One Year Ago Today

One year ago today I finished draft one of my novel.  I can't believe that it's been a whole year, it doesn't seem possible.  But then again, it really seems like it should have been longer.  I've achieved so much in the year that it really doesn't seem possible that I could've written that draft.  I kid you not, nobody will ever see that first draft ever again.  I considered burning it at my friend's bonfire, but then I remembered I had notes on it.

As many of you probably remember, I posted a video of me finishing my first draft on my YouTube page, as well as here on this blog.  It was a very emotional thing for me, and people ask me how it feels to finish a draft.  It's something I can't explain because I feel that you can only know the feeling if you've experienced it.  It's kind of like winning a gold medal in the Olympics (or, you know, eight.) for your country.  You wonder how amazing that would feel, maybe even dream about it, but you'll never know unless you win one for yourself.  Okay, maybe that should've been compared to publishing your book - because I still can't imagine how that feels and I dream about that.  So, finishing your first draft is kind of like *bad example* shooting a gun.  You'll never know what it feels like unless you do it.  And from there, you can figure out if you like shooting guns (writing the story) or if you'd rather take up a different hobby (start a different story).

Either way, I just want to encourage people to realize one thing.  No matter how bad you think your first draft is, keep writing it.  Finish it.  Every first draft sucks.  But at least finish it, shoot that gun, so you know what it feels like.  Then, decide if you want to put the time and energy into the story to write a second draft, or if you'd rather put that time and energy into writing a different story, or something else in general.  But do me a favor, always save that first draft (don't burn it) because you never know when it might strike you as 'worth while' again. 

Expect me to be party-dancing tonight at 9:24pm tonight!!

With eternal love and blessings,
Officially Inspired

*And on a side note, Jane Austen died on this day in 1817.  :'(
**And Brian, at Twilight Teez (no longer in business) had a daughter who died shortly after birth on this day last year.  :'(