What Happened To My Former Sooted Star Draft?
The Rework
If you’ve been following my project, Sooted Star, for a while, you probably know it’s gone through some changes. There were many chapters that I had released on the internet, which are now gone.
Well, fear not!
They may be gone from public viewing, but they are safely archived on their working site and a couple of USB sticks.
The reason for this is that I had an epiphany a little while ago. A question in the back of my mind had grown to the point I couldn’t ignore. That question was: “Why does the Sooted Star world need to have several planets when none of them serve any purpose to the story?”
Frankly, I had ignored the question for almost a decade as I wrote the last iteration of the novel. But when I reread some early drafts that I wrote as a child, it dawned on me that it was an important question. I wasn’t happy writing this draft. I missed the whimsy and imagination of the early drafts. Where were the imaginative creatures and new sapient species I once had? When did everything just become another human political drama? Not that I mind a good human political drama, but why the need to spread it over several more planets? What were the stakes of adding these other planets?
I had a choice. I could either continue this unhappy draft, whittle down the bloat so that I wouldn’t have to justify having other planets, or rework the premise entirely.
I chose to rework the premise.
Instead of the story revolving only around the humans, I chose to place greater importance on the other species from other planets. Well, saying I’ve reworked the premise “entirely” is a bit of a stretch. I did keep the main theme about powerful new technology causing conflict. What I changed is how the story and characters will fall around this theme. It’s sort of like keeping the same wire structure but building the clay around it more faithfully.
And so, I have restarted the novel once again. I know it’s a bad habit of mine to scrap entire first drafts once they no longer seem to be serving. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated that it feels like a decade of work down the drain. I really thought this first draft was the one I would complete front to back. I had gotten so far in it already. Over 300 pages worth. But like a festering demon only growing with each passing year, the dreaded question reared its ugly head, and I couldn’t ignore it.
Will this iteration of the story be strong enough to make it to the end now that the premise has been strengthened? I believe so. Then again, I could bash my head, scrap everything, and write an entirely new story that has nothing to do with Sooted Star. In the end, it doesn’t matter. I just appreciate everyone who has stuck with me on my writing journey.
As I get this new draft in order, I may post a few chapters, but don’t expect much. In the meantime, I will continue to post character and concept art with new species, maps, environments, etc. They may be found nice and organized (in due time) on my new “wiki-like” world-building site, hosted by World Anvil! Check it out here.
If you want updates about my Sooted Star World Anvil developments, you can get them through email if you subscribe to this very blog.
As always, you can keep up with me on any of my social media.
And if you want to see sneak peeks, WIPs, or download full-resolution files of my art, you can become a patron!
Thank you! Your support for Sooted Star and my art in general means a lot.
