z

Young Writers Society


Struck Sightless-chapter one



User avatar
47 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 1212
Reviews: 47
Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:58 pm
imapoemperson says...



I finally got to the first chapter, but I still haven't edited the prologue. I would recommend reading it to get a better understanding of this anyway though.

Two years previous
Chapter one~
“Seacus, get out of bed! You can’t sleep all day!” Ember calls to me from downstairs. My eyes bolt open, and search frantically for the images that I should be seeing. Then I remember. That life of mine is over; it has been for a year now. Yet, whenever I rouse from my dreamless sleep I manage to forget my identity.
“Seacus, hurry up! I have a surprise for you!” I groan, and pull myself out of bed. Why does she always think that I want surprises? I think, as I search for my clothes in my dresser. Unlike most boys my age I keep my room tidy. Not a hair out of place; every piece of clothing neatly folded, and color coded in my dresser.
My sensitive fingers run over a thin cotton shirt, and some jeans. I pull both on hastily, and then feel my way out of my room. The walls are rough on my fingertips.
I turn and face the kitchen, where the heavy aroma of fried eggs drifts to me. I can feel Embers steady gaze, and I turn my head away. As if I was looking at-
My head explodes with pain. Almost like someone took an axe to my skull. A small whimper escapes my lips, as I fall to my knees. Ember comes rushing over to me; putting an arm around my back, and her other hand on my forehead.
A cold sweat starts to drench my clothes, as I try to fight the nausea and pain. My fingers claw at the wood floor beneath me, and she pulls me closer to her. She says nothing as the throbbing continues, because she knows that I cannot reply to any of her questions. The pain slowly recedes back to my neck and eventually disappears all together.
"I am alright," I whisper, my voice weak, "I just need to rest for a second."
“Do you need some water?” She asks, as she helps me walk over to the couch.
“Sure. “ I reply, and a few seconds later I hear her pumping water from the sink. I gingerly run my fingers along my head. Trying to figure out what is wrong with me.
“Here.” She says, placing the cup in my hand. I take a long gulp, letting the cold and refreshing water roll over my tongue; leaving a metallic aftertaste in its wake. “How many times has it been this month?” She asks.
I count the recurrences in my head, “Five, and they keep getting worse.”
“That is it; I am taking you to the doctors!” She exclaims, “Maybe he will know what is happening.”
“Maybe,” My hand shakes, as I place my cup on the wooden side table, “But as far as I know. This has never happened before anywhere near here.
“We can never be sure, but at least we can get some medicine for you. We will leave after we eat breakfast.”
* * *
The door to the doctor’s office opens; sending a gust of sterile air out into the empty cobblestone street.
“Do you have an appointment?” A woman’s shrill voice calls to us from our right.
“No, but this is important.” Ember says, walking up closer to the voice. I walk to one of the chairs at the side of the room. This room is familiar territory, so I do not need a guide to navigate it.
“Hmm, quite, but seeing as you do not have an appointment…”
“I don’t need a stupid appointment! Just tell Henry that the Olson family needs him for a moment!” Ember shouts at the receptionist.
“Will do, will do…as soon as he finishes his break.” She says, with a bitter sharpness to her tone. A smirk dances across my face, she must be new.
“You are useless! Henry! May I have a word?” Ember shouts into the back office.
“Ember, is that you?” Footsteps hurry towards us. “Ah, and young Seacus too! My you two have grown!” I flash a quick smile in his general direction.
“Sorry to barge in like this, but may we have a quick word? We have to be somewhere in a half an hour, but this should not take long.”
“Yes, yes of course, anything for you two, back into my office then.”I stand up, and follow the footsteps into the back room. “How can I be of service?” He asks.
“You see, ever since the accident Seacus has been having massive headaches, and they are only getting worse. We were wondering if you had heard of anything similar happening before.”
He considered the question for a moment, “No, I believe that this is an original case, but I can look around, just to be sure. In the meantime, let me see if I can get any pain medications for you.” He said walking up closer to where I sat. “Where did it hurt the most?” He asks, and I touch the base of my skull.
“Thought it might be so,” He pauses, “It is your occipital lobe, the part of your brain that allows you to see.”
“Go figure.” I mutter under my breath.
"We played Pin the Tail on the Reason My Life Feels So Insufficient, and nobody won." -Megan Moriarty
  





User avatar
370 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 20503
Reviews: 370
Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:20 am
empressoftheuniverse says...



I did read your preview; It was pretty intriguing. This was even more so; though I don't quite understand where the story's going from here. A strange accident renders him blind; and now he has intense pain in his occipital lobe-- and I suppose I have to wait until the next installment to find out how the two meld together? I suppose so. It was very well written; the characters seem well formed. One nitpick:
what happened to the surprise? Was that just to get him out of bed? Do we hear about it later? Maybe I'm just being ridiculous; but I was exited for that surprise.
And just so I understand: The point of the prologue was to a) tell his story and b) interest us with the story of what Seacus has gained?
And that's where we stand now?
Your story's really good-- I'm just impatient for the rest
~Meagan
Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.
*Le Bible
Royal Reviews Here!
  





User avatar
110 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 19189
Reviews: 110
Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:43 pm
Lilicia says...



Hi!

This is really good. The prologue really intruiged me, and this chapter's also very interesting. You've got a very good story coming along. It's very original, and even though it must be really hard to write from the perspective of a blind person, I think you've pulled it off really well. :D

Now for the nit-picks!

“Seacus, get out of bed! You can’t sleep all day!” Ember calls to me from downstairs.


I think the 'to me' is a little awkward here. We already know from the prologue that Seacus is 'me', so it's not really neccesary. I sugest ou take it out, as everything will flow more easily without it.

Yet, whenever I rouse from my dreamless sleep I manage to forget my identity.


There should be a comma after 'sleep'. :)

I can feel Embers steady gaze, and I turn my head away. As if I was looking at-


Typo: Embers should be Ember's. 8) Also, change the 'was' to 'were': 'As if I were looking at-'

A small whimper escapes my lips, as I fall to my knees.


There doesn't need to be a comma here :)

Sure.I reply, and a few seconds later I hear her pumping water from the sink. I gingerly run my fingers along my head.


Make sure you change the full stop after 'sure' to a comma. Also, I might just be being fussy, but personally, I think there are to many 'I's in this. I suggest:

"Sure," I reply, and a few seconds later the sound of water pumping from the tap fills my ears. Gingerly, I run my fingers along my head.'


That's how I'd put it anyway, but that's just a suggestion. Write it any way you want 8)

My hand shakes, as I place my cup on the wooden side table


The comma doesn't need to be there.

“But as far as I know. This has never happened before anywhere near here.


I don't think this needs to be in two sentences. Maybe just put a comma after 'know', and uncapitalise the 't' on this. Also, you forgot the quotation marks at the end of the sentence. Make sure to put them in :D

“I don’t need a stupid appointment! Just tell Henry that the Olson family needs him for a moment!” Ember shouts at the receptionist.


The reader already knows that this dialogue is between Ember and the receptionist, so personally I think that the 'at the receptionist' bit is uneccesary. :mrgreen:

A smirk dances across my face, she must be new.


I love the way you described the smirk dancing. Very good description you've got there! However, I think that if you made this two setences, it would sound better:

A smirk dances across my face. She must be new.


This separates the description from the thought, making it less confusing, and giving the description a sentence of its own! :)

My you two have grown!"


There should be a comma after 'My'.

“Sorry to barge in like this, but may we have a quick word? We have to be somewhere in a half an hour, but this should not take long.”


Where do they have to be in half an hour? This wasn't mentioned before. Is it important? Please explain!

Okay, nit-picking finished... almost. Now for the dialouge:

“Do you need some water?” She asks, as she helps me walk over to the couch.
“Here.” She says, placing the cup in my hand.
“How many times has it been this month?” She asks.
“That is it; I am taking you to the doctors!” She exclaims
“Will do, will do…as soon as he finishes his break.” She says
“How can I be of service?” He asks.
“Where did it hurt the most?” He asks,
“Thought it might be so,” He pauses,


Okay. These were all the examples I found. Basically, the problem is, none of the s's/h's on the he/she's should capital. Sorry if I'm not being clear. :oops: Here's an example:

"What a nice day we're having!" She exclaimed.


This isn't correct.

"What a nice day we're having!" she exclaimed.


Whereas this is.

However, it's not always like this...

"I love chocolate," His voice sounded sad, desparate, even.


This is correct. Basically, when it's not 'she asked, he cried, she said,' etc... Using a capital letter afterwards is okay.

Am I making sense? :?

Hopefully. Anyway, you know what I mean :D

Just make sure to go through this chapter once more, making sure to stick to these rules.

Well, apart from that, I love this story! Sorry if I was way to fussy.

Anyway, hope I helped! :D
“Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.”

~Hans Christan Andersen
  





User avatar
47 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 1212
Reviews: 47
Tue Sep 01, 2009 8:07 pm
imapoemperson says...



what happened to the surprise? Was that just to get him out of bed? Do we hear about it later? Maybe I'm just being ridiculous; but I was exited for that surprise.
And just so I understand: The point of the prologue was to a) tell his story and b) interest us with the story of what Seacus has gained?
And that's where we stand now?

~Meagan


OK, first of all, yes. you will learn about the surprise in the next chapter...once i decide what it is. :P

With the prologue:
At first there was no point. In Fact, it was going to be a stand a lone piece until everyone on YWS said that they thought it was a prologue. But, yes to A and B.

Lilicia wrote:Hi!

It's very original, and even though it must be really hard to write from the perspective of a blind person, I think you've pulled it off really well. :D

Thanks, but for some strange reason it's easier to write in Seacus's perspective than anyone else's.

Thanks for all of the help guys!:D
~Poem
"We played Pin the Tail on the Reason My Life Feels So Insufficient, and nobody won." -Megan Moriarty
  





User avatar
537 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 60568
Reviews: 537
Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:37 pm
Evi says...



Hey Poem! ^_^ Sorry for the wait-- school is taking way more time than I had expected. -_- Homework = slow death.

I'm just going to go over some key points, and a couple of nit-picks.

“That is it; I am taking you to the doctors!” She exclaims, “Maybe he will know what is happening.”



Is there a reason she talks so... properly? "That is it!" "I am taking you." "He will know." You're avoiding contractions, and it's making the dialogue sound stuffy and forced.

I take a long gulp, letting the cold and refreshing water roll over my tongue; leaving a metallic aftertaste in its wake.


Semi-colons are just to separate full sentences. Since 'leaving a metallic aftertaste in its wake' isn't a full sentence, the semi-colon needs to just be a comma. ^^

:arrow: I want to know Seacus's relationship to Ember. Right now it's so undefined-- she could be a mother, a sister, a love, a grandma. You haven't given us any description of her (yes, I know he can't see, but he can remember what he used to see or muffle his head in her long, silky hair (lover), wrap his arms around her vast waistline (plump relative). I understand if you need to keep something about the relationship a secret, but at least give us an approximate age so we can eliminate some relationship possibilities. ;)

:arrow: I'm sorry, but I'm not liking the doctor's office scene at all. :? The idea is good and natural-- of course Ember would want him fixed --but the execution is a bit loose. Firstly, the dialogue seems so rushed. It's like you're only saying what absolutely must be said, instead of developing a normal conversation between the doctor and the patients. Points you should address with that scene

-- What is this place they need to be at soon? You don't mention it before, or after, and it seems kind of randomly tossed in there to give them a time frame. Also, when you go to doctors, it's rather impolite to be the one saying "Okay, could you hurry it up, doc? It's their hospital/office, and generally patients are on the doctor's terms. *shrug* Just saying.

-- Description: Okay, okay. Yeah, I know he's blind. ;P But you need to get over the fact that your MC can't see anything, and find out how to show the readers your setting in other ways. Mainly sounds-- they'd be bombarding him from every direction, either disorienting him or comforting him. Next, touch. He'd be touching everything, registering the texture of everything, accidentally brushing up against an unfamiliar arm of stepping on a stranger's toe. He can't see, and chances are (even though he's had some practice) he's still a bit clumsy.

Just stop rushing through everything. That's your main issue, and the narrative could be really lovely if you just stopped to smell the roses. ^_^ (Maybe even literally!) Slow down, describe, delve into emotions, and explain relationships. I'm not saying in info-dumps, but develop some regular conversations that can let us into the other characters' heads.

All in all, a pleasantly solid first chapter that needs just a bit more thought put into it. ^_^ Good luck!

~Evi
"Let's eat, Grandma!" as opposed to "Let's eat Grandma!": punctuation saves lives.
  





User avatar
104 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 1499
Reviews: 104
Tue Oct 20, 2009 7:01 pm
Storm_Bringer says...



Hi!!! Poem, I haven't talked to you for AGES!!!

Well, I'm back! (Somewhat anyways) :D
Here goes your review. Sorry if I'm a bit rusty...

No nitpicks for me, the others probably got them already. I'll just tell you what I think.

This was pretty interesting. I'm curious because it can go so many ways. I love the unique names. :)
And the receptionist is a nice touch. I'm wondering though, perhaps, you should explain more about the relationship between the doctor and them? Because most people don't get special treatment like that.
Plus, I agree with Evi. Ember and the Doctor talk really formal. I know their adults or anything but still. Most people use slang or something like that, even adults. They are... Very direct, I suppose you could put it that way. I'm not sure if you are trying to show that this is Ember's personality. Because it could work if you put it that way. Try to add a little more details; the beginning was good but it started to get less and less towards the end. How 'bout describing the doctor some more, the receptionist, even the office. It's quite good so far so keep it up! ^___^

<3 Stormy!
"You know when you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
~~~
Need a review?
One Stormy Review Coming Right Up!
  





User avatar
150 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 14032
Reviews: 150
Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:48 pm
irishfire says...



Wow! This is great! :D I loved it!

Question: Is he blind?

Keep up the awesome work!

-Irish :elephant:

*stars*
I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. - Robert McCloskey

Teacher: What do we, in the U.S enjoy from places like Mexico?
Student: Wait, legally?

WARNING: This user carries a spatula.
  





Random avatar


Gender: None specified
Points: 2784
Reviews: 16
Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:06 am
Mogay Ryt says...



More than anything I love your title: really made me want to read it... Nice work
  





User avatar
13 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 2859
Reviews: 13
Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:36 am
zerkk says...



Hello!
This is my first Review on YWS so I apologize if I mess up anywhere! :mrgreen:

First of all I truly enjoyed reading this piece! I enjoy were the story can go and look forward to reading more.

A few things I noticed though,

My head explodes with pain.


A Little more detail into what the Character is feeling would be grand

Almost like someone took an axe to my skull.


This seems (to me anyway) to imply that the pain has passed, as mentioned above more detail into the pain being felt would draw more attention to the pain he is feeling. Make the reader FEEL the pain Seacus is going through.


“You see, ever since the accident Seacus has been having massive headaches, and they are only getting worse. We were wondering if you had heard of anything similar happening before.”
He considered the question for a moment, “No, I believe that this is an original case, but I can look around, just to be sure. In the meantime, let me see if I can get any pain medications for you.” He said walking up closer to where I sat. “Where did it hurt the most?” He asks, and I touch the base of my skull.
“Thought it might be so,” He pauses, “It is your occipital lobe, the part of your brain that allows you to see.”


This seems to lack medical detail, I know not all readers are MD's and not many know what the Occipital Lobe is, but adding more detail into medical issues would make this more filling, add medical jargon, not so much to make a reader discouraged but to slightly give a sense of wonder and confusion.



Again, this is my first review so I hope it was satisfactory.
I look forward to reading more and possibly helping you more as well!

-zerkk
"When then going gets weird, the weird turn Pro." - Hunter S. Thompson

"when all else fails and you can't extend a story, Ingest large amounts of hallucinogens or create a long lost brother" -- Zerkk

Demeter!
  








If you want to make enemies, try to change something.
— Woodrow Wilson