Welcome to First Draught

I was lucky enough to kick off my writing career around the same time as a dear friend. We were in the same boat back then. Cobbling stories together in our dwindling free time, submitting them to any and every market we could find. We quickly amassed a truckload of form letter rejections (a load that never stops growing and I suspect never will). But every once in a while we’d find a home for one of our yarns. Even make a few bucks. 

I can’t recall if it was his suggestion or mine, but we decided early on to implement a kind of ritual to help keep our output steady. So once a month, we’d meet at a dive bar with our latest stories in hand. We’d read each other’s work, have a few beers. Share our thoughts, have a few more. It made everything about writing more enjoyable and rewarding. It also made us better writers.

That ritual came to be known as First Draught. And it’s in the spirit of that ritual that I’m here. 

My aim is to use this space to share my work, both previously published and new, with the Substack community. I’ll also be dropping a few bits of writing wisdom that I’ve picked up over the years. And should the mood strike, I may knock out a little brooding about whatever it is I’m brooding about. 

I welcome your eyes, your thoughts, your feedback. And above all, I hope you find something you like. 

-Jeff