Too many things on the go today to actually getting any writing done, which is a bit of a pain. But I did have a chance to read over a bit of the awful first draft of my top secret WIP (well, the five chapters I have completed so far) and guess what? It wasn’t that awful!

Normally I subscribe to the “all first drafts bite” rule of writing. This is because my first drafts really do bite. That’s their purpose. I’ve got all these ideas banging around in my skull, usually way too many for any one story, and they need to go somewhere. Anywhere. That somewhere is the first draft.

As I’m writing, I’m not concerned if the story makes total sense or if my sentences are even sentences. I just want it out of my brain and into the hard drive. So, I clatter away at the keyboard moving forward through the plot without a care if the series of words I’ve strung together are any good. Usually, they’re not.

But this first draft is different. It didn’t suck. It’s not great, but it didn’t bite as it should have. I’m both a little pleased and slightly concerned. Pleased because it means the rewrites will be a bit easier. Concerned because I’m treading into uncharted territory with a decent first draft. Will I ruin the story in the rewrites? Is it all down hill from here?

I’m sure both will pass when I return to the writing first thing on Friday.

Why not tomorrow?

Well, that’s the reason for my lack of writing today. I’ll be at the Brantford and Burlington Book Camps tomorrow. Today, I’m putting the final touches on my workshop presentation where the campers are going to learn about writing comics and have a chance to write their own comic creations. Should be lots of fun.

On Friday and through the weekend I’ll be back at the keyboard working on the third graphic novel in the new Graphic Guide Adventures series for Orca Books. Should be a busy weekend indeed.