Before I tell you about the crazy and incredible adventure my brother and I recently stumbled into, I think I had better just say a word or two about him. His name's Gerald and he thinks of himself as a great writer. No doubt, he would believe that he should be writing you this story. But I think when you get to really know him, you'll probably think, maybe it's just as well I'm writing it-not that I think I'm liable to win the Nobel Prize for Literature or anything. To give you idea of Gerald's talent, he recently sent a manuscript of his first novel to a publisher. The publisher eventually wrote back:
Dear Gerald Linden,
Thank you for your manuscript titled: A Day in the Life of a Road Sweeper. In your covering letter, you asked us to be frank with you regarding any potential you might have as a writer. We are happy to oblige. It is an interesting effort, and we admire your tenacity to spend "three years, four months and twelve days" writing it. However, as a self-proclaimed "Epic", it was a bit on the short side being only twenty-one pages long, especially as these pages consisted of doubled spaced lines. Gerald, they say every person has a great book in them... We look forward to yours.
Please try other publishers before us in future.
Many thanks,
Ivor Novella
Welsh Valley Publishing House
You'd think a reply like that would dampen his spirits, wouldn't you? Nope. All he said was, "Paul-" that's my name, by the way "-it's pretty encouraging that they're telling me to send my work off to other publishers. They must think it's well good. Hmmm...I shall have to look up the word 'tenacity'. I won't give up until I find it."
Just to finish off describing him, he's two years older than me, and I'm thirteen. He looks like a bigger version of me, slim with black hair and green eyes-but that's where any resemblance ends. By which I mean, I'm no Albert Einstein but when it comes to brains, my brother seems to be at least ten jellybabies short of a packet.
I won't say any more about my brother because you'll see what he's like for yourself.
Well, it's time to get into the crazy and incredible adventure my brother and I recently stumbled into, so draw your eyes closer to these words and I'll begin...
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I hope you enjoyed this Chapter. I welcome any votes, comments or constructive criticisms (style, spelling, grammar and punctuation errors).
T. J. P. CAMPBELL.