One year

Oh wow.  I almost forgot.

A year ago, today, I finished a first draft of a fiction novel.  Yes, yeah, an entire 70,000 plus word count story.  I remember taking half that day off last year, to complete it, after estimating it would take approximately three hours to finish.  I believe it took almost double that time, but I did it.  I put an end to a very long project on August 24, 2012.  And now, it's an entire year later.

I remember feeling a little numb after the entire experience.  The story wasn't right.  In the back of my mind, I knew that fact.  But, I left the document alone for a few weeks without touching it, and then when I finally went back to read it, the numbness continued.  There were so many words that didn't work, with only a few that did.  I could see it all over the pages.  It's a tough cookie to swallow; to know I'd spent all that time, and all that work, with only a few passages that showed any promise.

I did some research (of course, I did.  I always do) on first drafts.  I found out that first drafts are just that. They are first, and others (revisions) need to follow.  That's the process.

I started revising.  I changed some of the plot at the beginning of the story.  But, after a few more months of on-and-off trying to revise, I stopped.  I needed help outside myself, and I couldn't bear to ask anyone, for fear it was asking too much.

I then decided I would try to write a couple of short stories to get myself to complete the entire process without the longer time commitment.  I searched for another on-line site to try to get feedback on my writing. I kept doing something.

I completed the first short story Crossed Wires about two months ago.  It is over 16,500 words which exceeded the original count I thought the story would be.  I'm happier with it than the entire novel from previously.  I am working on another short story (actually two) that I am shooting for approximately 7500 words.  In the meantime, I re-worked two short 500-word pieces and posted them on-line, where I received some very good writing feedback.  I am able to incorporate those suggestions in my writing as I go forward.  I will go back and edit Crossed Wires. I know I can clean it up to flow better, have a stronger voice, which, I feel, is an achievement.  I don't feel numb about it.

It's a lot over the course of a year.  I should have given up.  I didn't know what I was doing, and I hate tough cookies.  But I didn't give up, and it's a different year.  One year.  And it all starts on one day.

So, I almost forgot where I was a year ago.  Maybe, it's because I've come so far.

TT