intro

 

To "pull" (v.) - to win an appointment with a member of the opposite sex, particularly with the hopeful but not necessarily realistic goal of a) gaining an intimate partner; and/or b) engaging in sex.

I've posted this novel here as an ongoing experiment to share it and to receive frank feedback from others, which has varied from mercilessly harsh to polite - even praiseworthy. I intend to tinker with novel, to tweak the plot; incorporate some new ideas; and of course to polish the prose and dialogue. So what you see presented here is a work in progress. (I'm taking a short break from editing, so I can approach the thing anew, probably in the summer 2004, once I've shaken off these winter blues ;)


The Student on the Pull is my novel. It is online and it is free. So what the dickens is it about then?

Howard resigns himself to the frightening fate that is University. He moves into a chaotic house with a bunch of intimidating students. In a hopeful bid to win the respect, both of his housemates and of his own ego, he attempts to rid himself of his accursed virginity - and fast! But this seemingly innocent venture transforms into a spiralling nightmare.

Warning: this novel contains occasional sexual content, some incompetent violence, and gratuitous nudity. It also contains bad language, bad haircuts and good (and bad) 80's music. The novel is rated 15. If you are under 15, read it anyway :)

The Student on the Pull is about many things: sex, death, grotty kitchens, but one of the chief themes is about the frustration of being condemned, and to inadvertently condemn others, in a unexpectedly hostile real world. The work is psychological, sexy, satirical, fun, dramatic, shallow on the surface and yet unfathomably deep. Well, I would say that, wouldn't I? The novel starts off steadily, but don't be deceived: the pace quickens as the novel progresses. There are 58 chapters, but this is misleading, the novel is no epic. The chapters are short to make the novel more web-friendly, hence there are so many of them.

Initially, I worked on this novel circa 1989, scribbling the early chapters by hand. These were back the halcyon days when the only thing I had used a computer for was to play games. Flash forward to 1999. I am rummaging about in the garage when I discover a dusty book with my handwriting in it. Excited, I transcribed the words in a word processor, and continued to work on it. In 2001 to June 2003, when I posted the chapters online. Based on feedback I've received, and personal intuition, I'll be making more changes in the future.

The feedback I got from people who read the novel as it was being put online, chapter by chapter, has already affected the novel itself, making this novel interactive in that sense. Thanks to everybody for your feedback, and, in anticipation, thanks to everyone who are yet to comment. I've been (and still am) editing the chapters under the influence of your remarks, and in a few cases, I have made dramatic changes. Often a remark can directly affect the prose, or it can unlock related ideas about the story that are latent within me, which I then unleash. This sounds awefully pretentious, I know. It is significant that this novel has creatively evolved much more rapidly in the ecosystem of the Internet than would have been possible in isolation. The experiment of putting this work online has paid off richly. I hope you enjoy reading it.

My motivation for writing this novel is an ancient one: the love of telling a good story, rather than as an enterprise to make money.

Any help and advice is warmly welcomed. Feedback/suggestions/typos? Please contact me. I have not tried to get this novel published yet, as I still need to make various alterations. If you can help me get this thing published in the future, let me know. If you find reading the novel online is difficult, I can email you the novel as an Open Office document on request. The novel is more up-do-date in its document form.

In its current form, my novel starts off relatively slowly, but fear not! Gradually, the momentum builds all the way to the resolution. With no more ado, enjoy The Student on the Pull! Here is Chapter One.

© Jim Eadon 2001-2003

From:	Nupur Barua	Subject:	Your novel	2001-04-27 01:48:38

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