Trouble with loading 35mm film?

I'm a film photography novice who just got a Nikon EM 35mm camera and today tried, for the first time, to load it with film.

After loading the film into the chamber on the left side, I put the leader onto the wrong spool and when I tried to wind it on, the perforations on the leader tore. Without the perforations, there was no way the spool was going to wind the film on so I used a scissors to cut off the torn leader. Then, by cutting into the remainder of the film and removing a few of the upper perforations, I made a new leader.

I put this leader into the correct spool and managed - with difficulty, as the spool was hard to turn - to wind on the film. I closed the back of the camera and proceeded to use the shutter and winder to wind on the film until the little window next to the shutter indicated that the first frame was reached.

I'm worried that because I shortened the film by removing the leader, that the film isn't actually at the first frame but is off by the length of the leader!

Have I completely botched this roll of film? I don't know whether or not 35mm film is continuous. Are there frames that must be in exact position in order to achieve a proper picture?

The film isn't pre-marked so it doesn't have to be in an exact spot for a photo. You just do as you did and take the photos, then rewind once you get to the end. Do you know how to do that?

If the film is hard to wind on, is the camera OK?

Once you get to 35 or 36 shots and it feels hard to wind on, don't try too hard or you'll strip the sprocket holes.

Cutting a new leader is no problem. Frames are not on the film before you make a photo. They are formed by the "cut out" in the camera in front of the film (the rectangular one).So you will have lost a few frames but nothing more as the actual frame is only formed when making the picture.

Enjoy film!

No worries! You haven't botched the film at all.

The frames are created when you make the exposure.

The worst that will happen is that because you have shortened the film a bit, you will have lost the ability to shoot, say, 36 frames on a 36 roll - you'll more likely get 33-34. Ditto 24 roll - you'll only be able to take 20-22 (depends on how much film you cut off).