[R10] Prompt-One - Reputation
Title of Chapter.

Hm... You left enough hints for me to know how the title was determined. R10 is Round 10.

However, I notice that all descriptions throughout the book and chapter one are geared towards describing the contest, not the story itself. I think you should aim to provide a little more detail about the story itself to entice the reader.

The title and description can be placed between the prompt DropNote and the first paragraph.

The short description is optional, but having a title will make it much easier to identify later. For example, a title such as Reputation is more memorable than R10 ... ... Reputation.



missing quotation marks
“err, yes Sir — M’lord, this one toeing the Lieutenants prone form fell and refused to get up when I urged him to move, this one interfered."

“err, yes Sir — M’lord, this one," toeing the Lieutenants prone form, "fell and refused to get up. When I urged him to move, this one interfered."

Seems that the quotes open for dialogue but missing the closing quotes. This may be a rough draft but made it harder to determine who was speaking. And when speech became action.

DropNotes
I love drop notes. The ones in your story are very discreet. I like the one at the upper right providing details about the prompt. I like the one at the bottom providing the word count. Perhaps I should steal the idea from you. Your presentation is cleaner than how my contest entries are organized.

“Why are you beating ... ...
I like how Bilton has high moral standards. Also, that it seems that his standards are the military's standard as well.

However, this chapter is brief and does not go deeply into the Sargent's character. Yet because he was the first character from the victor's side, I was surprised that Bilton and the Sargent's point of views differed so much.

Seemed that the timing was quite fortunate for the two war prisoners that Bilton was present when the Sargent began brutally beating them that I am not sure if more soldiers would be more like this Sargent than they would be like this Bilton.

They almost seem an unlikely team, like water and oil. I feel that they should not co exist in the same regiment.

I'm more likely to identify with the doctor who feels that the Sargent should have been stripped of his rank for this crime, although I admire Bilton's rationalizing that he could mold this Sargent into a better, more moral soldier.

... ... will have him flogged, ... ...
The military is physically brutal. I'm surprised that flogging is an acceptable form of punishment, especially when Bilton wants his troops to be more tolerant of honorable soldiers such as the war prisoners.

It's a little hard to see how one could teach respect by beating someone who cruelly beat the weaker. I can see how the flogging could actually strengthen the belief of might makes right, than to see the Sargent become a more moral soldier.

I feel that some background must be missing from this chapter. It's clear the Sargent cares more about rank than a beating. He's tough and survived beatings. He respects strength and is afraid of losing honor because in his mind, he earned the rank, but doesn't understand yet how rank and respect are related in the way Bilton perceives them. Otherwise, he'd not have been so openly beating the war prisoners.