Here's the current first thirteen:
Sarah peeked past the curtain and watched the man move down the street toward her. As he walked, he constantly turned his head to scan his surroundings. It hadn't been her imagination then; he really was following her. For the past ten minutes, he'd been hovering nearby, at the back of every store and the edge of every crowd. But whenever she'd taken a step toward him, he'd slunk away. She wondered if she should go confront him, but she dismissed the idea. She wasn't in the mood to interrogate suspicious men.
He paused just on the other side of the window from where she stood hidden. Sarah, peering through the tiniest crack in the curtain, could see the bright blue of his eyes, and the frustration evident on his face. He didn't look dangerous; he
(versions from May)
***
Midway through the afternoon, Sarah finally lost her pursuer. She stood in the shadows of an alley and watched him stride by, his bright blue eyes scanning the length of the street. He'd followed her for the past half an hour, lurking in the corners of shops and at the back of crowds, staring at her. Only when he had long passed from view did she dare to run the other way down the avenue.
When she judged that she'd run far enough, she stumbled to a halt, gasping at the strain in her legs and lungs. Anxiety still hummed throughout her body, making it difficult for her to catch her breath properly. She couldn't imagine why he'd followed her. There was nothing about her that should attract a pursuer; she was not richly dressed and she was not beautiful.
***
TAKE 2:
Sarah stood in the corner of the busy shop and watched the man stride right past the store's window. He walked quickly, his bright blue eyes scanning the length of the street. She jerked her head back before he could see her, her heart racing. It hadn't been her imagination then; he really had been following her. For the past half an hour, he'd been at the back of every store and the end of every street she'd walked on. A shiver of anxiety ran through her. She couldn't fathom why anyone would follow her.
Once the man was long gone, Sarah slipped out of the store and moved back to the busier part of downtown, keeping to the crowded streets. If she saw him again, she could call the police. She picked up her cell phone, and scowled to see that
[This message has been edited by BoredCrow (edited May 15, 2009).]
[This message has been edited by BoredCrow (edited June 11, 2009).]
Looks okay, but I tripped up at:
quote:
There was nothing about her that should attract a pursuer; she was not richly dressed and she was not beautiful.
They seemed unlikely thoughts from a POV perspective, given the situation as described. You've said that he lurks at the back of the crowds, which implies there are people around. That makes the idea of being robbed or assaulted pretty unlikely, so why she'd think that is strange. Just the thought process "well, I'm not beautiful, so he can't have been chasing me to assault me" seems unlikely.
Regards,
Nick
Nick
One other nit. 'She stood in the shadows...' This froze the action for me... then she's running the other way. I hate advising any one to stick in a 'had', but I think if the 'stood' was rewritten as 'had stood' it will help out some readers that may be jarred by the incorrectly interpreting the tense. Another solution would be 'dared to run out of the alley and back down the avenue'or something to that effect.
It's a good hook. Lots of tension and action.
I am afraid my nitpicks are a bit larger.
quote:
Sarah finally lost her pursuer.
From what you described, the man that was tailing her sounds like a stalker and not a pursuer. Pursuer implies that he is actively trying to apprehend her. Where that may be the case it isn't apparent to Sarah at this point.
quote:
She stood in the shadows of an alley and watched him stride by, his bright blue eyes scanning the length of the street.
A little difficult to see the color of his eyes from a dark alley UNLESS she is very close to him. So close that I don't know how he wouldn't be able to find her.
quote:
He'd followed her for the past half an hour, lurking in the corners of shops and at the back of crowds, staring at her. Only when he had long passed from view did she dare to run the other way down the avenue.
Crowds are safe, dark alleys are not. Several different things she could have done that would have been preferable. First would be to approach a person of authority.
quote:
When she judged that she'd run far enough, she stumbled to a halt, gasping at the strain in her legs and lungs. Anxiety still hummed throughout her body, making it difficult for her to catch her breath properly.
This is understandable. I could buy that she is panicked and reacted irrationally. However this does not help your next line.
quote:
She couldn't imagine why he'd followed her.
This is what blows any chance where I could buy your premise. If she were a thief, or a princess, or had something else that would help us learn a bit of her background, I could then buy why she would flee a safer area in place of the worst place a woman alone could be caught. At best I can only feel sympathy for a scared girl, at worst I shake my head at her stupity. Either one doesn't hook me to your opening.
quote:
she was not richly dressed and she was not beautiful.
dual 'she was'. I suggest you cut the second one.
The first paragraph is another example of your smooth prose. The second takes us out of the action you established to offer some backstory that tells us too little to matter. I suggest you focus on that part. Maybe moved that back a bit and write what is happening that moment. Her panic, his cold demeanor, whats goign on in her head, something that keeps the pace and mood that you started with.
[This message has been edited by snapper (edited May 15, 2009).]
I'll read it if you want to send it on.
I didn't mean to imply any lack of caution in Sarah. She's scared, not stupid. Her overreaction is part of the premise of the story. However, perhaps a dark alley was the wrong place to put her. The idea is that she steps out of sight, hides somewhere to let the stranger pass her by. But perhaps I overblew the sense of danger. There are a lot of people around, and she's more creeped out than frightened (except for her overreaction thing).
But if I have to write a large explanatory paragraph like that, then clearly I need to modify the first thirteen. Which I've done in the first post.
Justin.Robert.Armstrong@gmail.com
I can probably have it back to you in a day. Two tops.
quote:
Sarah stood in the corner of the busy shop and watched the man stride right past the store's window.
The first time I read this I assumed she was looking at his reflection in the glass. I realized on the second read that she is inside the shop looking out the window. This is a problem for me. If she was able to slip into a shop then how closely could mystery blue-eyes could have been following?
quote:
He walked quickly, his bright blue eyes scanning the length of the street. She jerked her head back before he could see her, her heart racing.
This made her seem paranoid to me. If that is what you were after it worked on me.
quote:
It hadn't been her imagination then; he really had been following her. For the past half an hour, he'd been at the back of every store and the end of every street she'd walked on. A shiver of anxiety ran through her. She couldn't fathom why anyone would follow her.
A logical assumption for a paranoid woman to make that believes a man is after her.
This did resolve some of the issues I had before but your hook is less sharp. I believe that you are starting in the wrong place.
Have you considered starting a little earlier? Perhaps at the point when she first sees new blue-eyes? I believe witnessing the moment when Sarah is still an afternoon shopper enjoying her day become a person who believes she is in danger by some stranger would be a dynamite hook.
-John