The First Draft of Anything

The first draft of anything is shit. Ernest Hemingway said that.In Birdman, a character says that the first time actors put on a play, they don't know what it's about. As they perform it, they discover what it means.That's why the first draft of anything is shit. The heart of the story has not been defined, and until it is, the manuscript is disjointed. When the heart of the story is known, the narrative flows smoothly for the reader. My brother calls the quality of relating all points of a story to a common theme "unity of effect." He has worked as an editor, and says that unity of effect is what distinguishes the good writers from the bad.So the task for today is to identify the heart of a first draft.***Text: "We're gonna live forever."The first line is a toast. First lines are important. Why a toast? It gets the story started, but does it get the story started in the right way? I'll read on to get at the heart of the story, and decide then. The idea of immortality is important for the story though.Text: "She was a vampire, a loner, and most importantly had never kissed a boy without eating him. She desperately wanted to kiss a boy without eating him."She's lonely. Loneliness is at the heart of the story. She has never been with someone without hurting them. That's a key component of her character, and one that needs to be flushed out. It's her loneliness that drives her to be alone in the alley with a boy she just met.Text: "Afterward, she popped his eyes from their sockets, took out her own and popped her eyes into his face. He looked at her."This moment is meant to be unexpected. It is a strange but imperfect metaphor for the shift in perspective that love accomplishes. Love cannot be forced. Perhaps a third party should switch their eyes. Or perhaps she is so hungry for love that she attempts to force it. Her loneliness has driven her to move things along. If so, can things end well?The theme I see at the heart of the story is "Love transforms." The most powerful points are when they exchange eyes and when he changes into a vampire. My second draft should expand on that theme.***Getting Started: 1Character: 1Point of View and Tone: 1Plot and Narrative: 1Dialogue and Voice: 1Descriptive Language and Setting: 1Revision: 1Overall: 1*Level 1*