The next step is a really big one

I ended up sending the book to four people and handing it to M right here at home. Three are still reading it, but M and one of the readers have finished it.

Both of them have declared it to be fantastic. And I'm not allowed to throw it under the bed and never talk about it again.

Gulp.

Both of them agreed on the aspects that need to be tweaked, and since they are both very different people, with very different points of views and centers of interests they must be on to something.

Which is all fine and dandy... but did I mention GULP.

Because now I have to take the next step, and that next step is huge.

Instead of putting the book in a nice and tight little box and hiding it under the bed next to the much bigger box that houses my wedding gown, I'm going to have to open the computer file and, starting on page 1, I'm going to have to start fixing up the weak spots. 

While I wrote the first draft and did my first read through I was constantly plagued with horrible crippling doubt and I comforted myself with the notion that a first book is supposed to be bad. It didn't matter if things didn't quire work. I could just type END and hide it away forever. One day I'd even laugh about that terrible first novel.

But they liked it. Apparently it's really good. And so now I get to go back and make it even better, without that safety net protecting me from the evil voices in my head.

Wish me luck. It might be a bumpy road.