I think all parts of the process are hard. Just getting started is half the battle, persevering through the middle is the other half, and then finishing just seems to take a whole other 100%. That's what I've found in life. Finishing has always been the hardest part for me. I have great ideas and start down all sorts of paths, but rarely see them through to completion. I have a follow through problem.
I had a follow through problem.
That's what I am most proud of with this book, that it's actually finished.
I followed through, not just on finishing the book, but on accomplishing the goal I didn't even dare dream when I first started this idea that I could be a full time writer-when I walked away from my first love, teaching, to pursue this elusive idea of writing words in black and white that people would actually want to read.
One thing that's hard about teaching is there really is no finished. The work is never done. That's why summer and a fresh school year are so important to provide closure and an end goal. This was different.
This book is done, and there is still work to be done to promote it, but I know I will hardly be able to catch my breath when I hold this finished product in my hand. I did it. I finished. And, I'm more proud of that than I've ever been of anything.
This post is linked up with lots of other writers who set the timer, write for five minutes on a one-word prompt, and hit publish without editing every Friday. Check it out.
photo credit: Andrew_D_Hurley via photopin cc