It's shorter than I wanted (by 3 pages), but it's done. DONE.
Now that it's signed, sealed, and on its way, I can reflect on the paralyizing fear I've experienced since April while trying to write this damn thing. After a glowing review of my second packet, I was stopped in my tracks. Looking back, I realize I was scared to let my mentor down, scared that the third packet wouldn't live up to the second. It became so late that I had to eventually sit down and push through this irrational paralysis and just...write. Write whatever came out of me, whatever part of the story that happened to be hanging around inside my head. In the process, I discovered that a) I'm not out of ideas and b) I can do this, and it doesn't have to be perfect or even better. After all, I can't learn if I don't try and make mistakes: a sentiment that sounds great on paper but is terrifying if you're a perfectionist.
I still have one more packet, but it's going to be a revision of my first one, which seems pretty crap at the moment. I was hoping to have written 100 pages by now, but I'll take 71. Especially since I've never written anything longer than a 10-page short story in my entire life. For now, though, I'm going to bask in the temporary relief that comes before actually sticking the packet in the mail and fearing the return.
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