the fridge and took the milk. He poured the milk over his Cornflakes. Just as he did that, he felt something inside him fill up his heart up.

It seems like you're teaching how to pour a bowl of cereal. You don't need how to pour the Cornflakes into the bowl, or how he got the milk. That's just unnecessary fluff.
---------
Other than that, it's a good start. I would recommend putting more exotic words in your vocabulary. Instead of using the same descriptive words, use other ones. Thesaurus is the best thing a writer could ask for. Use it at it's full potential.

If you need any other help, feel free to PM me! Hope I helped Smile

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You do a good job with those stray actions that really don't mean anything, without going overboard. It really puts me in the story like I'm really there.

However in your dialog, you should replace some of the names with pronouns (he/she/ect.)

Other than that, you've left the story open for many possibilities and I can't wait for the next piece! Very Happy

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
(C) Copyright Luke Hutchison 2007-2008 All Rights Reserved


Don't put your real name up on the net. Ever. You don't need this copyright thing, anyway. If someone ever did want to steal this, then a little note at the bottom wouldn't stop them.


The main problem with this is that Jack annoys me.

Quote:
A handsome-looking boy with magical blue eyes then caught his eye.


Gag. Of course he has to be handsome, despite the fact that most teenagers are growing into the people that they'll end up as. I can't think of a single "naturally handsome" teenager that I've seen. Who really has magical blue eyes? I've seen two real people with very bright blue eyes, and that's as far as it goes.


Quote:
"Of course, sir. Just tell everyone to look up page a hundred and thirty-seven in their text books and it tells you all there and saves me a hell of a time talking," said Jack, grinning. The whole class erupted with laughter.


He sasses the teacher by being smart, and then gets detention. The way you write the detention is meant to make us side with Jack -- grouchy teacher just can't take being shown up by the smart kid, so gives him a detention. So unfair! Aren't adults stupid, and isn't Jack clever!


Quote:
Jack looked over at his girlfriend, Jennifer Carol. She smiled at Jack and blew him a kiss then turned round. Jack felt his spirit come back. Jennifer had long red hair that went down her back. She had green eyes like cats and her face was as clear and as smooth as Jack's.


So he's got a great looking girlfriend as well. Somehow I'm not surprised by that, or the fact that his girlfriend's name begins with the same letter as his.


Quote:
There wasn't a spot or freckle in sight on Jack's or Jennifer's face.


Come on, no one goes through life without a single zit. Brad Pitt's face probably looked like a plate of scarlet porridge when he was in his teens.


--

You've already dropped very heavy hints that Jack is "special." Now you're making him unbearable. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but fiction has got to be realistic. You don't mention how old Jack is, but I'm guessing he's in his teens. Maybe he can have a nice girlfriend, maybe he can have a big mouth, but making him look handsome as well is too much. Having weirdly beautiful eyes, being highly attractive without working at it, having a girlfriend, being marked out as different are all points in the Mary Sue/Gary Stu test.

You know Natalie Portman? Padme in Star Wars? I saw a picture of her when she was about twelve, and she just looked ordinary. Nothing special, not that pretty. Now, when I see pictures of her, in make up with perfect hair, wonderful dress, she looks fantastic. People rarely look gorgeous when they're in school.

Run your characters through the Mary Sue Litmus Test. If they're not Sues, then hey well done, I was wrong.


Please don't get put off by this! If I'm harsh, it's only to make you better. Like doctors and brain surgery, sa? Sounds awful, looks awful, probably smells awful, but it's all for the greater good. This story has the potential to go somewhere good -- you just need to work at it. Very Happy

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I knew it! And thank you so MUCH!!!! There were tons of mistakes and I've decided I'm going to wipe it out and start this chapter again. You've shown me what is wrong with it and once I'd edited all these things the story wouldn't make sense. So thanks so much folks!

You all rock!

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

magiclukehutch wrote:
The class then shut there mouths and sat down.


should be their.


magiclukehutch wrote:
He was in his late thirties but looked around forty-five.


How? Describe this to us. Show us. Does he have lines around his eyes? Greying hair? Receding hair line? An old expression?


magiclukehutch wrote:
He lived in a massive house which was over a hundred years old and had originally been built for the local minister of Crail. It had six massive bedrooms and grand living room with a golden chandelier. The house had a hidden passageway when was in Jack's room and was under his bed. It was a trapdoor that led out to the start of the forest.


You've used the word massive twice.
Also, I feel the description is a little, well, dull. Everything's so matter of fact. I mean, you just, state it all. There's no real decription of the grandeur of the house. You could mention something like high ceilings towering over your head, ornate carvings, anything that really brings into the reader's mind a sense of what the house is like.


magiclukehutch wrote:
He was usually dragged out his bed ten minutes before the bus came. But the other weird thing was that he didn't feel tired.


That should read "dragged out of his bed".


You also need to use a new line for a new person talking, which you don't everywhere.


magiclukehutch wrote:
Just as he did that, he felt something inside him fill up his heart up.


You need to delete one of the "up"s there.



Well, you did say you wanted all the mistakes pointing out =P
It, has potential. But thus far, I have no real empathy for the characters.
There's nothing to draw me into the story as yet.
But I would like to see where you take it.

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