The first novel draft I ever finished was titled (cheesily enough), Blooming Jade. It was supposed to be a contemporary romance, and within the first chapter Jada, my heroine, was being chased, and subsequently saved by a stranger she knew only from glances exchanged at the local conservatory (where she went weekly to see if the huge Jade plant in the collection had bloomed yet). Yes, it was a NaNo novel. Yes, I did spend some time trying to revise it with the help of a very small local writer’s group. It’s been on my bookshelf (quite literally – the whole thing is printed out and in a binder) ever since then.

I can’t remember what the second draft I finished was…it sucked, I know that much, and I doubt I even saved a copy, I hated it so badly, if I recall correctly. Yet again, I tried to force myself to write in a contemp. romance “box”, and failed – rather spectacularly, I think.

The third completed draft was called The Confetti Party, and started off with my fascination with what happens when complete strangers are thrown together for an evening. I wasn’t even trying for a romance that time; though one developed as I wrote (they always seem to). Unfortunately, my brain went straight for the horror that time, and I ended up with a locked warehouse, hunters preying on the party guests, and a serious bloodbath wherein I think everyone died at the end. Or maybe one person lived. Long enough to finish the story, anyway (it started with someone bleeding out, and ended at the same scene). It was gruesome. Konrath would have been proud of the mess (have you read Draculas? That’s the kind of carnage we’re talking about here).

I also have a “thing” for hidden identities, masks, and pretending to be what you’re not (which is odd, since with me, what you see is what you get). So the last completed draft I wrote before I decided to learn about plot & continuity was called Perfect Companions – and for some reason, I *still* thought I could write it as a contemporary romance. Needless to say, there was a drug lord and undercover agents and many, many layers of subterfuge before I even hit the midpoint. Oh, and just as a nod to Indiana Jones, a sand-filled snake pit *on a yacht* for the final scene

Is there a writer out there who never does cheesy things in a draft out of desperation? If so, don’t tell me. I’m embarrassed enough by that scene already, and I’m the only one who’s read it. I was embarrassed about 60 seconds after I wrote it, actually, but dang it, I hit my 50k words by the deadline that year.

All NaNo novels, and all of which would require a complete rewrite in order to be publishable. That’s not just because I’ve finally made peace with needing action and adventure along with my romance…but also because I’ve come a long way in terms of my voice and understanding of structure (don’t worry, I still have *plenty* to learn).

Interestingly though, I’m still exploring the same themes. I’ve tried to write stories (in several genres) based on the “confetti party” idea several times and I’m definitely getting closer. I’m fairly certain that one of these days, I’ll write something readable with that basic theme. And the hidden identity plot is a big part of The Wise Critique that I’m working on revising now. I may revisit the original idea again someday, but I find it comforting that those things stick with me constantly, rather than just disappearing.

Are there themes that stick with you, even through works that you’d rather just forget existed? How many times/ways have you explored the same theme in your own work?

Readers, do you seek out writers due to the underlying themes they explore? Why or why not?