IWSG: Your First
Thank goodness for First Wednesdays... and thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, it's the day we insecure writers come together to share our pitfalls and inspirations. To learn more and read other's posts, click the photo link!
Well hello out there, fellow bloggers! I can't imagine that too many of you are glued to your screens this week, as everyone I know seems to be packing up and taking a trip due to the four day holiday weekend. Sadly, I had to cancel my trip home to Florida (see prior posts)... [whomp, whomp]. But on the bright side, I will now have the opportunity to check out some of the local festivities that I would have missed otherwise. One of my favorite memories takes place on a beach on the fourth of July, as I counted the fireworks in Spanish with my grandparent's summer guest, an orphan from Mexico. This scene will be featured in my memoir style novel (yes, still in progress), so I'll talk more about that in a future insecurity post, I'm sure!
In the meantime, every single one of you is probably familiar with Ernest Hemingway's quote, "The first draft of anything is sh*t." If that statement is 100% accurate, then I've been sitting on the "S" word for nearly six months... and it's starting to reek. I'm not going to lie, I've had zero motivation to edit my sci-fi short story. Worse yet, I don't want to give it to any critique partners because I wanted to at least share a second draft, not my first. My first is literally stream-of-consciousness writing. I could only imagine the red ink that would come back from someone's critique analysis. I desperately want to share it with someone after I've at least made some of the improvements that I am already aware of. So... I guess my question is this: How many of you let someone read the first draft of your work... that very first, steaming mess of words that you just know isn't your best? If not, at what point do you share? And how do you feel about Hemingway's famous quote?
Posts
I don't think my first draft is sh*t more than i think it is donkey doo doo...:)~
I found out a few weeks ago that writers think their first work is crap. I was pretty bummed since that's what I'm working on now. Oh well, I got over it and am moving on. I have a CP that reads my writing as I go. He rocks! He has helped me improve in so many areas. I'm lucky to have him.
My first drafts definitly need a lot of work. I haven't let anyone read more than a paragraph or two of them yet. I would like to get some of the obvious plot holes fixed first. We'll see. If I get to stuck I guess I will swallow my pride and share but I really want to wait.
I'll share a third or fourth with test readers, and my critique partners get it much later after that. Maybe since you are needing a kick to get started on it again, you could share it with one trusted person who would be kind but give you that kick.
Sorry you didn't get to go to Florida. I think everyone here has already headed for the beach.
I still haven't let many read my most recent WIP. The first draft is so full of errors and even though the critique is to help me polish it off, I feel like I need to polish it off before I get the critique. It reminds me of my mom scrubbing the house before she had someone come clean it. She didn't want the person cleaning it to see it dirty?!? I'm not sure where exactly you are from in Florida, but I'm south and it's been nothing but rain. More rain for tomorrow, if that makes you feel a little better :)
Meredith
Meredith’s Musings
I think Papa Hemingway pretty much knew what he was talking about.
At least he's spot on with all my first drafts :)
Then again, didn't he also say 'Write Drunk, Edit Sober'?
Hmmm....maybe Hemingway didn't know -everything-.... :)
Papa Hemingway was a little abrasive for me. I tend to think about my first draft as a bread making journey. The first draft is about assembling the ingredients. Happy IWSG day!
I think Mr. Hemingway's quote is pretty accurate. But I do feel like I've written a chapter or two that came out right the first time (with minor tweaks and adjustments, of course). Why can't they all be like that? Haha. My wife is the only one who reads my first few drafts...then I send it out to CPs. Happy 4th of July...wait a second, it's August. Tanya, where's your August post *pointing finger disapprovingly*? You know I'm here to support you...and push you a little. :)