After I had gathered all my research, I felt a surge of pride—unfortunately for me, it wasn't short-lived, which meant I continued to ride that wave of accomplishment well into the rest of the summer. Suddenly, June had flown by, July was nearly coming to an end, and I had nothing new to show for it. I recognized I was procrastinating, but for the longest time, I refused to acknowledge why I was doing so. When I finally took the time to be honest with myself, I realized I was afraid—to mess up, to have my first draft look imperfect, to create something new. I decided I needed some tough love and forced myself to sit down and write. Easier said than done, I know, but it helped me find my footing. Granted, I spent over an hour writing a 300-word paragraph, but that was beside the point. From there, it instantly became a little easier—I was able to convince myself to sit down and work, setting small goals for the day, and soon, the ball was rolling. I'm done with my first draft now, and it's time to edit it. I feel myself slipping back into my old habits, and I realize I need to start over with my editing—begin with a small chunk, before working my way down, taking on more with each day!