This month for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, the question of the month is this: What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?
My first novel ever as an aspiring writer is called The Dark Circle and I first started writing it in my later single digit years, not exactly sure when, but I do remember the fuzzy red journal I used. This was back before everybody had a computer, let alone mobile devices. Sometimes I still like to hand-write partly because then it’s mine in a very personal way.
I’ve never published OR let go of that novel. Every few years or so I return to see if I’ve grown enough as a writer to finish it. It’s kind of like my white whale or maybe a treadmill where I always get something out of the trial. It’s very philosophical and full of naive youthful ambitions, starting in a world where people can recreate the world at will with their minds. In the opening scene the main character kills a fellow character out of sheer curiosity. She then gets into an argument with her current boyfriend. He’s from a different world and is horrified to discover that she doesn’t understand what murder is. The parent/creator of the person she killed is upset too, but mostly in a “you damaged my property” sort of way.
All of this sounds really horrible but she’s actually not a bad person, and she learns by the end of the first chapter. I love this novel. I do. It’s just super tricky.
What about you? Is there a hard, ongoing project you return to every now and again to see how much progress you can make this time?
Anne Higa 
I don’t go back to read what I wrote a long time ago. A good idea though. It’s good to see our own progress. Good luck on what you’re writing.
Thanks Diane!
Yes, and its resting right now. I have some ideas floating around I need to incorporate. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
I also like taking peeks back at old stories. I haven’t with my very first yet because I bet it’s pretty painful. Though sometimes I’m surprised at the good parts among the chaos!
Here’s my August IWSG post on my first novel attempt (note I said ATTEMPT). YA Author Stephanie Scott IWSG August
That novel sounds amazing, especially for such a young age, but I can understand how it can be tricky. Maybe it will be the last novel you finish.
I too like to return to my previous work, although I don’t work on it. I just like to reread it to see how far I’ve come.
Thanks Ula.
My first writing as a serious (whatever that means) writer was 30 pages. I thought it would be my first novel, but despite several journal entries claiming I had ideas on what to do next, I had NO clue where to go. At some point, I decided it was a “finished” story and let it sit. When I go back and read it, I am shocked at how didactic it is. Ugh, such arrogance. If anything, it reminds me to do better.
Man, I know that feeling. I’m tired of writing therefore it is “finished” and later it’s like … I should probably actually have a plot and I should probably tie up that plot. Thanks for visiting. Heading over to your place now!
That first story sounds like part of a great dystopian novel, yet-to-be-realised… 🙂
Hang onto it. Maybe get some input from alpha readers.
Happy IWSG Day, Anne!
Thanks Michelle! Back at you.
I have this novelette, I guess, that I wrote in 2009, when I started my blog and that’s something I never look at anymore, really, but it’s still on the blog and I know I’ve gotten more finessed as a writer by looking at it.
Thanks Michelle. Will have to check that out. Re-reading my old work, I’ve been considering doing similar, editing and posting it online.
You have a wild imagination, earmarks of a great writer. Wishing you great success. Blessings
That’s a very complicated concept that you wrote as a child, and tricky. I hope you get to finish it. I wrote one story as a child and someone said they didn’t get it. That sort of put me off for a long (long, long, long) time.
My first efforts were a series of picture books about a family of fish who lived in terror of a bear who stalked them under the ocean (a fish and a bear were the only remaining stencils I had at the time). I’d love to see those books again…I think my mom has them. I wrote them when I was five.
I love how practical I was at five–it never occurred to me to write about creatures I *didn’t* have stencils for!
Good luck with your opus! 🙂 Some of the world’s best books are first novels that took years to write.
Sounds like a great story. Why not keep working on it?
Mary at Play off the Page
So I commented two days ago. It disappeared. Frustrating. Anyhow, I totally get it. My debut novel, MOONLESS, was originally Dark Moon. =)
Sounds like you’ve got a psychological thriller on your hands!
I’m glad you kept your first novel. I think it’s fun to go back and read old stories I’ve written, even if they do need a lot of work. They are still special to me.
Actually…there isn’t. I’m sure I’ve written a few over the years I intended to get back to, but never did. I think it’s great that you’ve held onto your story, and that you hand wrote it in a journal you remember with such clarity. Keep coming back to it. I’m certain, one day, the spark will ignite and you’ll be ready to write it with the skills and knowledge needed to make it amazing!