What Success is to Me

What, as a writer, is Success?

First, thank you Mr. Bud for the stimulating question.

I have several ways of looking at success:

After writing something, if I've smiled, laughed, pondered, cried or became awestruck, I've succeeded.

If I've completed a short story, novella, several decent poems, a novel and started a major writing project, I've succeeded.

If I get feedback that is a mix of reviews, good, great and so-so, I've succeeded in the search to understand what others think.

If I can rise each day with words that want to spill in the morning like coffee grounds on yesterday's news, I have succeeded.

If I can write with an eye beyond writing - to make one aware of any little thing they were not aware of - to make the world a better place, to widen horizons, to see a sunset from my eyes. If I can write something and roll on the floor laughing, and I do it often, I'm half way to success.

I think it may have been Faulkner who said something like - 'In everything you read it's good to learn something.' I'm sure I've twisted that but you get the idea. Maybe, it's 'In everything you write it's good to teach something.'

In my self-published novel, I kept that in the back of my mind. I know many have not heard of MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse. Although it had nothing to do with the story, I gave the condition to my main character. I know that someday, somewhere, someone with that condition will read my words and say, "Ah." To me, that is success

OnWords & UpWords...Shirl