Doctor No's stories. Critique needed.

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Doctor No
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Doctor No's stories. Critique needed.

#1 Post by Doctor No »

It's a story I wrote. I want to turn it into a kinetic novel too one day which will require a bit of editing.

Tell me if it's okay?

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[b]Peace[/b]
He opened his eyes.

All his senses were in working order.

The acoustic waves impacting in his ear, sending impulses to his brain, told him that he was in a crowded area with lots of people talking. The light waves focused on his retina showed his brain that there were white walls around him, with people wearing white rushing everywhere. His own lungs were pumping fully, his vocal cords working maximally.. "Congratulations. Its a healthy baby boy", someone said to someone else. And then the feeling of covered by something warm.

This was what he remembered of his first moments..



Another day, another memory. A big male of his kind was talking to him. He wanted him to do something. Something he couldn't understand. "Say Papa." The male said. He remained silent. "Say Papa". He said again. He moved his lips. The excitement was now apparent on the male's face. Finally, without knowing why, he said it. The male looked as if he had just won the jackpot...



Then, there was another day. His eyes seeing bright colorful clothes on things like himself. No, not like, similar. Some were baring their teeth and opening their mouths wide. Others, their faces in horrible positions, something watery running down from their eyes.. All this was happening in a place where a female, someone he was supposed to call his mother, had taken him to do something called "Learning". This place was called a "School".



As days passed, he met more and more of his kind.. He was fascinated with them. Happy. cheerful. Unaware. Unaware of their insignificance in the grand scheme of universe. Unaware that their presence was a mere fraction of a second in eternity. He felt isolated. And burdened. As if it was his duty to tell the people what they were. What was their reality.. So he took on studying their culture, to better understand them. It only confused him, the illogicality, the roundabout ways, the myths and the fights.



He found it difficult to comprehend how a person could "love", for example. When that is merely an impulse in his brain.



How one could die for something, when mathematically, he stands to gain more..



How people paint, when on its base, it is merely geometrical shapes.



The world probably was nothing but a deep sensory hallucination, he thought.



Everywhere he looked, he saw haphazard structures. People took longer paths than were optimal to get somewhere. They took approaches that took them in the opposite direction of their intentions. and yet, it seemed to make no difference. This was in sharp contrast with his own world-view. The shortest routes, the optimal approaches, the best options, these were what he thought about.



As he learned, his loneliness grew. He couldn't find anyone to share his thoughts with. People called him "difficult" to his face, and "crazy" behind his back. They laughed when he said "In fifty year's time, this city will be dead and another nearby would become the business center". He couldn't make them understand the reasoning, or his presumptions.



Another day, another memory. He met her on a bright day in a park. She was jogging. He was sitting, thinking about the intricacies and nuances of the delicate ecosystem. One that human tried to copy from his creator. He got up, he bumped into her. She looked at him as if he was supposed to apologize. He did. She accepted. he asked her to sit with him. She smiled. She quietly sat beside him. The introductions broke the ice. And then she left.



This was something new. An experience never experienced before. The thrill of her presence, her understanding, left him with a hunger for more. Next day, he waited at the same place. She came again. They sat. They chatted. To him, it felt that this went on for ages. She was a prime specimen of her species, yet she was also understanding of him. She helped him in his understanding. Of why people do what they did. Of how they feel. He kept feeling a connection between them. Something inexplicable. Yet infinitely benevolent. She said it was love. He nodded.



They were married within a year. And the very next day, he received a message that his parents had been killed in an accident on their way back from the wedding.

It was a solemn service. Everybody was there saying there goodbye. Yet he felt oddly detached. It was their time, he thought. 

People are born and die every second, he mused.

They had fulfilled their purpose, whatever it was, he rationalized. Yet he couldn't control his tears.

She held his hand throughout the service.



The happy moments he spent with her were something he treasured. She used to take him new places, meet new people,do new things. Outwardly, he learned how to deal with diverse things. Inwardly, he learned new behaviors and their significance.



Another memory. His son was born on a bright April morning in a hospital. The sterile white walls looked strange when he was rushing to the Operating Room with his wife. The child was born alive, but his wife died in the process. Once again he was left alone. He receded into himself. Shut everything out. He felt that the world as he had understood it had been shattered. He no longer recognized the logic and behaviors he had grown accustomed to anymore. It was all unintelligible to him.



His son's graduation was a grand affair. He had topped his class and companies were lining up to get a hold of his expertise.. But the only thing that stands out in his memory is the confrontation. "You have never been proud of me", his son had said. "You are just cold. Without feelings. I wish YOU had died instead of my mother." He left. His son left. He was alone again. Alone in that big house. Alone.



He wasn't needed anymore.

His work was done.

All on his own.

Thoughts raced in his mind. Thoughts he had never thought before. He stepped toward the medicine cabinet.

Hesitated.

Alone.

Opened it.

Took out a bottle of sleeping pills. Emptied it. Swallowed them all.

He slowly walked to his bed. Sat on it. Then lied down.



His mind felt like a stranger. Yet everything was familiar. As sleep, and death, walked towards him, he felt the walls closing in on him. He could suddenly hear as if he had never heard in his life before. See like it was the first time he was seeing. It wasn't just electrical impulses going through his neuronal pathways. This was something else. He was FEELING. 

Everything he was supposed to have felt, that he pretended to feel, he was feeling for real. His love for his son, his wife, his parents. His pride in his son. His grief at the dearly departed. Everything.

The Jesus, was crucified.

The Buddha had achieved nirvana.

The Socrates had taken his sip of eternity.

And thus, he saw Shiva and Morpheus come hand in hand. He greeted them like they were old friends. And he left. To Valhalla. 



He was finally, at peace.

He finally understood.

MWShinzou
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Re: Doctor No's stories. Critique needed.

#2 Post by MWShinzou »

Hello! First I would just like to say welcome to the forums. I'm a bit new here and haven't really had much activity in the past few months, but I'll try to help you out! Second, take this critique with a grain of salt. I may sound like I'm knit-picking at times, but I try to critique from both a writer and readers point of view. Also, I do make suggestions and will explain the reason for them. Some things I can't fully explain but for some reason they pop up as instinct in my mind as I read. Also, when I critique I read as I critique, so I may jump the gun, but that's also the point. I try to emulate what the reader first sees and thinks as they read, so while it may seem knit-picking, it's just from first impression. Well, here it goes!

The acoustic waves impacting in his ear, sending impulses to his brain, told him that he was in a crowded area with lots of people talking. <-- This sentence feels strange to me. Consider rephrasing in a way that makes it sound more natural from the child's perspective. Ex:: "Acoustic waves passed through his ear drums, sending thundering impulses to his brain which translated into garbled noise all around him." This is a poor example but from reading this I'm assuming that this child is experiencing these things for the first time. How would they know "people" are "talking", and how would he know his gender?

Finally, without knowing why, he said it. The male looked as if he had just won the jackpot... <-- Again, how would the child know what winning the jackpot would be? Maybe he saw his face light up with a smile, or something more apparent. Euphemisms are great but from this point of view I think they may not work.

Then, there was another day. His eyes seeing bright colorful clothes on things like himself. <-- Try using a more active sentence. Maybe change to "Another day passed by." Also, You can't have a -ing verb form like seeing by itself in a sentence. It has to be proceeded or preceded by a simple tense of a verb. Ex:: Turning over the rock, his eyes squinted down toward the ground. Consider changing seeing to saw or rephrase in a way that becomes grammatically correct.

All this was happening in a place where a female, someone he was supposed to call his mother, had taken him to do something called "Learning". This place was called a "School". <-- I like this. This is more consistent than the previous paragraphs. Consider changing it to "someone he was suppose to call "mother." It blends in better when you describe words that the child doesn't completely understand.


As days passed, he met more and more of his kind.. <-- So he doesn't recognize what the word human means or what a human is, and only perceives that there are others like him? Depending on what age the child is (I'm assuming 5 or 6 if in Kindergarten) they would already have a social identity of what they and others are. And if anything, know what a person or people are in that context.

One that human tried to copy from his creator. <-- I don't understand the meaning of this sentence. If you could rephrase it possibly. What does the one refer to? Is One or Human the word being affected by "his". If it's human maybe consider using the word Man. It feels like your going for a slightly religious or overseer type deal.

He got up, he bumped into her. <-- Needs rephrasing. "He got up and bumped into her" -Or- "As he got up, he bumped into her." Otherwise, those are two complete different sentences and can't be linked to by a comma.

She looked at him as if he was supposed to apologize. He did. She accepted. [H]e asked her to sit with him. She smiled. She quietly sat beside him. The introductions broke the ice. And then she left. <-- The sentences here are pretty short and not very complex. It's always good to have a mixture of complex sentences and simple ones. If they are too short all the time, they become dull, but if they are too long all the time, they become too drawn out. You want to give the reader a nice break in between sentences, but you also want to keep their attention.

The sterile white walls looked strange when he was rushing to the Operating Room <-- How did they look strange? You need to not just tell but also show us what is strange about it. Is it because he feels nostalgic from the memory of his own birth? Etc.

As sleep, and death, walked towards him, he felt the walls closing in [on him] <-- As sleep and death walked towards him. I don't believe a comma is really needed after the sleep. You could probably end it at in rather than adding on him, since we already know the narration is from his perspective.


He could suddenly hear as if he had never heard in his life before. See like it was the first time he was seeing. It wasn't just electrical impulses going through his neuronal pathways. This was something else. He was FEELING. <-- I love this. I really get the feeling from the narrator. However, the phrasing just doesn't seem right. Ex:: Sensation spread through out him for the very first time as electrical impulses shot through his neuronal pathways. Suddenly he could see as if through a newborn's eyes, and hear as if their a newborn's ears. You really want to bring vividness to the picture, make it clear and concise, and also very touching and emotional, especially for a scene like this I believe.

"The Jesus, was crucified. The Buddha had achieved nirvana. The Socrates had taken his sip of eternity." <-- This is great, but again i recommend rephrasing. Consider taking away the The's (no pun intended). All three are considered people (at least Buddha was. You could leave it as The Buddha though. For for Jesus and Socrates, the The isn't need). Also consider using the name Christ instead; I think it evokes a more potent image.

And he left. To Valhalla. <-- Nice imagery though I find the use of Valhalla as a phrase for the afterlife/death kind of odd. Normally heroic warriors are sent there by Valkyries when they die.

Overall, I like the concept of this but it left me very confused. First I thought the character was recalling his life experiences, maybe he was a robot that was booting up and those memories came up. When he talked about things logically and his perceptions, I thought he was an alien or something sent down to investigate human kind. It isn't extremely clear what approach you're trying to make with this. Some of your imagery is brilliant but not written with justice. A few grammatical errors here and there but otherwise you can articulate fairly okay. I really did enjoy this and it kept be interested throughout. However, the ending was bitter sweet and I found it almost cryptic. What did he finally understand? Reading it was a whole, I take it that this was all a flash of his life in front of his eyes, but that wasn't actually evident. You should be more clear and concise so that readers and understand your vision in the future. Anyways, I hope this helps and feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to explain them. Until then, good luck on your stories!
My blog, Living In An Infinite World is at http://livinginaninfiniteworld.wordpress.com
Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem~~

Doctor No
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Re: Doctor No's stories. Critique needed.

#3 Post by Doctor No »

Thank you for your reply.

To answer your last question first, this story is supposed to show a person who has no ability to understand why people do what they do. Sorta like an autistic person. At the end however, when his life flashes in front of him once again, he understands the concept of "humanity", the reason people do what they do. Why they make mistakes. And why they are still happy.

I think you must have noticed that he himself didn't feel much emotions. He just copied ones from around him without any internal motive.

Some of your suggestions are wonderful. Thank you for them. I'll be incorporating the in the story.

Thanks once again for taking time to read my story.

RemnantDream
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Re: Doctor No's stories. Critique needed.

#4 Post by RemnantDream »

Over all, I liked them. Most of the critiques I had, MWShinzou said xD But it was very well written and captivating.
How one could die for something, when mathematically, he stands to gain more..
I looved that quote. I literally sat here and stared at it for a couple minutes.

MWShinzou
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Re: Doctor No's stories. Critique needed.

#5 Post by MWShinzou »

I agree with you on that. To see something from eyes that can only see logic but falter when they try to grasp human nature, it's nice to hear something unique and thought provoking. As for this being a visual novel, I think this could be used well as some kind of prologue/epilogue, or even used as a prelude start to the actual story, the type of story that starts at the end of climax of it but then flashes back to the events that lead up to it. Let us know when you're done with the story or if you need anymore critiques. I look forward to reading more!
My blog, Living In An Infinite World is at http://livinginaninfiniteworld.wordpress.com
Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem~~

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