Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Excerpt from "The Fall"




...this past weekend the boys bid farewell to another season of basketball, following a valiant push into the semi-finals before stumbling a bit short of our goal. Oh well, those boys are young, their journey still hardly under way. They'll figure things out ;)

As for me, well...

Please enjoy the following excerpt from "The Fall."


...the embrace of night softens its grip as Jessica rounds a silent street corner, spying the towering beacons of the Cooper River Bridge in the distance. Using the fog as her ally, she'd sped barefoot upon Charleston's cobbled streets. Dodging mature Sabals, like sentries protecting their city. Palm fronds in the shape of daggers, rustling in the breeze, warding off any trespassers tempting fate. A burst of neon from an aging pool hall, staining the sidewalk in magenta. Past the local night life, the homeless and the drunkards, mumbling obscenities from long forgotten alleys.

Most of them don't see her. Those who do, think perhaps they'd seen a ghost. A young girl, not a day over sixteen, slipping through the mist, a moistened pale nightshirt clinging to her shoulders, and nothing more. An exhale of breath, a flash of hair the color of bourbon, and gone with the salty breeze.

Having spent the majority of the night on her feet, watching her town pass by in a blur, a set of weary lungs has limited her breathing to periodic gasps. Yet with the sight of the bridge looming before her, renewed vigor quickens her pace.

Ancient alleyways shrouded in mist, give way to beaming overhead halogens, the road now a steady incline to the awaiting bridge. And with muscles that scream, the flesh on her heals now callused and raw, Jessica begins the final leg of her journey...


Short and sweet, but we're getting there...


I hope to knock this one out by summer's end, give or take a month or three for the trials of editing ;)

Fellow writers and friends of Blogland, you've been dearly missed. Barring any unforeseen mishaps on the home front, I'll be paying you all a visit over the next few days.

In the meantime, I stumbled across an interesting site for anyone in the market for writing articles or advertisements for the corporate world as you await that thumbs up from your agent.

It's called E-Lance, a place for writers who are anxious to make a name for themselves, and companies in search of wordsmiths. Call it a financial supplement until one's ship rolls in ;)

Not sure if the protected link will behave, but its worth a look-see @ Elance.com




El

14 comments:

dolorah said...

Few authors can start with setting instead of character and make it work. I love your beginning.

.......dhole

Sarah Tokeley said...

I love this. I can't wait until it's finished :-)

Jemi Fraser said...

Your voice is truly unique. I love how you evoke such strong images in my head (and with brain that's not easy to do!). Nicely done :)

DEZMOND said...

nice excerpt, El!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I think you have another winner here, Elliot! Oh, pretty please, could you think about those 2 word verifications? LOL.

Annalisa Crawford said...

Very evocative language. I loved the light staining the sidewalk!

Christine Danek said...

This is amazing. I can't wait to see where it goes. Such imagery. Love it.
BTW- I read your Bella and Katniss story. Loved that too!!

Elliot Grace said...

Hey Donna, I agree, very few can, including me. (That excerpt was several paragraphs into the story ;) In any sense, thanks so much for your thoughts.

Hey Sarah, thank you, dear. It's my son's favorite. I figure its about time I start sharing it.

Hey Jemi, a compliment from a teacher, you're truly a sweetheart ;)

Hey Dez, my Hollywood connection, thanks so much for stopping by!

Hey Roland, that my friend, is exactly why I offer my goods for the world to see. For it would've taken me weeks of editing to spot what jumped off the screen to greet you at first glance.

Good catch, and thank you ;)

Hey Annalisa, it remains a work in progress, but gaining steam. Thanks!

Hey Christine, the Katniss confrontation may go down as the funnest yarn I've shared in quite some time. So glad you enjoyed it ;)

El

Morgan said...

Ohhhh... wasn't that excerpt nice? You're a very descriptive writer... where you pull the reader in and put them in the scene... almost sensual too, that scene! I liked it. Nice work, EG ;)

Emily said...

Sorry the boys fell short of their goal, but it sounds like they played well this season anyway.

And: palm fronds like daggers? Talk about setting! Wow, that a dangerous image!

Carolyn V said...

It sounds amazing! I really am impressed with it. Good luck finishing. :)

Elliot Grace said...

Hey Morgan, very sweet of you, thanks so much ;)

Hey Emily, the boys enjoyed their season, nonetheless. I have to catch myself at times, pull back from the vivid details before things get a bit overboard. Perhaps I've read too much King over the years ;)

Hey Carolyn, thank you. It shouldn't take long, this one's a shorty!

El

JUST ME said...

I agree with the first commenter - I really like the way you describe settings / places. Usually that shit bores me to tears.

Not this time though.

Nevine Sultan said...

Elliot, you create such a multi-layered world with your words, I was pulled right in. Thank you for sharing this... and thank you for swinging by my site and leaving your supporting words... and your trail.

Nevine