I just submitted a new piece for a creative writing workshop class. It’s bad. I’ll work on something for days and this piece specifically it was weeks, but now that it’s out of my hands I feel embarrassed about it. It’s a nonfiction piece about not letting your surroundings define who you are, but as I read it now, the piece is just a bunch of vague comparisons. Ever since I’ve read Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the fact that my workplace puts Andy on my name tags instead of Andrew has always irked me. I compared this to a moment in my life where I was using an extra copy of short story to light a wood stove at my parents house, and at the top I saw my full name on the story. I want to do something with it, but this anxiety is killing me. I just wish I could go back in time and take out all the details about me eating too much, and how awesome my sister’s cat is. As cool as those things are to write about, they didn’t really help the focus.
Right now I’m reading Thorton Wilder’s Heaven’s My Destination. It’s about this character George Brush who lives a devoutly faithful life, and unfortunately is surrounded by a world of sin. It’s only over a hundred pages, but definitely a good read.
Stage Fright 
Whenever I submit something, right after it goes out off my hands, I fell exactly the same way. I have the fear of sounding too childish and armature but the truth is the piece is never as bad as you imagine it to be… It’s just the pressure and anxiety talking! 🙂
Good luck with your writing.
Thank you! Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I guess I’ll end up finding out when the workshop comes around this week,
Andrew,
I have to agree with Lua. I recently submitted a children’s story to a well known publisher. The moment I gave it to the postal service I started rethinking the content, the format, the
ending… It’s been a few days and I’m still anxious about it.
I’ll have to wait about four weeks for the return of my story. Aye carumba!
Once it’s out of our hands, I guess that’s when the fear starts to build. I hope everything works out with the publisher!
Andrew,
Your story wasn’t that bad. I enjoyed reading it. I wish I could write you a critique but I have to do an oral, I might just do both for you and steph because I like to help you and her out, you two do the same for me all the time. You are a great writer, don’t ever forget that.