I had this spontaneous proclamation last Saturday evening. Well, more a spontaneous thought that I had earlier in the afternoon that I then found myself actually proclaiming out loud, much to my surprise. Surprise because what I proclaimed really is anti-Me where writing is concerned.

I asked my GF to read the first draft of my new story as I wrote it.

Now, I am not anywhere near ready to write it, but it is SOOOO anti-Me to have anyone read a first draft. I need the freedom to screw up mightily, take shortcuts with promissory notes to come back and finish something later, ramble until I figure out what my point is, and write stuff out of sequence.

The thing is, after my experience writing The Destroyer, I also see the value of throwing out a story piece by piece, seeing peoples’ reactions, then slowly letting the story evolve as I develop each new chapter. The motivating thing about having (a) reader(s) is that you have this external motivation to give the first draft your best effort and get it done, and I sort of need that external motivation to really get this thing moving.

In the meantime, I am still working on figuring out what the story is going to be about, developing my characters, and doing my world-building and mythology-weaving. And I’m doing it by writing actual prose words. Still happily contradicting myself, writing out of sequence, and leaving many bits as promissory notes, just like I need to do. As soon as the Sculptor finishes reading TD, though, it will be time to start sending her this story.

Before anyone asks, though (assuming they would), I am only going to let her read this first draft. Because this is not about feedback/constructive criticism, it’s about lighting the fire under my ass to get the story written. And I know she will limit herself to questions if she has them, a minor comment here and there, and embarrasingly effusive praise.