As I made my way through the first draft of Raven Quest*, I found charming little notes of frustration and commentary I’d left for myself while doing the original writing. I thought I’d post some of these here for your entertainment.
(* Yes, I am behind schedule on publication of this fourth volume in the Valhalla series. It’s been a rough year for me health-wise. I still hope to get this one out before 2015. Wish me luck.)
From chapter 7:
JUST TO GET A LITTLE ANGST OUT… I’M NOT SURE IF I LIKE THIS STORY. IT SEEMS THIN THUS FAR, NOT REALLY GROUNDED OR TREMENDOUSLY PLOT-DRIVEN. TRUE, I FELT THE SAME WAY ABOUT “THE BLACK POOL” AS I WAS WORKING ON THE FIRST DRAFT, AND IT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF REVISION THAT EVERYTHING REALLY CAME TOGETHER. THIS IS A FIRST DRAFT. IT’S NOT THE END-ALL AND BE-ALL OF THIS STORY. BUT I’D RATHER BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT AND INVESTED IN IT AT THIS POINT THAN I AM CURRENTLY. I’M HOPING THAT WILL CHANGE AS I CONTINUE WRITING. AND SO NOW BACK TO THE PLOT [OR LACK THEREOF]?
From chapter 8:
SO, YES, I?M SICK AGAIN AND IT SUCKS AND I REALLY DON?T FEELING LIKE WRITING ANYTHING BUT HERE I AM. I?M GOING TO TRY ANYWAY. I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT FOR THE RECORD.
From chapter 9:
NOTE: GET A THESAURUS AND FIND ALTERNATE WORDS TO ?STUMBLE.?
Also from chapter 9:
OR DO I WANT TO MENTION HIM AT ALL? PROBABLY NOT. JUST FORGET THAT SHE HAD ANY IDEA THAT HE WAS AROUND, OKAY?
from chapter 10:
THIS IS STUPID; FIND A BETTER EXPLANATION FOR THIS, OR GIVE MORE EXAMPLES OF HOW SALLY?S SPELL HAS IMPACTED THE SURROUNDING LAND
from chapter 11:
GAH. THIS IS SUCH A WEAK CHAPTER. DO I EVEN KNOW WHAT I?M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE?
from chapter 14:
BASICALLY, THIS CHAPTER IS A BIG FREAK OUT.
For the record, I do not draft in ALL CAPS. That’s simply how I differentiate notes to myself from the actual work. There have been times when I’ve discovered an ALL-CAP rant that ran nearly two pages in length.
Creative Commons photo: “dissection of article” by S?ren M?rk Petersen.