Last week I wrote a very rough draft of a new story in three days. The story had been kicking around in my head awhile, and seemed like such a clever idea, but of course when I got it all down on paper it looked like a disaster. It was my turn to submit something to our critique group, so with much trepidation I sent my homely little baby into their arms.
Turns out I needn’t have worried. The critique was soooooo helpful. I knew there were many questions about character motivation and chronology and plausibility left hanging in the draft, and sure enough, the group ferretted every one of them out and held them up to scrutiny. And then they gave me wonderful suggestions and ideas for fixing what was broken, filling out what was missing, and tightening up the flab.
I felt so good about my story after that. The hideous thing about first drafts is that they are so hideous. It’s hard to have faith that they could ever improve enough to be worth the effort. Better just to shove it into a drawer and start some fresh new story that will fulfill its promise, not let you down like this ugly old thing. But actually it was the critique that gave me new faith in my story. Now I’m eager to revise and make it better and I have faith that I can do so.
Filed under: writing
“The hideous thing about first drafts is that they are so hideous.”
OR
The wonderful thing about first drafts is that they are so hideously wrong in chronology, motivation, and plausibility, yet still so full of character, detail, and story, that it gives critiquers plenty to sink their teeth into without making it all seem like a waste of time.
You’re one of those glass half-full people, aren’t you? No, you’re right, a first draft would have to be pretty bad for us to not be able to find anything constructive to say about it.
I’m a glass half-full person if you’re filling the glass, glass half-empty if you’re emptying it.