Like I said, it's a very well done, poignant story.
The first thing I'd recommend is to move the 'Please forgive' up to be the second paragraph in the whole piece. Then draw a line between the intro (Thanx to Dawn) and the actual story, to help eliminate confusion.
Hyphens: cat-like, honest-to-god.
13 should be written out: thirteen.
they way she walked
lawnmower is one word
front porch were (where), as she would put it.(comma) ‘We would cop a squat' I (comma) always being very shy (comma) could
“I see you(r) parents have the house up for sale.” Who said this? It would be a natural conclusion to think you did.
What did you see in those 'gorgeous green eyes'? Were they sad? Questioning? How did they make you feel? What happened in the pit of your stomach? Did your breath catch? Did the sunlight play on her hair? All these things will only add to the emotional element of this memory. As you noticed things (like painted toenails in sandals) it shows us more of your emotional state of mind and thoughts.
We finished our Pepsi’s (nix the apostrophe)
You weaken the power of this memory a tad, by the way you phrase things. Instead of 'She gave a wink', try 'She winked', or instead of 'she asked, wearing a small smile', try 'she asked, with a small smile.' It's not changing the words so much, only the power of the emotion.
Speaking volumes is cliche and weakens the emotion also. Find a more original way to say it.
“This may sound silly, but I hate when you muss my hair.” My voice quivered as I spoke.
“You make me feel like a little kid when you do that.”
“I think you’re the most beautiful women I ever met, not just because your extremely pretty but your also very nice not just to me but everyone.”
“ I wish I was five years older so you would look at me differently and like me for being me, not just your nice kid neighbor.” Combine these four into one paragraph, just as is, so the reader doesn't skim over it to quickly. This is a very important point in the whole piece, as is the hug and kiss.
'couldn(apostrophe)t function'
Like I said, it's a very poignant memory, and I'm glad you decided to share it with all of us here. The suggestions I've made are just that: suggestions only. You won't offend if you disagree. I hope that I've helped some, the changes are minor and are strictly writing things, nothing about the content (which I wouldn't dream of suggesting a change on). You're a good writer, keep it up!
My rating scale:
3.0-3.5 = average for that writer
3.5-4.0 = better than average for that writer
4.5-5.0 = publishable with minor adjustments
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