On the Different Versions of TBSOL

As an addendum to what I wrote here and there about “TBSOL V5” I wanted to further clarify what I mean by “V5” just so we’re all on the same page:

• TBSOL V1: First and original draft which you can read here
• TBSOL V2: Second draft available here
• TBSOL V3: Third draft that I almost finished but didn’t fully finish and then abandoned, which I made available here (Patreon only)

What I consider to be “V4” is the collection of drafts and different edits that I’ve accumulated on the road to the “final” draft, some of which you can read here and here.

What I’m calling “V5” is the document that contains the latest edits to “V4”, which is still the draft I’m following and working off of.

I used to put a lot of pressure on myself when it came to this book, which is why I picked it up and dropped it so many times over the years. There were so many voices telling me different things and in the end I realized all those voices were my own.

Da Vinci said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” In a world that encourages and in many ways necessitates the monetization of art, years spent on a single novel may seem like a waste. But it has never felt like a waste to me.

There’s no version of this book that I regret writing. No version of this book that I regret sharing. No time spent on this story that hasn’t made my life better in some way.

Perhaps I could’ve written ten books in the same time, but maybe I wasn’t meant to. Maybe this is all I’m meant to do with my one wild and precious life.

I long ago stopped wondering which was the “better” version. Now when someone tells me they loved V1 or V2 or the latest iteration, I only smile and think: Good. I’m glad it found the person it was meant for.