Joy, that is, until the realization hits that if you love it that much–and I feel that way about a story I’ve just "finished," than you’ve simply become blind to its flaws.
But oh, I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten as excited about a story as this one. Or maybe I have and forgotten how the mental process works. This is the third story I’ve started from scratch in just a couple weeks, and each one is better by far than anything I’ve written in the last few years. I’m so tempted to submit it immediately, but I’ve not gotten that stupid yet. I’ve stopped myself a couple times already today from submitting it even for critiqueing either online or for the next writers group meeting in September.
What I should do, of course, is pretend to submit it; that’s when all the mistakes and miscalculations immediately reveal themselves to the horrified writer. Then at least I’d be able to move, humble and productive, on to Draft #2.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
Only two drafts? For shame.
Oh no, my friend; the first draft undergoes many rewrites and edits before I make a move to a second draft. Usually the next draft reflects a major change such as pov or tense or story line so that the original concept isn’t totally lost and so saved separately.