I’ve just printed out two copies of what I blithely call the first draft of my novel, even though certain chapters may have been rewritten oh, let’s say a hundred and eighty-seven times or so.  When I typed the words “first draft, May 2007” on the cover page this week I thought, what a lie.  My office is littered with first drafts of this novel dating all the way back to 2004  – and this is just the current version.  Babies born the year I actually started this novel are now half way through college. 

My agent was less than impressed with my first three chapter attempt at this story in the late eighties. So I quit and wrote some non-fiction and kids books instead. Ten years later I went back to the novel, moved the location from New England to Colorado, changed all the characters and wrote 100 pages. My agent still didn’t like it. 

In 2004 I decided to make one more try because I couldn’t give up on the central mystery of the novel (the mystery in the plot, not why I kept banging my head against the wall with this book.)  This time it’s set in Montana and once again all the characters have changed. I rewrote the first 100 pages to death, my agent gave me some feedback (but didn’t say stop) and I had four friends read it who gave me a variety of opinions and advice. And then I knew I just had to write the damn thing all the way to the end.  And I did.

So now this new complete version is going out to two more readers – people I love who are not only smart and wonderfully generous of their time, but who I trust to tell me the truth.  Even though I’ve lied and called this a first draft.

Who do you trust to read your writing?  What project do you have that you’ve never been able to give up on?  Hit the comment button and let us know.