Garbage, and other truths

At left - look familiar?

Ron Carlson has a great text I've referenced here before : Ron Carlson Writes a Story.(here)

There is however something left out in Ron's version. In my efforts, there is the rough and then the draft and then late in the draft there is the walking around the room paralyzed in angst because what you've written is complete shit.

Lately, my quality control bullshit detector (aka the Hemingway Device) has been going off at 4 AM where I wake up knowing fifty things dreadfully wrong with the work in progress.

Then, there's the contribution by Elizabeth Spann Craig (here) whose blog has me writing with a little more structure (aka professional hours) where I write in the evening and then compose notes in the morning on areas for improvement, edits, revision from the previous sessions. The morning notes illustrate an increasing array of deficiencies.

So, no draft is of any use but in the birdcage unless finished. There's always the revision cycle. It's a holiday themed murder and the polished story isn't ready this year? Finish, revise, submit in the summer for publication next fall. You weren't going to make any deadlines with it this year.

I do want to get rid of the "walk around the room in angst" part of the drill. I hate it.

My bullshit detector is calibrated. It just works on a six hour delay and that's disturbing my sleep.

More to write. The story's not done. Go finish one of yours. Don't let it get away.

Hide the trash cans if you have to.