So when do I feel like a writer?

Today I am putting the contract in the mail for my first ever to-be-published piece of fiction. My short story will appear in the 5th edition of Kansas City Voices, printed, I believe, sometime in the fall.

I am thrilled… or at least, I think I am. Perhaps it is a just part of a writer’s personality – to feel like each success is some sort of fluke. I worked really hard on this piece. I spent hours examining it, word by word, and then a bit more time working with the editor. In the end, I have 2500 words that I am really proud of.

Yet, I’m marking days off the calendar, watching the dates for expected responses for other submissions pass by and wondering if the entire effort is truly worth it. Not that I’d stop. Not now, after all this time and all this… independent study… trying to figure out exactly how it’s done and thinking maybe I’m getting just an inkling of an idea.

I told hubby the other day that it kind of feels like playing the lottery. Only these lottery tickets are carefully crafted, one by one, by my own hand… mind… The payout, should that day ever come, will likely not be as grand as a lottery ticket might, but it will surely be more satisfying, and I’d like to think my odds are a bit greater.

After it’s published, I hope to be able to link to the story or otherwise share it with you all – my regulars. I’ll let you know when it is available.