First drafts suck

But that's what I'll be posting this Friday for #FridayFlash.

I wrote a great story, one that brought tears to my eyes. I had it in mind for this Friday, the last one before NaNoWriMo kicks in.

However, I liked the story a lot, thought it was quite powerful. So good, in fact, that I sent it off to an online mag instead of putting it up.

This is not to say that #FridayFlash gets my seconds and irregulars. It's just that I felt quite moved by this little piece. Let's see if the editor agrees. If not, I'm going to keep shopping it around. It's that good (IMNSHO).

That left me with a hole in my schedule. Rather than have nothing for Friday, I knocked out a story half an hour ago. Then, in a burst of craziness, I decided to load it up as the #FridayFlash, first draft warts and all. What I locked and loaded is what came out of my fingertips under a Write or Die session - 995 words in 29 minutes.

Why am I doing this? Hell if I know. I'm sure it could be made better by attention. I'm just feeling a little crazy at the moment. Nothing like a stupid stunt under such circumstances. Unlike previous similarly motivated stunts which involved alcohol, cigarettes, sharp objects and/or initiation of ill-considered personal relationships, this one only involves risk to my reputation.

So, if you ever had any burning desire to know what one of my first drafts looks like, and have the opportunity to comment and critique it, come back on Friday!

There's a grammatical mistake and I spotted a few typos, too, to say nothing of the stylistic or plotting blunders. I'm sure people will spot more.

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like you're ready for NaNo ;^)

    I ONLY post first drafts on #FF - or reruns. In fact, I NEVER post final anything on my blog. I'll be posting already-pubbed pieces during November, or maybe snatches of my NaNo journey... I'd love to see your first draft, but can't crit - no time. Peace, Linda

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  2. Linda - I chickened out. Shaved off the worst of the warts, corrected the grammar, streamlined the ending.

    I may post the first draft for comparison if people ask for it, but otherwise, I'm going to do much the same as you - recycle or post NaNo material.

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