Ed & Sid

“Ed, it really sucks to be us right now.” My older brother Sid complained. He was having problems adjusting to our tiny, new, sediment bodies. Before we became sediments, we were strong, gigantic, and a colossal of awesome igneous rocks. But things can change pretty fast. We went from on top of the social rock chain to the bottom in a jiffy.

Actually, it really wasn’t that fast. It took years and years to get to where we were. We didn’t start out huge and awesome. We began as part of a metamorphic rock named Atem. Let’s just say Atem wasn’t the “friendly” type. He always seemed to bump into other rocks. Although, he claimed it was the wind doing it, my guess is he was just a bully. Eventually, Sid and I were broken off from Atem. Back then; we were just two pieces of metamorphic rock with a bad past and nowhere to go. We just kept going wherever the wind took us.

Rocks really pile up on you when you don’t do anything. After years of doing nothing and being buried, we began melting. Yes, you heard me, melting. We were then a type of molten liquidy substance. Frankly, it was kind of gross. At that time, Sid and I were really shocked. Being as young and naïve as we were, we had no idea what had happened. But apparently, we were magma.

“What’s going to happen now, Sid?” was the only thing I asked. To my surprise, he answered, “I guess we just go with it like we have been.”

Lazy. That was really what we were being. I mean clearly we had nothing to do, but doing nothing wasn’t very fun. Each day, we glooped around the inside of a volcano watching the molten substance go from one side to the other. How exciting! Eventually, I begged Sid to leave the awful place. As my older brother, he had to abide by my needs. So, don’t ask me how, but we began cooling down. Over a very long period of time, we reached surface. I loved it there. Everything was so vast and full of energy. It had to be the best time of my long life.

Along the surface, we met other rocks that appearances differed from ours; but we were apparently the same type of “igneous” rock. In my opinion, Sid and I looked better with our pretty crystals and such. We were also a lot bigger than all the other rocks. The feeling of superiority was truly great. After years and years of being big, we were astonished to realize we were shrinking! Or, in other words, being eroded. Soon enough, we were at the size we are now, which is close to the size of a pea.

As a normal routine, I asked my brother, “What’s going to happen now, Sid?” But this time, instead of an indirect answer, he replied, “We repeat the process.”

This is an informational/transactional piece. I wrote it for an assignment. The assignment was to write a story about the rock cycle. I wrote it a long time ago, but I would like to know what I could change to make it easier for the reader to learn.

Daily Planet News: Superman's Human!?

Yes, you heard right, folks. Superman is no longer patrolling the skies; he’s walking. Yesterday, we all witnessed a young Superman doppelganger soaring the skies. We’ve discovered the “lookalike” was named Superman-Prime. Sources tell us that Superman-Prime came from another universe fully intent on destroying our world. Luckily, Superman came to the rescue!

But instead of the usual red-cloaked man in the sky, there were TWO cloaked heroes! Kal-L, a superman from another universe, aided our Superman in helping rid the world of the evil-doer. As you know, Superman is a Kryptonian. Under a yellow sun, Kyrptonians’ senses heighten. Because of this, Superman and Kal-L devised a plan to bring Superman-Prime to justice. Superman and Kal-L flew the villain through a red sun. Although, the plan didn’t work out as well as they thought it would.

In the end, Superman-Prime was defeated in exchange for Kal-L’s life and Superman’s powers. Will Superman’s powers ever return? From the looks of it, we ‘re not quite sure. But Superman doesn’t seem too worried. Sources say he’s thinking of his temporary power-loss as a well-deserved rest. Just yesterday Superman and Lois Lane got married. Instead of patrolling the skies, Superman now devotes his time to his family and friends. How long will our world go without a superman?

This is a transactional piece I wrote to inform the reader about a time in Superman's life when he didn't have powers. I'm not quite sure if I made the piece informational enough. Please help.

Interview With Superman

1. What’s it like being a superhero?

S: Being a superhero, you have to be someone everyone looks up to. You’ve got to keep your composure no matter what happens. Sure, it can be hard sometimes, but keeping the world safe is well worth it.

2. How do you feel being an alien from another planet?

S: I was sent to Earth when I was just a baby, so I don’t really know much about my birth parents. But over the years, I’ve gathered a bit of information about my home planet. A part of me wishes that Krypton hadn’t exploded, but the other part is happy that I was sent here to become Superman.

3. How was your childhood growing up with superpowers?

S: When I was a child, not many of my powers had developed. It took quite a while for me to learn to control all of them, too. If you don’t count the powers, I’d say I was a pretty normal boy growing up. I tried out for sports and had crushes on girls like any other guy.

4. What was your life like before you became Superman?

S: My life was pretty much the same. I helped civilians out secretly. Eventually, I came out into the open and became Superman.

5. Did you ever consider a different profession other than a superhero?

S: Back then I don’t think being a superhero was even a job. Ever since I was little, I’ve tried to use my powers to aid others. After I graduated from college, I traveled the world for 8 years helping people.

6. What are your feelings toward your heritage?

S: To tell you the truth, I didn’t really care for it when I was younger. But as I matured, I realized I made a mistake ignoring my past. To honor my Kryptonian background, I wear my family’s crest on me everyday.

7. There are rumors that you have a sort of safe haven someplace. Is this true? If so, what do you go here for?

S: It is true that I have a safe haven. I call it my Fortress of Solitude. Most of the time, I go there to think and rest. It’s sort of like my secret base.

8. What is it like being one of the last of your kind?

S: In the beginning, I felt different. I felt like nobody else was like me. I wanted to be normal. Eventually, I found out that I had a cousin, Supergirl. Now, I know. I’m not alone.

9. What’s it like being married to a human?

S: As you know, I love my wife very much. I mean, why else would I have married her? Lois brings me joy everyday. That’s why I became a superhero, to protect the things I love.

10. How did you feel when you first appeared in the skies as Superman?

S: Before I became Superman, I thought for a long time if it was the right choice to make. Eventually, I went with my instinct. And when I first flew through the skies, I saw hope and inspiration in the eyes of others. I knew I made the right choice.

This is a transactional piece I wrote to inform people about Superman's life. I don't know if I sound like him, though. I would like it if you help me sound more like a superhero.

The Good. The Bad. The Unexpected.

On that unbearably humid morning, I awoke knowing perfectly well what was to happen. But I didn’t think it would happen so briefly. For the past nine months, my usually loving mother had grown extremely large, exceedingly controlling, and seemed to be in pain all the time! As expected of a woman with child, she became so overbearingly naggy that I had practically jumped with glee when I had heard she was finally going into labor. But who knew the moment that I had been ecstatic about would be more different than I thought.

I never really liked hospitals. The white room appeared too...too everything! The bed was too neat. The chairs were too cold. The aroma was too strong. Yet, despite it all, I felt very dense, like none of it was really happening. I wasn’t aware that my mother lay aching on the dreadful hospital bed, or my father and older sister were busy playing with their phones. With the thought of more waiting, I grew restless. As the clock read exactly 8:43 in the morning, I shifted my position in the uncomfortable green armchair. Minute by minute, my mother’s contractions grew stronger. Where the heck were the doctors?

20 minutes passed. It was time. The doctor and nurse arrived to do their job. Because I didn’t have much to do, I observed the course of action the doctor took to deliver a baby. The process began by thoroughly cleansing their hands. With a stern look, the doctor carefully slid on his gloves in that professional-like way those doctors do. As they probed my mother with the normal procedure, I secretly prayed to God that nothing unfortunate would happen.

The agony began. As the doctor instructed my mother to push and breathe, my father, looking as worried as me, gripped my mother’s hand as she heaved. Suddenly, her face changed from minor hurt to a ferocity that grew with every scream. As I stood, both filming on my video camera and observing, I noticed that labor seemed a lot like a pattern. Push. Breathe. Push. Breathe. It was never-ending. With every push, a new question shoved its way into my mind. What will he look like? What if he doesn’t like me? Why wouldn’t he just come out already?

After about a nice, long two hours of labor, pop! Like that, a baby was born. As my father cut the umbilical cord, I felt a ping of happiness. Over. It was finally over. This adorable creature weighed seven pounds and eight ounces and sported a hue of golden-brown. As I caressed him in my arms, I had an epiphany. Not only was I the big sister now, I had learned things may not always be what you believe they are. Although labor wasn’t exactly what I had imagined, I gained something from it. My brother.

This is an expressive piece I wrote a few weeks after my baby brother was born. I'd like it if you guys could help me describe the experience better. I feel that the 2nd paragraph should be better.