This is topic Paradoxically Correct... in forum Fragments and Feedback for Short Works at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.


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Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
 
Some bubbles ruptured and others joined. One grew larger than the rest; stabilising its form and pulsing like a living heart. It began to pull irresistibly at Steve Orbison-Daltrey's essence. His perception shredded as it slid through the sphere's boundary wall and he would have screamed, but he had no throat to scream with.
There was a moment of nothingness--a micro-eternity of gray.
Then, like a punch in the face, he felt a snap as reality assembled around him. The time trans-location process completed and the world crashed together. Light, sound, gravity and being hammered his senses.
“Jesus,” he said and swayed back and forth. He looked down at his body and quickly patted his chest. He felt real; relief

[This message has been edited by skadder (edited March 14, 2009).]

[This message has been edited by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (edited March 14, 2009).]
 


Posted by TaleSpinner (Member # 5638) on :
 
Good start, I'm hooked.

A nit: I read "being hammered" as Steve being the subject of a hammering, not "being" as one of several senses that were being hammered into him. If you see what I mean.

Also, who in their right mind would give their child the initials SOD? (Which, as you know, can be a term of not exactly endearment here in the UK, unlike the US.)

Send it over for a read if you would like.
 


Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
 
Mmm.. SOD, ehh?

I take your point on being...not sure it adds much anyway.

Thanks for your comments but I am 2k words into it and it is probably going to be about 4-5k.

Adam
 


Posted by Owasm (Member # 8501) on :
 
It takes a couple of readings to get it all in. Reading it twice is not a chore. I would definitely move on. You've got a good hook at the end.

Two nits - 1) The 'scream with' The with at the end of the sentence seems awkward to me (ending a sentence with a preposition.) 2) I understand the sphere element to start, but then you abandon it when he just pops out of the transport medium.

- Owasm


 


Posted by Brant Danay (Member # 8087) on :
 
Hey Skadder. I thought this had a lot of great imagery and interesting concepts, and I'm definitely hooked. I did, however, encounter a lot of areas that tripped me up, which I've detailed below. They're only suggestions or alternatives, and I may not have read this correctly, but here goes:

"Some bubbles ruptured and others joined."

An alternative might be, "Some bubbles ruptured, while others joined." Not necessarily an improvement, but perhaps an alternative.

"One grew larger than the rest; stabilising its form and pulsing like a living heart."

I think it might be possible to drop "its form".

It began to pull irresistibly at Steve Orbison-Daltrey's
essence.

"Pulling" instead of "to pull" might be an alternative here.

Random musing: Steve Orbison-Daltrey sounds a lot like Kathleen Dalton Woodbury. Hmm...Conscious? Subconscious? Jungian synchronicity? Mind-control technique to hijack Kathleen's brain so that you can be the Supreme Ruler of Hatrack?

"His perception shredded as it slid through the sphere's boundary wall and he would have screamed, but he had no throat to scream with."

Kind of sounded like it was his perception which slid through the sphere's boundary wall. I think the last half of this might be more effective and impactful as its own sentence, i.e. "He would have screamed, but he had no throat to scream with.

Micro-eternity=cool concept!

"Then, like a punch in the face, he felt a snap as reality assembled around him"

Might also work as "Then he felt a snap, like a punch in the face, as reality assembled around him."

Time trans-location process read awkwardly to me. I think the problem might be having the word time in front of it; kind of feels like its a misplaced noun that would be better off as an adjective, or possibly dropped. Trans-temporal might be one alternative.

"world crashed back together" might be an alternative

Light, sound, gravity and being hammered his senses.

An alternative that popped into my mind here is, "Light, sound, gravity, and existence itself hammered his senses."

"Jesus," he said and swayed back and forth>

Replacing "and" with "as he" might be an option here.

Please don't be alarmed by the length of this response. I really, really enjoyed this piece, especially the concepts of micro-eternity and reality assembling, and I feel that the missing throat is a great hook. Hopefully you'll find some assistance or inspiration in my ramblings, and I didn't just write a bunch of useless gibberish here.

Best regards,

Brant


 


Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
 
No...thanks Brant. I struggled to make this intro unclunky. I knew it had some hooks but my prose is letting me down at the moment, so what you pointed out is useful.
 
Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
 
quote:
Random musing: Steve Orbison-Daltrey sounds a lot like Kathleen Dalton Woodbury. Hmm...Conscious? Subconscious? Jungian synchronicity? Mind-control technique to hijack Kathleen's brain so that you can be the Supreme Ruler of Hatrack?

memo: codephrase-alpha-niner-one-six/subjectcode:KDW#2-identifiedthreat-BrantDanay/action:terminate.

No, Brant. It was just a name I came up with...doesn't mean anything.

5...4...3...2...1...
 


Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
 
Must allow skadder to post more than 13 lines....


Yeah, right.


 


Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :
 
Good stuff.

I think;

quote:
Steve Orbison-Daltrey's essence. His perception shredded as it slid through the sphere's boundary wall and he would have screamed,

Could be joined as the subject is near the end of the first sentence.
'...essence, shredding his perception...'
Just a thought. I'll read if you'd like.
 
Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
 
Hey, you're KDW#1, I was talking to KDW#2...the clone.
 
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
 
Clone? Sure, you were, skadder.
 
Posted by Brant Danay (Member # 8087) on :
 
Hey, Skadder, see if you can convince her to let me post a Murder She Wrote story.
 
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
 
Nice try, Brant Danay.


 


Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
 
Looking for readers of this...beware, this story may offend christians...

3.5K words...suggestions for title accepted. Tentatively as above 'Paradoxically Correct...'

If you want further details before reading it, please email me...

[This message has been edited by skadder (edited March 28, 2009).]
 


Posted by dee_boncci (Member # 2733) on :
 
That opening was a chore to read through, maybe it was for artistic effect so I'd feel as disassociated with reality as poor Steve?

I've got some time so I'd be willing to give it a read. It's been a while since I got to participate over here as a critter.
 


Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
 
Sent.
 


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