It’s the freakiest day of the year in America, so I thought I’d spend some time talking about cursèd drafts: the ones we wish would just die, but that keep pursuing us. Maybe there’s a character whose voice rings in your head long after you’ve abandoned their story; maybe a thrilling scene took shape inside an otherwise necrotic plot; or maybe you know exactly the structure you’re going for, but can’t figure out how to fill it in. You have reached the limits of your powers in the dark arts and cannot summon these drafts back to life on your own: you need an intervention. After all, the first pages of Carrie went into the trash before Tabitha King pulled them out, shook off the cigarette ashes, and convinced Stephen his first novel was worth continuing.
Read on to find out what kind of monster you’re dealing with, what to do about it, and the story witches and writing covens that can help you.