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My first novel....

By L.M. Buedel | Posted: 12 July 2009

Views: 228
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Here's a snippet from a book that I'm starting. This is the opening, I'm not 100% sure of what could use editing, but I would like some feedback from fellow writers. Thanks. 

	Jane sat in front of him with hot tears streaming down her cheeks. She could feel the cold steel of a pistol pressed to her forehead. Sergio, the man holding the gun, had a sick smile of satisfaction stretched across his face. Jane's hands wriggled to get out of the handcuffs, no luck. The man stayed silent, just grinning. Jane averted her eyes from the lifeless body of her friend, Mozelle, sprawled out next to her. Moz was completely innocent and Jane had done her best to explain to Sergio that. He used her to show Jane that he wasn't there to play games. It really was all Jane's fault, they both new that. Sergio used his free hand to take out the cloth gag in her mouth. Jane was about to scream out for help, God knows that there had to be at least one person outside that would be able to hear her, but Sergio put one finger calmly up to his lips. Shh.... He only wanted to ask one question before he pulled the trigger. 
"Where is it?".
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Comments 
Grampa Pogi
13 July 2009
Hi L.M. Buedel,
In a very tense situation, I would feel that wordiness takes away the suspense.  I believe short snappy sentences would give it a better action than a long narrative.  You may want the reader to feel her pain and agony, and to do that, lots of action is required. Sometimes, you don't even have to explain their motivation.  The action would tell the reader that. I hope this helps.
.............................................
Jane trembled. Sergio sneered, pressing the cold pistol on her forehead; a sick smile stretched across his face. Jane's hands wriggled but the handcuffs were tight. No luck. Warm tears streamed down her cheeks. He was silent. Just grinning. Jane averted her eyes from Mozelle, sprawled out next to her. She was not moving. Her friend was dead. Moz was innocent but Sergio did not know that; didn't care either. Sergio wasted her to show he was not playing games. She felt it was her fault. He did too. Sergio yanked the gag off her mouth. She was about to scream. Someone outside would hear. She hoped. Sergio raised a finger up his lips. "Shh..." He was calm. Just grinning. One wrong answer would pop the trigger. "Where is it?"
Anne Wills
14 July 2009
I agree with what Grampa Pogi has to say and the difference in the short passage he has rewritten for you illustrates the point. 

I would like to point out, however, that he (sorry for the presumption but grampa indicates a male to me) has rewritten it and not edited it: re comments I made about 'editing is it still my work' that I commented on earlier this week.  

Well done Grampa Pogi - it is so hard to get across what you mean without sometimes doing the rewrite.

:-) Anne
writer113
17 December 2009
I also agree with grampa. 

In my case I like to employ short sentences to speed up the pace. That system might come in handy here.

Writer
L.M. Buedel

Total posts:
2
Roles: Writer
Arizona, UNITED STATES
Hello, I'm not the most prolific writer; but I am working on a novel (more about that later), and I whip out a few poems once in a blue moon. <3 L.M.
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My first novel....
Warning: (Violence)
Genre / category: Fiction