One step down, two, three, four more to go?

It's finally done. It took almost a year to complete, but tonight I printed out my first completed manuscript. At the halfway point I printed it out and was amazed with my efforts at that stage, but this is something different.

Just seeing the printed reality of so much hard work, late nights, and wondering if I would ever get to this point, makes this a night for celebration.
The weight of the manuscript in my hands made me smile. I can't believe that I actually typed all of those words. I know I want to be an author. I believe I have many wonderful stories to tell and now the first one is sitting next to me waiting for the next step.

60,252 words, 231 pages to be exact. It's a miracle...no it's my hard work. I want to scream at the top of my lungs, "I Finished It! I Finished It!" Yet, it isn't over yet. I still have to go through and edit for a fourth time, maybe a fifth time.

Then the scary part comes in. Giving it to other people that I know and a couple I don't to read and critique. Will they enjoy my story? Will they turn the pages in anticipation of what is coming next? Will they be able to give me constructive criticism that will make my book even better?

But the most important and scariest question remains: What if they hate it? The butterflies in my stomach are fluttering around even now at just the thought of failing to please as a writer.

I want to celebrate phase one, but I know it's just the beginning of this journey. In the beginning when I had less than 5,ooo words, I thought the hard part would be getting to 60,000 words or two hundred pages. Now, I believe the most difficult challenges lay ahead. I will dwell on that tomorrow...right now I celebrate with a glass of wine!