Ironically, this is the second draft of this post. The first got eaten when IE::Mac and MoveableType decided to agree to disagree as to who I was and if I was logged in.

I currently have four complete short stories in first draft condition sitting on my desk, all in need of revision. One sat there for months until I finally forced myself to submit it to group. I tend to finish a first draft, make a few minor revisions and then move on to the next one. This is far from productive. Some, like the one noted above, would do well sent to the group for critique. Even in their first draft state, they will be able to provide critical insight that will help me in the second and third drafts, until I ultimately have a polished piece ready to submit to the market.

Thus far I am falling fall short of my goal of one submission per month. I need to focus my attention on finishing these drafts, polishing them up, and sending them out. That’s my current and immediate short-term goal. I want to have a second draft of “A Cup of Tea” (was “A Tea for Two”) finished this weekend and pending a final read from Dena, ready to send out next week. Following that I have “Temperament” in desperate need of a critical eye. By that time, “Shaken, not Stirred” will be back from group with valuable feedback and I can begin its revisions as well. By mid-May I should have two stories in circulation and a third sent to group.

Revision is the mark of a writer and so far I have been falling short of that mark. While my original goal may have been a fair bit too optimistic, I think that if I remain focused that I will be able to get those submissions out, and that will feel pretty darn good.