How Disappointing

Well, I've just re-discovered a short story I wrote during my senior year of high school. The similarities between it and "Firefly Jones," a story I wrote in college, are staggering. What's worse? The older story is by far the superior. That's worrying. Have I passed my prime already?

Now while it's true that "Firefly Jones" was borne out of a stream of consciousness exercise and has gone through countless troublesome edits, that still doesn't excuse its shortcomings. I am faced with a difficult decision. I think I have to disown "Firefly Jones," at least as it stands in its current form.

Perhaps it is for the best. When I read it, I find myself skipping the first few expository paragraphs to get right to the dialog between Jones and Sylvie. Maybe the story will work better if I shift the focus. Oh, but there's already been so much work, and so many similarities would remain. I think I'd rather just toss it in the garbage.

How very disappointing.

UPDATE: damn it, it seems the copy of Firefly Jones that I've posted on my portfolio site is not the most up-to-date edit. That explains some of the lameness. Even so, I think I'll forge ahead with a total retooling.