Back in my post on 2007 Review, 2008 Plans, I talked about output goals (writing, revising, reading, submitting). But I also had secret goals, things that I don't control but that I hoped would happen.
The biggest hope was I'd exit the year having sold a story. It happened. So I'm done for the year! Just kidding...
It's a tremendous boost of confidence, this feeling that I can actually write a story that someone will select and buy and publish. I got a big rush when I got the first email, and I'm sure I'll get a big rush when I see the story in print.
On the other hand I also have some worry that this was a magical fluke, and it will never happen again. I honestly feel like I have to work harder: write more, revise more, read more, critique more, find more places to submit stories, and submit more. All this order to prove to myself that it wasn't a fluke, and that I can do it again. (I have a sneaking suspicion that it always feels this way).
I don't control whether someone decides to buy a story or not. Here's what I do control: how much I write, what I write about, how I revise stories, whether I submit stories, and where I submit them.
In the end, it comes down to this: Celebrate today, get back to work tomorrow.
Keep moving forward. Write, Revise, Submit, Till Hell Won't Have It!
And now, back to it.
