The Painter.

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This is a copy of my original short story that I wrote. While I want you to be critical, please remember that this is my first short story.



The Painter.
One time there lived a painter named Eddie Rule. He was your averager house painter, lived in a small house with a green yard with his wife and daughter. Eddie worked in a up and comming community, so being a house painter he was hired often. Eddie was just your average guy, not a care in the world.
On a bleak winter day Eddie got up to hear the phone ringing, and not wanting to wake his wife or daughter he hurried to get it. He picked it up just before the answering machine could get it. As it turned out it was someone wanting him to paint their new kitchen. After some negotiating he agreed to a fair amount of money and hurried to get ready and get his coffe. He got out into his car and started to pull out when he realized he forgot to buy new paint and he had used the last bit at the last job he had done.
Cursing himself he pulled out of the driveway and started down the street toward the hardware store. As he was going down the hill at the bottom of his street he hit a pothole at spilled some coffe on himself and burnt his leg. He looked up at the last moment to see a jogger try to jump out of the way as the car swerved right at her. The jogger didnt move fast enough. He felt the body thud under this tires and slammed on the breaks.
He got out of his car and found the body mangled about ten feet behind his car. He could barely tell by looking that it was a girl, the body was so mangles he knew she had to be dead. Trying to figure out what he was going to do and why she was out jogging by his house, which was in the middle of nowhere. He couldnt call the police because he had just recently gotten a D.U.I. and they would think he was intoxicated. Thinking quickly he pulled the body into his car and covered it with one of his painting tarps.
He went to the hardware store and bought the paint he needed. He drove around the back of the store and checked if anyone was around. When he was sure no one was there he pulled the body out of the tarp and threw it in the dumpster, since trash pickup was today he doubted anyone would find the body. He went on with his day like normal. He went to the house, finished it and even got a tip for doing such a good job.
He drove home feeling quite pleased with himself. When he got home he could tell something was wrong because there was a black sedan he did not reacognize parked in the driveway. He went inside to find someone in a black suit talking to his wife who was crying into a hankerchief. He walked into the room and asked his wife what was going on. She looked at him and sobbed out " Oh Eddie, they found clair's body badly mangled in a dumpster behind the hardware store!"
Eddie fell into a chair and buried his face in his hands. Clair was his daughters name.




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Hello there! Just thought I'd let you know that we like new members to critique two pieces of work before they post their own but no worries, just do so before you post another piece, okay?

As for your story, I think you have an interesting plot and it's quite wel written but it does need tidying up a little. First, the structure. You might want to leave a line between the title and then first line of the story and then same in between paragraphs seenas indentions don't work. It just looks a little neater and less 'blocky' so it's easier for people to read.

Then, maybe add a touch more description. You have a nice variety of sentence lengths (though a few more short sentences in the action scenes would be more dramatic) but I think you need to add a little more description and expand this just a touch. It's all rather abrupt which doesn't give you a chance to get aquainted with the characters and description of scenery is always nice.

Other than that, I think you have a good piece of writing here and I have a few specific suggestions for spelling and such before I leave you in peace -

He was your [s]averager[/s] average house painter, lived in a small house with a green yard with his wife and daughter. Eddie worked in an up and comming community, so being a house painter, he was hired often.

After some negotiating he agreed to a fair amount of money and hurried to get ready and get his coffee.

As he was going down the hill at the bottom of his street he hit a pothole [s]at[/s] and spilled some coffee on himself and burnt his leg.

He could barely tell by looking that it was a girl, the body was so mangles [Should be 'mangled' but you've already used that word so maybe 'disfigured' would be better?] he knew she had to be dead.

Clair was his daughter's name. [Good, dramatic ending by the way.]

Overall, a good start and let me know if you make any changes because I'd love to read a re-write.
Writing Gooder

~Previously KittyKatSparklesExplosion15~

The light shines brightest in the darkest places.




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you are on to something, a very good plot and an unexpected ending, the only thing i didnt like was the story line moved to fast. to much information in short form. but you are very good and for your first one, i am impressed. keep going, you are going to be a great writer.




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Not bad for your first short story. I liked the idea and the ending was nice, but I agree with the first two reviewers; More description would really add to it. Other than that I think this is a good start and I hope you keep writing =] I'll be sure to read more of the work that you post.




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Hi there!!
I liked your story,it pulled you in and it had a very sudden unexpected twist, the only thing was it moved kind of fast and you need to use more detail. Good story though I'm looking forward to your next one!!
Anger is fear turned inward
Peace is happiness turned outward




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Hmm, pretty good! needs a good edit, but I liked the plot. A question I had:

Why did he put the body in the dumpster?

Also, I don't particularly like the beginning. It had too much of a "Once Upon a time" feeling. There was also too much of a "he was a normal person, he did this, he did that"..... so on and so forth. Anyway, I am intrigued. I'd like to see any other work you come out with.




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You know, I read "Things not Seen" by Andrew Clements. He used an effective technique. "It's what I see. It's what I don't see. I'm not there. I'm. Not. There."

Try something like that.
"The one thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart."
Miles Vorkosigan

"You can be an author if you learn to paint pictures with words."
Brian Jacques




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It was daughter. Oh boy, he is in alot of @#$. No offence.

I think it was good.
You need to make paragraphs.
It helps alot.

I think it was good and a good beginning to something big. :)
Look at my big shiny shell...



Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do is exist.
— Jane Smiley