Abysmal
flash fiction, short story, fiction
Published on:
Oct. 29, 2008, 8:15amWord Count:
960Last Edited:
Oct. 29, 2008, 12:32pmWork Description
Different for me, it just came out. If it sucks, I apologize but let me know...and I'm sorry for my love of the word 'fuck' in this story...
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Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck
oh fuck oh fuck
They witness the sunset together, the vacating light pouring
sweetly over their naked bodies and limbs, the coolness of skin on
skin contact allowing for emotions otherwise never felt, reasons to
blame one another for what is about to happen nameless and hiding
behind the break of each wave and the sound of the water crashing,
his hands sculpting the curves of her post pubescent body, her
hands gripping the tucks of his buttocks, their eyes locked into
one another pausing only to blink, the sky a crimson drapery
framing the distant landscape,
Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck
oh
their thoughts a million all wrapped into one, focus contained on
each others lips, taste, feel, scent and unconscious activity,
actively wondering if the other is thinking the same things, he
thinking that lust is so much better than love when both parties
are willing to commit, he thinking that pleasing one another can be
one of the toughest things in life if they are to hold a
relationship rather than just relations, she knows that if he so
much as thought that she had wedding bells on the mind that he
would leave her naked figure right there, forming a fetal ball in
the sand, the tide picking her up and carrying her away,
Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck
she knows that if he even suspects a hint of jealousy that she
would be abandoned and no matter how hard she tries she can’t help
but see the romance in such a situation as their own, the setting
sun, the water, the beach, the palm trees, the lack of disturbance
from other people or animals, she can’t help but feel that he must,
deep down inside, feel a smidgen of something close to resembling
love for her, not just lust, so it’s a good thing she doesn’t feel
these things or else he may be angry and
oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh
he knows that if she is anything like all the other women out there
that he has coerced into his lair that she will one day come home
with a smile on her face and jump up and down, perhaps leap into
his not-so-open arms and spurt out such blasphemy as can be, tell
him that she is three weeks late and that she went to the doctor
and that she is pregnant and that he either has to marry her or pay
child support and either way he knows that he is
fucked oh fucked oh fucked
and she constantly reminds him every day no matter how hard he
tries to forget that they are going to be having a little one, and
he can easily get over the idea of a child, it’s having a child
with her he is unsure of, he has never spent as much time with a
single woman as he has she, but that doesn’t mean he is willing to
lose his life, his manhood, his lack of interest in post- marital
relations because up until this point in his life he has never once
considered having post- marital relations with anyone, let alone
her and
oh fuck oh
he knows it’s all downhill from here, and she know he thinks it’s
all downhill from here, and she knows what he is capable of, and he
practices what he is capable of every day in front of the mirror
and she sees in his eyes the loss of concentration on her body and
the gaining of respect for himself, for his manliness, and she
wonders if every man thinks as he does, if every man is as
unpredictable as he is, and she knows the answer to this but
refuses to admit it for her sanities sake and he wraps his arms
around her tightly and he whispers a sweet nothing in her ear and
she knows that he doesn’t mean it, he never means it, he never
meant it, he will never have the chance to mean it because she is
leaving, he
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Discussion
You've got a little Jack Kerouac steam-of-consciousness going on here -- interesting work! That said, this seems to be kind of a one-take-wonder kind of piece (meaning it was written without much editing), and, with an exception made for Kerouac himself, I often reiterate the following point about writing: Writing is editing. This piece could use some judicious cutting to pare it down to its core.
The bits about their "bits" are interesting, and while I'm not exactly opposed to gratuitous sex in writing, the first main section of the poem/flash story is a bit too gratuitous without any additional meaning to the description of the couple doing the naughty.
Furthermore, the story as a whole is a bit of a retelling of a commonly held, slightly vague notion about the progression of a male-female relationship, and I'd rather see you present a new or alternative view on the nature of relationships over time rather than write creatively about one that so many people already have. Boy does girl, girl gets pregnant, boy and girl have a lifelong, troubled relationship because of the fact that they got involved without thinking it through, etc. Perhaps there's a specific element of the psychology of the characters that you could focus on, which would make it a bit easier for you to express a new idea about the nature of relationships.
The ending is interesting -- reminds me of T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (i.e. "We have lingered in the chambers of the sea/ By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown/ Till human voices wake us, and we drown.") I like that there's nearly an implication that he's murdering her, and also an implication of the opposite case. Maybe that's an element you could hone in on, as well.
As for writing style, I'm really not a fan of intentional missuse of improper grammar, such as not using capital letters at the beginnings of sentences, etc. I know why you did it, and to some degree this is the kind of work where you can get away with it, but I tend to think of it as cliche. Just because e e cummings did it, and did it well, doesn't mean everyone can, nor does it make you more "artistic" just because you did it. If you're familiar with playing guitar, it's kind of like using too many effects pedals to control the sound of your solos. If the notes are good to begin with, then the effects you put over them is just polishing. But if you focus on the effects before you focus on the notes, then it doesn't matter how cool your effects are, because you'll still suck. Beyond that, I won't go in to much of an analysis of your grammar or anything like that, because it doesn't make much sense to do that when you're intentionally missuing it. Just some food for thought.
All in all, this is the kind of writing I like to see, as opposed to more conventional, flowery takes on love that infect modern writing like cancer. Reel it in a bit, focus on the most important and novel concepts, and you might be on to something.
I must say, this story wasn't too bad, but I dont see much of a story line going on except sex. It is not a bad thing, but if that is all your going to use then it seems kind of smutty. I do believe that you could go somewhere with this, I just dont think that you have gotten there yet. I think it needs quite a few revisions and editing. Fort one thing, as I'm sure you know, your apparent love of the F word. Also it seems quite depressing. I realize that it was possible that it was meant to be. But stories like that just make me never want to read them again. Like I said, I believe you could make something out of this. I do think you do a good job of capturing the character's emotions. Maybe if you concentrated more on emotion and less on physical, it wouldn't turn people off too much. Just a few suggestions to brighten it up, but for the most part well done!!
Taking a deep breath and focusing on the concept that my cup of tea is not everybody's cup of tea.
This narrative seems to spend all of its fury on a cacophony of words by telling us exactly what is happening at every moment in both heads, with very little discovery, and even fewer periods. I think that a healthy edit that distills the base concept into a single clear, concise, foundational idea that is then built upon would better serve the story.
I see the cascading countdown of Oh Fuck's to be gimmicky. Also, the point of view for me is confusing as we are forced to jump from inside one head to another without rhyme or reason -- sometimes within the same sentence.
All of that being said. I think that with an edit that pares down the gimmickry, a good story is in the making. The ideas of divergent motivations and discoveries from two sides of a single act is a solid one. Eliminating the concourses of run on sentences would also help immensely.
I am hardly one to talk about grammar. It is my worst fault in my own writing, but there seems to be a complete disregard for it here and I am not sure why?
I have reread and re written this critique twice now. I want to be supportive and constructive. I don't wish or want to be mean spirited. I just think that maybe this piece was not as thought out as it could have been.
Oo, I like this!
The most powerful parts were the beginning, where I thought this was a simple erotica story, and the end, where I saw the turn of events. That ending completely blindsided me, and I loved it! I really enjoyed how you led up to that moment, and how I kept thinking he would choose to change his overbearing mindset. Instead, he didn't change at all, and yeah, I still can't get over that ending. Very impressive!
I noticed all your paragraphs didn't start with a capitolized letter. I really liked that actually. It's different, and it kinda symbolizes that everything flows into the next part. There might've been other grammar issues, but I was too caught up in the story to notice.
I think you have a great talent. This was a joy to read. I love surprise endings!



The first, very first, like nothing else before it, you know, the one and only thing that comes before everything else and then all that follows it is laid to waste behind it, just because they are not first, and the top of the list of a triage of first things that I want most dearly and sincerly to mention, blurt! out and converse about is the first thing, the VERY first thing that struck my eyes first, I mean like I could not but see pop, leap, and hop, jump in my face--and I just want you to know that I don't, most definetly not, like that very much, that is it's probably at the bottom, very, very bottom of my list of favorite things--was the very word--you guessed it, right?--'sunset'!
Come on now; right after the introductory buil up, send up, fuck up of 10 'oh's and 10 'fuck's'--oh, yes, I counted them; how many of you out there didin't? Oooh, that many? Geeesh. the best that you could come up (punno) with is this honker? I always hate doing this, but just once won't kill me will it? Uhh, I quote you here (oh, yuck), no not that! Here: "They witness the sunset together". Let me ask you what you really think of when someone says that. I mean, come on (onnup), pleeese.
I would like to now take a few moments to that my parents. Than you for fucking. Serious enough for you; serious enough for me and actually who wouldn't want to tell there parents but are afraid to come right out and say it, but hey, I'm not one to go on and beat around the bush with a dead horse.
"They witness the sunset together". They together witness the sunset. Sunset together they witness. Witness together the sunset. I'm still not too sure about that one.
But let's move on shall we? All Albatrosses aside--and there are a few of them here--I would appraise your talent like I might scratch my left nipple, and you know how serious that might be, and who knows where we go from there and what longings we might digress onto and tresspass against. Don't let me do that; how many times do I have to tell you?
I probably like the fuck parts the least. Yikes! I can't believe I said that. I probably like the fuck parts the least. Yikes! And double yikes, maybe even triple yikes. No, not triple yikes; I take that back. Actually why don't you take those back. I've had enough of my own. I can't believe I said that again. I should take my temperature.
In the second paragraph--after the second stream of 'oh's' and, well, you know what--you are hot on the trail of something, and I think you know what I mean, you lil' devil. But you don't build on it and rush right into jealousy (did I spell that right? Hold on a sec. ... ... ... ... ... ...yup, well, that is if yours is right, 'cause I just checked on your spelling and I assume you used a spellchecker before you submitted your story, right? Hmm. I hope so. Anyway, to get back to Planet Scribophile, and Prego-Nancy. I think it's a whirlwind, blind love romance and woopie okay fuckaroo away and blast into boredom with a lust thrust. But I want something in between her besides hearing about things between their legs and then bingo they suck as lovers and friends.
And then they die happily ever after.
Uh-hum. Hmm.
Oh, fuckme, gee, I had to stop and sweep away the tears with a broom, I was weeping that much, no really; I mean not really, just, you know, a gigure of speech.
A few things I like to see--that you apparently don't give a (to use your best phrase) fuck about--or read in a story--it is a 'story', right?--I mean, you've sort of labeled it that way with '<a href= "../../../tags/flash%20fiction">flash fiction</a>, <a href= "../../../tags/short%20story">short story</a>, <a href= "../../../tags/fiction">fiction</a>'--and after all, who doesn't? I would finally suggest cutting out one or two or three of the 'fuck's' and and something pertaing to: conflict, plot, character, narration, and resolution, and well you know, right?
And once you've done that, then well, you've got a masterpiece that you could submit to Lulu and with a few bucks that you've earned by maybe delivering pizzas on weekends you could possibly get it published. No, I'm not fuckin' kiddin'.
Just so you know, I will rate this 4 STARS because I do like alot of what you've done. And if you've read this far you deserve to know why--plus, it goes without saying, so I won't say iy, I'll jot it down. You've been a good sport and fuck whatever--so, here is what I liked:
You have written with wonderful style and coherant thought process and sentence structure. What I mean to say is that this is written very smoooth and it flowws so easy (if the f wirds were not in this, I really believe you would have a wonderful stream of conscious story od two happy sad lovers, but that's probably just me.
You diction, word choices are excellent (not withstanding the start, with, well, let's not go into that again or I might be here for another 1000 words, I'm late for going to Burger King for dinner as it is and Barack Obamam is on TV, so that's why I'm finally cutting this short) and well stacked together.
Another thing I enjoyed was the FLASHiness of the story. It's almost like a little script, isn't it? I mean, she's here and she thinks this and he's there and he thinks this. Well.
Caps and puntuation could use a leg up and some massaging. A kiss kiss here and there and maybe a glance towards Shrick & Wite.
Overall, though it was great fun to read. It is sooo different and unique.
Don't listen to anyone too strongly unless it is your heart.