A couple of decades ago, I read through the 10th year anniversary book for Calvin & Hobbes. Now, Calvin & Hobbes is my all-time favorite cartoon strip(Zits is close, but not quite there), and I was heartbroken when Bill Watterson quit making it. Reading through his commentary, I discovered he discards quite a bit of material we never see. I didn’t understand that until I started writing for publication. After all, who wouldn’t want more stuff from their favorite author?
Watterson revealed that writers, even the best, sometimes
write crap. In fact, what is written
often starts off as crap. It’s the
editing, rewriting, and polishing that produces the masterpiece we love from
the author. The goal is to present the
best and make us clamor for more, and putting garbage in front of us that we
had to wade through to find treasures would diminish our appreciation of the good
stuff.
It’s no secret that I believe Salvation Day is my
best work. More than a few have asked
when the next chapter of that book is coming out, and why I’m not getting it
out faster. Truth be told, Salvation
Day went through several incarnations where it sucked(my biggest problem
was lack of patience in developing the story).
Had I released what I first envisioned instead of working on it to get
better before audiences saw it, it wouldn’t have resonated, much less won an
award.
This is a peak behind the curtain many usually don’t
see. Part of the trick of being an
author is wanting folks to believe that everything we write is awesome, and to
have them begging to see anything we create.
However, if folks saw what we discard, they might barf. So let’s maintain the illusion, even if
frustrating.
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