Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

Post History

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Do these starting paragraphs make you want to keep reading? [closed]

OK, first, I'm not a native. So, what you do by instinct and a bit of research, I do by extensive research, including accents and dialog style. I’m dead. ‘But you have a chance,’ I was told, ...

2 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Mussri‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T02:06:47Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/4663
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar Mussri‭ · 2019-12-08T02:06:47Z (about 5 years ago)
OK, first, I'm not a native. So, what you do by instinct and a bit of research, I do by extensive research, including accents and dialog style.

> I’m dead. ‘But you have a chance,’ I was told, ‘Then why not take a leap of fate?’
> 
> Fate? Hhh… One wonders how I am dead. But… I’m stuck in a future to which I did not belong for reasons I could not understand. I neither knew my captors nor did I share their motivesI despised them. All of them. I shall rip their hearts, one vein for everything they forced me to see. The one time in my life I could do without reason. My mind wouldn’t work without reason. She… Huh… She allowed me to do so. Or rather denied me the choice. You’ll get to know her, eventually.
> 
> This is a world so strange to me. Where nothing is possible until it’s flipped over. But, as everything is another face of something, nothing is truly possible. You see? I can’t understand! Me! This means no one can.
> 
> My name's Adam.
> 
> Though not good news, this is your story.
> 
> **—**
> 
> _For the past five decades, people and governments of the world lay down differences and conflicts, pursuing the dream of the Utopia to which we’ve always aspired. We still have a long path to take. But a sudden and unexpected ripple might be in its way to disturb the flow._
> 
> _Are they rumors? Some say it is coming down from the sky. Others say it is coming from beneath the ground. Some even say it is the end of the world._
> 
> _We weren’t able to reach any scientists to comment on the seismic activities in the South-Pole or the interference in communications for the past three days. Internationally, governments preferred to keep citizens in a deep state of information black-out. No one answered these questions. And we’ve asked international organizations, universities, private research companies… But no one really knows what to ask; not yet._
> 
> _NASA just announced that a press conference is to be held at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York at hour thirteen-hundred (13:00), Eastern-Time; eighteen-hundred (18:00) GMT. Until then, the only official word we’ve received does no better than reinforce the rumors, conspiracy, or whatever is happening; which the political system so far played catch up to hide._
> 
> _One thing is certain, a change is occurring. A change that will add to a world’s history that remained relatively peaceful for half a century._
> 
> _I will be joining you in New York at ‘1 PM’ to cover the press conference NASA has announced. This is Elizabeth Blitz, WWN; reporting live from The White House; Washington D.C._
> 
> “Don’t trouble yourself with that,” Tana finally said. She’d been closely watching the broadcast; but not for the news that was said. “You need rest. Just forget it.”
> 
> Adam smiled. “Why’s she on TV?” He’s been heeding the picture on the wall, not for any news however. The bed he lay on was comfortable, but his body still didn’t like it. He tried to adjust his pose but pain shot through his spine; he gritted his teeth and let go.
> 
> “Mmm…” Tana was hesitant to reply. She remained silent as she headed for the projected control-display on the nearest wall. It’s not worth it at all. Not by any shot. She didn’t care what reason he’d put into this, but she wasn’t going to be the one stressing him, opening Pandora’s box, on her son.
> 
> “Hh… Don’t think about it. It’s really nothing. She’d applied long ago and today they needed her,” she finally said. Then, pushed by her nature, she continued honestly, “With some of your friends too. They were given jobs… That’s all.”
> 
> Tana left the control-display and watched Adam closely; he stared blankly at the television projection on the wall. In the rare occasions he was silent, thinking, debating, it was never good. “Friends? An’ jobs?”
> 
> She took a deep breath. “OK… You landed in New York.”
> 
> “America! What the—?” He tried to sit up again; he could almost hear his back and elbows complain. His mother quickly took hold and forced him into a more comfortable pose. He continued, commanding yet gentle in tone, but not yet wishing, “Don’t tell me they know. Please don’t.”
> 
> “OK, you know what? Just forget about it all. People have more important things to do. Rumors are the thing of the day… Every day, actually. And just a couple of here-says about a grand conspiracy in outer space won’t have their attention. Politicians have other things to hide, things that really matter to people now. I imagine if we told them of a school on the other side of the moon, they’d sue us for wasting their time.”
> 
> “You know it’s not just a school, mother.”
> 
> “Adam. If you didn’t do it, all of you would’ve… died,” she sat next to him and stroked his hair. Her hands trembled from the mere thought. “And you… You’re not supposed to worry about anything further. They got you into this and they’ll have to get you out. The jobs your friends received were actually a sort of gift; they got the jobs officially as _prodigies_. The last thing the UN wants is minors getting into the mix.”
> 
> “Comforting!”
> 
> A moment of silence followed. The walls of the room were a pure white that, contrary to popular belief, didn’t help you relax at all; its brightness almost followed your eyes through the lids. There, far into the distance, sang a bird, just faintly. Adam knew there was more to it. _He_ knew more. When he knew and others didn’t, it was okay to him, the other way around wasn’t an option. His mother didn’t tell him how many were injured and if there were any dead. For his secrets, if he didn’t tell, someone else will. He moved his arm on top of his chest; he felt a strange tingle in it, as if felt by someone else.
> 
> The same reporter returned to the picture, this time the background was a more soothing view of the country, possibly the gardens of The White House or a green land on the road. She seemed very nervous, not transparently, but enough for Adam to notice. He watched, becoming increasingly worried. She’s been tapping her palm with her index finger; there’s more to it.
> 
> _This just in: The PHFO has issued a worldwide alert, advising everyone to evacuate Atlantic and Pacific coastal areas within three miles from the shore. I repeat, three miles offshore, the Pacific and the Atlantic coastal areas. We haven’t yet received any comment on this but you are advised to stay clear from the coast. Go to a safe-house further into land if you can. Local police forces will be available to help you. Although we are still waiting for official word from the White House, NASA, or really anything, it remains for now up to public decision, and prayers._
> 
> Repeatedly tapping her palm with her index finger, in rhythm, with something Adam knew. As he kept looking at the Elizabeth's picture projected on the wall, loud, erratic, footsteps came nearer and nearer. Her finger... A tick, a tock. One, and zero. 1011101-000-1010111-000-11101
> 
> RUN
> 
> “My god…”
> 
> **31 days before…**

Does the opening tell you enough to make you want more without telling too much? Does it have enough suspense, with every line? Is it too long-winded?

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2011-12-19T19:11:17Z (about 13 years ago)
Original score: 1