Maybe it’s not as bad as you think…

I started a new project a few weeks back. It’s dystopian – although not in the traditional sense. I had this brilliant, sparkly, framed in twinkly-Christmas-lights idea that maybe (just maybe) my dystopian didn’t have to be dark and well…yucky.

Why can’t the post-apocalyptic world revert to a ’50s mentality? Why can’t people have morals and values? Sure it’s set in an uber-controlling, almost serf-system, dictator-run country. But maybe I could frame it so that it’s not an ugly place to live…at least on the surface.

The world has been destroyed (and if you think I’m going to share my brilliant and totally original idea of how that happened, you are so wrong!) but maybe in a few ways it’s actually a better place to raise a family. Swearing is frowned upon. Sex before marriage is illegal. Prohibition is in full swing (unless you are rich or part of the government, of course).

So I started it, cranked out four chapters in one day, read it, cried a little, and closed the document. Why couldn’t I make my lovely idea work on paper?

I didn’t look at it again until last night. And honestly, it’s not as bad as I originally thought. It’s not perfect. But what first draft is?

Do you have projects you’ve shelved because you thought they were awful? Have you gone back and looked at them recently? Maybe you should.

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