I Did It

Tonight I submitted to my WIFRY class my required first 30 pages. Even though these pages have been written and edited many times over the past year, I found myself terrified of letting them go. Until now it has only been my critiquing partner Kathryn Purdie and two sisters who have read my work. Knowing that 12 other classmates-well 11 if you consider that Kathryn will be there, complete strangers to me will be reading my work and critiquing it is really daunting. To numb myself before the process I sent just my 30 pages, into which I fit my first 3 chapters, to 3 other people. They responded favorably and without a large amount of helpful suggestions, but still, at least now a few more people have read it.

The submissions are due on Monday, the 23rd, and then we will be sent everyone else's work to critique and print out before the conference- That is three-hundred-and-sixty pages (it seemed more significant written out that way). Now the waiting. All my classmates will know my work before they know my face. I wonder how that will affect their opinions. I do hope that they are both helpful, kind, and specific in their criticisms. I hope to do the same.