First Pages

Post Date: 21st Aug, 2007 - 4:24pm / Post ID: #

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First Pages

Are you Writing a book? If you are then you can submit the first pages here to get feed back or to give it. Here is my example:

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Chapter One

Guillermo opened the large cardboard box with a huge smile. This was his favorite day of the week. He loved shipment day, and today's shipment was a big one. Guillermo reached in the box and removed one of the precious hardbound books from the tightly packed container. He very gently, and with more delicacy then was probably necessary, ran his index finger across the dust jacket. Oh how he loved the way the glossy paper squeaked under the pressure of his finger. The light bounced off the surface of the book in almost an impish sort of dance. Quickly and without much hesitation he flipped the bound hardback open, strait to the middle and buried his nose deep into the pages. The smell of new paper mixed with fresh ink filled his nostrils to the point of unpolluted gratification. Guillermo Enriquez hated books.
One might ask why a man like Guillermo, who hated books so much, would choose to become a librarian. Well the answer is really quite simple; he loved to put things in order. Numbers were so realistic; they made sense. Two always followed one; three always followed two and four always followed three, but letters. THAT was a different story. Letters could be arranged in multiple ways to create words, then the words get arranged to create sentences, sentences to paragraphs and paragraphs to novels. For poor Guillermo, that was too chaotic. That is why he stayed away from reading all together; he liked to live a very peaceful, very predictable life.
As a librarian most people just assumed Guillermo was an avid reader, but the truth be told Guillermo hadn't read so much as a pamphlet since college. Even then he only read what was required to pass his classes.
"Excuse me sir"¦" a tall thin man broke Guillermo's concentration and was now waving a book with a red cover in his face. "What did you think of this book?" What a ridiculous question. Guillermo thought, Even if I did read, the chances that I would have read that exact novel, what with millions of books out there is absurd. Guillermo pushed his black rimmed glasses up on his nose and with a slightly exaggerated sigh said "I"ve never read it." And went back to filing his books.
"Could you recommend a good read, you know something light? I"m going on vacation and I"d like to catch up on some reading."
"Actually I don't really read anything," replied Guillermo, looking down so he wouldn't have to see the complete and udder shock of the Library patron.
"What kind of librarian doesn't read?"
"I don't."
Guillermo finished loading up his metal rolling cart with the newly unpacked, perfectly organized books, and headed for the shelves.
Guillermo took great joy in arranging books by the dewy decimal system, often going back through an isle after a browser had left, to make sure all the books were still in order. He got so caught up in the moment he didn't even notice it was 11:30a.m and that Anthony was thirty minutes late. This was good for Anthony. Had Guillermo caught him, he would have had to give him a written warning, seeing as it would have been Anthony's third time getting caught.
"What time did you get here?"
"Eleven," lied Anthony "I"ve been fixing the children's section."
"Well we got a new shipment in and since you"re the children's librarian I need you grab that pile over there."
"Ah man its shipment day already?" Whined Anthony. Anthony gathered all the books and threw them unorganized and on top of the pile from the previous week. He was fairly certain that the books would not be missed.
Guillermo went back to arranging books and about that time the front door security alarm went off. Guillermo was the closest to the entrance so he would have to politely ask to see the customer's book print out, but when he looked to see who tripped the alarm he found an embarrassed young woman standing in the door frame. At first Guillermo was thrown by how disarming the woman was, but that wasn't why he froze. The minute he laid eyes on her was the minute he was overwhelmed by her beauty. She stood maybe five foot three with long brown hair that ended in perfect little spirals. Her eyes were chocolate brown with a hint of hazel around the edges, like two flawlessly made cups of coffee ready to be drunk. She too wore glasses but hers were wire rimmed which added to her already proper disposition. Her posture was perfect, as if to say "yes I attended Catholic school" and "yes my spine is now made of iron"
"May I see your receipt?" asked Guillermo in almost a hoarse whisper.
"Oh yes, I am sorry, it's right here." replied the young woman, looking rather embarrassed. It was quite a long list, filled with titles that were only checked out by heavy readers.
"Ah, I see the problem; we missed the security tag on this audio commentary of Oliver Twist."
"Yes, I just finished the book and I want to learn more about it." She said.
"Oliver Twist is a classic." Muttered Guillermo, It was all he could think to say.
"Isn't it?" Smiled the woman, "I just love Charles Dickens." She looked down and smiled. The sun shone through the window and created a halo around her head. It was at that moment Guillermo fell in love.
"I just need to see your library card to verify your order."

That is a small example.

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First Pages

First Pages - Sciences, Education, Art, Writing, UFO - Posted: 21st Aug, 2007 - 4:24pm

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First Pages

First Pages