Salt#1 (part one)

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I literally have not written for a year! I feel extremely rusty while I was writing this. Well, rip it apart if you have to. Just want to see how I am doing after being away from writing!
... well here it goes...


Chapter 1

My fingers easily sliced through the warm sand. Each grain just slipped through, never to be caught. The sun was high overhead; it's rays seeping deep into my head. I wanted to remember every little detail about this beach, experiencing it and lodging it in my memory. It was around noon and I would be leaving soon. I sadly watched the ocean breathe and roll. I was going to miss all of this. The warm sand, the calm ocean, the bright sun, and the bittersweet smell.
“Cora, get in the car!”
I turned to see my mother waving her hands over her head. I frowned. She continued her frantic motion as I refused to move. She probably thought I had not seen her. My frowned deepened. Did she think I was that stupid not to notice her? I felt stubborn and turned away.
"Cora!" my mother yelled, again. I sighed in annoyance, but I stood up. Finally, with one last whiff of that salty scent, I trudged through the sand to join her.
***
It has always been my mother and I, traveling from city to city and state to state. In my whole lifetime, I had probably lived in four different states, all in the south. Never had we moved north, until now. I do not remember my father since my mother left him, taking me with her. I was barely two years old. My mother told me he was a dangerous man. Whenever I tried to picture him, a man with a scowling face and dark hair always came to mind. She refused to talk any more about him, bitterly telling me that he might as well be dead. I cringed against those words.
We somehow managed to get by with the little money we had. It was quite a mystery to me, since whenever we seem to be running short a wad of bills suddenly appear like magic. But I dare not think that my mother stole.
My mother was a petite woman with an unruly red mane, and bright blue eyes. She disliked large crowds and usually preferred to work in small diners or some other small, simple job. She always seemed happy with her new work. I always hoped that we would stay for good, long enough for me to go to school, but we would always be back on the road in a week or so. Every time we moved, it seemed like we kept moving further away from the ocean itself, if that was possible.
We were now on our way to Minnesota, a rainy and cold state from what I heard. I dreaded the arrival since I had grown accustomed to the warm weather of Florida. I had tried to change my mother’s mind, telling her that there was no point in traveling so far. Alabama and Georgia would be good enough. But she refused, stating that she had good friends that could help us in Minnesota. That’s what she always said. Never had I met any of these “friends.”
We had been driving for about four hours and I was completely bored out of my mind. We had never we been on the road for so long. The weather was cloudy, adding to the affect of boredom. I groaned impatiently for the thousandth time, directing it to my mother. She rolled her eyes then sighed, defeated. A glimmer of hope sparked in my chest.
“Fine. We’ll take a break at a rest stop, but we’re still going to Minnesota,”
I frowned, but accepted it since it was probably the best offer I could get.
My mother directed our sturdy trailer to the next exit as I stood up and made my to the small closet, our only closet. I picked out an old, plain sweater not caring much if it matched with what I wore. Appearances were not important to me. I would not even mind wearing the same clothing everyday if it were not so disgusting.
The trailer came to a stop and I peered out a small window. We were in front of a small diner, bordered by small palm trees. Not what I hoped for, but it was better than nothing.
“We are not staying here for more than thirty minutes so hurry up, Cora,” my mother warned and jumped out onto the pavement.
I zipped up my sweater and hopped out of the trailer, slamming the large door behind me. The morning air was still pretty chilly and I was glad that I wore a warm garment. I stood there for a while, observing the parking lot. There were probably five cars at the most; not much. Just the place my mother would have chosen. She was already at the door of the diner giving me a look. I bowed my head in a silent apology and quickly jogged towards her impatient form.






_______________

This looks extremely short....


:?
Last edited by Pawprint on Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:22 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Hahaha well YAY for you writing again! Also I won’t “rip” it apart but I will make comments if that is okay...

My fingers easily sliced through the warm sand. Each grain just slipped through, never to be caught. The sun was high overhead, warming my dark hair. It was around noon and soon I would be leaving soon.


Okay so the sentences with the “soon’” and “noon” almost sounds like your trying to make a rhyme, plus you use soon two times right in a row! Try to come up with something different. Plus if you read it out loud it sounds a little funny, no offense. To make it easy you could just take out that last soon.

I will be moving far away from the coasts.


“Will” sounds funny, and I think you should replace it with would, makes the whole thing flow better. And I think it should be coast, as it is continual and you live by one. Maybe it could work the other way but once again it flows better as coast.

I sadly watched the ocean breath and roll.


“Breath” should be “breathe”.

I’m going to miss all this, the warm sand, the calm ocean, the bright sun, and that bittersweet smell.


Okay so this sentence sounds a bit awkward, maybe try, “I was going to miss all of this. The warm sand, the calm ocean, the bright sun, and the bittersweet smell.” Just an idea, but it helps it flow a bit more.

It has always been my mother and I


Should be “mother and me,”

My father ceased to exist in our lives


Sad, and I’m not sure if “ceased” is the best choice of word for this. It makes it sound like he died, when your writing almost sounds like he left you and your mom. Not sure which one it is, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to use one sentence to clarify what happened to dear old dad.

That’s what she always said.


Haha, cute comment, and it helps develop your character. I liked it :D

I groaned impatiently for the thousands time, secretly directing it to my mother.


Should be “thousandth”

. I picked out an old hand-me-down sweater not caring much if it matched with what I wore


This just confused me a bit as usually hand-me-downs are given from older siblings. And since it is just Cora and her mom I was wondering whose hand me down this was?

Appearances were not important to me. I think it was pointless in trying to impress people by beautifying yourself. You are either pretty or ugly, period. There is no need to add the disgusting gunk on your face or wear flashy clothes to cover up the flaws.


My, Cora does sound a bit bitter ;).

Overview.

I could say a few more things but I think you basically get what I am trying to say. Your story was good for just writing, after taking a years break and I want to encourage you to keep at it, you only get better with more practice.

The story is a little short, and if you lengthen it, it would be nice to have some more character development. You’ve done some with Cora, but not much with her mom and all I know about her is that she is impatient. Further more I was kind of interested in what you guys actually did to make money. You said you made enough, but doing what?

Anyways another good thing to always do is read over your own work, out loud. This helps you hear how it sounds and is a good way to catch sentences that might sound a bit odd, or words that are out of order. Good job and keep writing!

EDIT: Also there is no fantasy in this. Is it to come? Just wondering since you posted it in the fantasy forum :P
Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...




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Hey Pawprint! I like your username - how cute! =3

My fingers easily sliced through the warm sand. Each grain just slipped through, never to be caught. The sun was high overhead, warming my dark hair. It was around noon and soon I would be leaving soon. I will be moving far away from the coasts. I sadly watched the ocean breath and roll. I’m going to miss all this, the warm sand, the calm ocean, the bright sun, and that bittersweet smell.

This is a beautiful beginning, but it doesn't reach full awesome potential due to the telling tone. You have a more, "this is like that, and this is like that", rather than lingering on sensory descriptions and letting the images unroll before us in such a way that we can perceive it without having to be told it. It's the age old issue of Show, Don't Tell.

I groaned impatiently for the thousands time, secretly directing it to my mother.

thousandth

My mother drove off into the next exit as I stood up and made my to a small closet.

Whoa, stood up? So they're in a trailer - either I missed that fact, or you never clarified that. People don't have closets in cars, so it's a bit startling to read this when you've been imagining a normal vehicle. Just some clarity that the mother and daughter are in a trailer.

This is how I am
It's hard to acquaint yourself with the main character after just being introduced to them, and so natural for the first part of this we're not sure who we're dealing with besides a tired teenage girl. The best way to let your character unfold is to drop descriptions and clues throughout the introduction to your story, and the worst way is to - well, have the character sort of randomly detail it. Like you do here:

Appearances were not important to me. I think it was pointless in trying to impress people by beautifying yourself. You are either pretty or ugly, period. There is no need to add the disgusting gunk on your face or wear flashy clothes to cover up the flaws.


This is an undesirable way to show this aspect of your character. A better way would to have your character express distaste against someone who has beautified their self, perhaps at the rest stop. It would fit in and allow better story flow than to have your character pick up a sweater and ramble for a moment about what she thinks about other people, when she really isn't currently dealing with other people.

Overall
Other than that - this was very short, and there's not too much else to say. I like the set up of mother and daughter on the road. As for whether you should post more - of course you should! Continue writing this and developing your character and plot - since right now there isn't too much plot for me to comment on.

Keep writing! And PM me if you have any questions.

~ Clo
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Hey there Pawprint.

My fingers easily sliced through the warm sand. Each grain just slipped through, never to be caught. The sun was high overhead, warming my dark hair.


Your description here is mechanic. What does "slicing your fingers through the sand" have to do with the sun warming your dark hair? It doesn't and just breaks from the flow of the writing.

I’m going to miss all this, the warm sand, the calm ocean, the bright sun, and that bittersweet smell.


Can you be a bit more specific as to why you would miss it all?

I turned to see my mother waving her hands over her head.


Nix "over her head." The point of this sentence is basically to inform to us that her mother is gesturing the narrator to leave.

She continued her frantic motion as I refused to move.


Do not use general words like "motion". If you have studied Physics in high school, you will find that motion can apply for a large variety of actions. Be more specific, use words that clearly state what you are trying to express.

It has always been my mother and I, traveling from city to city and state to state


Use only one of those repetitions to emphasize the fact that they travel a lot since they basically portray the same idea.

My father ceased to exist in our lives and we were left alone with little money.


Explain it more, this can be quite a vital plot point.

I had tried to change my mother’s mind, telling her that there was no point in traveling so far.


Give an example where this has occured. Maybe describe the time where they were arguing in the car during the trip.

We had been driving for about two hours and I was completely bored out of my mind.


Again, please back up what your saying with examples.

I picked out an old hand-me-down sweater not caring much if it matched with what I wore. Appearances were not important to me. I think it was pointless in trying to impress people by beautifying yourself. You are either pretty or ugly, period. There is no need to add the disgusting gunk on your face or wear flashy clothes to cover up the flaws.


This bit here doesn't even have any relevance to the piece at all.

Overall impressions:

I actually quite liked the premise of this, but you need to focus more on the interaction between the narrator and the Mum. Show more key details of their trip, don't just summarize it in just a few lines. I can't actually help you anymore except that you need to use your own experience with this. I'm pretty sure you've traveled with just only one of your parents before, so what was it like? I suggest that you stick to one actual trip rather than a try to show several of them so that you can focus on adding more detail to the piece.

Good luck.

Andy.
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I tried to make it better, but I'm not sure if thats exactly what I did...
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Pawprint wrote:I literally have not written for a year! I feel extremely rusty while I was writing this. Well, rip it apart if you have to. Just want to see how I am doing after being away from writing!
... well here it goes...
(Wow a year! I'm glad you began writing again! I like this piece, but there's a few things that need to be fixed. My corrections are in bold)


Chapter 1

My fingers easily sliced through the warm sand. ("Slicing" sand doesn't actually appeal much to me... how about, "my fingers easily slid through the warm sand"? ) Each grain just slipped through, never to be caught. The sun was high overhead; it's rays seeping deep into my head.(This imagery is a bit awkward; maybe the sun should be soaking you hair, not seeping into your head.) I wanted to remember every little detail about this beach, experiencing it and lodging it in my memory. It was around noon and I would be leaving soon. I sadly watched the ocean breathe and roll. I was going to miss all of this. The warm sand, the calm ocean, the bright sun, and the bittersweet smell (Most often people associate a salted smell with the ocean :D but other than that, well done with the description).
“Cora, get in the car!”
I turned to see my mother waving her hands over her head. I frowned. She continued her frantic motion as I refused to move. She probably thought I had not seen her. My frowned deepened. Did she think I was that stupid not to notice her? [s]I felt stubborn and turned away.[/s] (I stubbornly turned away)
"Cora!" my mother yelled, again. I sighed in annoyance, but I stood up. Finally, with one last whiff of that salty scent, I trudged through the sand to join her.
***
It has always been my mother and I, [s]traveling from city to city and state to state[/s] (traveling from one city or state to another). In my whole lifetime, I had probably lived in four different states, all in the south. Never had we moved north, until now. I do not remember my father since my mother left him, taking me with her. I was barely two years old. My mother told me he was a dangerous man. Whenever I tried to picture him, a man with a scowling face and dark hair always came to mind. She refused to talk any more about him, bitterly telling me that he might as well be dead. [s]I cringed against those words.[/s] (I cringed whenever I heard those words.)
We somehow managed to get by with the little money we had. It was quite a mystery to me, since whenever we seem to be running short a wad of bills suddenly appear like magic. But I dare not think that my mother stole.
My mother was a petite woman with an unruly red mane, and bright blue eyes. She disliked large crowds and usually preferred to work in small diners or some other small, simple job. She always seemed happy with her new work. I always hoped that we would stay for good, long enough for me to go to school, but we would always be back on the road in a week or so. Every time we moved, it seemed like we kept moving further away from the ocean itself, if that was possible.
We were now on our way to Minnesota, a rainy and cold state from what I heard. I dreaded the arrival since I had grown accustomed to the warm weather of Florida. I had tried to change my mother’s mind, telling her that there was no point in traveling so far. Alabama and Georgia would be good enough. But she refused, stating that she had good friends that could help us in Minnesota. That’s what she always said. Never had I met any of these “friends.”
We had been driving for about four hours and I was completely bored out of my mind. We had never we been on the road for so long. The weather was cloudy, adding to the affect of boredom. I groaned impatiently for the thousandth time, directing it to my mother. She rolled her eyes then sighed, defeated. A glimmer of hope sparked in my chest.
“Fine. We’ll take a break at a rest stop, but we’re still going to Minnesota,”
I frowned, but accepted it since it was probably the best offer I could get.
My mother directed our sturdy trailer to the next exit as I stood up and made my to the small closet, our only closet. I picked out an old, plain sweater not caring much if it matched with what I wore. Appearances were not important to me. I would not even mind wearing the same clothing everyday if it were not so disgusting.
The trailer came to a stop and I peered out a small window. We were in front of a small diner, bordered by small palm trees. Not what I hoped for, but it was better than nothing.
“We are not staying here for more than thirty minutes so hurry up, Cora,” my mother warned and jumped out onto the pavement.
I zipped up my sweater and hopped out of the trailer, slamming the large door behind me. The morning air was still pretty chilly and I was glad that I wore a warm garment. I stood there for a while, observing the parking lot. There were probably five cars at the most; not much. Just the place my mother would have chosen. She was already at the door of the diner giving me a look. I bowed my head in a silent apology and quickly jogged towards her impatient form.




(I think it's good! The only thing you need to pay attention to is Sentence length: you should vary the length of your sentences. Try to refrain from keeping them one length.

And you should pay attention to how you've wrote it all out... you jump from past to present day a lot so you should just keep an eye on that. Keep writing! And PM Me when you have more!)



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