I feel successful when the writing goes well. This lasts five minutes. Once, when I was number one on the bestseller list, I also felt successful. That lasted three minutes.

Don't take anyone else's definition of success as your own. (This is easier said than done.)

I feel successful when the writing goes well. This lasts five minutes. Once, when I was number one on the bestseller list, I also felt successful. That lasted three minutes.

To me, the act of writing itself is infinitely more important than any success I have achieved through it. Not that I'm knocking success, but after all, I'm the person locked in front of my TRS 80 anywhere from eight to twelve hours a day.

It takes most of us a long time to learn our craft. So keep at it. Don't give up.