Well, I have ten short stories published, one poem and my first book for sale on Amazon. I believe there are stages in a writer’s life, and I believe I have moved from one stage to another. A more serious stage.

These are the stages:

Writer Dreamer: Dreams about being a writer, but that’s it. Also dreams of dating that girl in Accounting and moving out of his mother’s
basement.
Writer Wannabe: No longer dreaming, but actually forms story ideas in his head and joins a Facebook group about writing.
Writer: Actually writes out his stories. Still has not  asked the the girl in Accounting out.
Rejected Writer: Has submitted work for publication only to receive stern rejection letters.
Despondent Writer: Joined a writer’s critique group. Stunned by the brutality of rejection so much he went out and adopted a cat.
First Acceptance: First short story accepted! Granted, it was a we publish whatever you send publication, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.
Second Acceptance: An actual real publication accepted your work, after extensive rewriting.
Real Acceptance:  A few more acceptances and you asked the girl in Accounting out for coffee, but she laughed so hard her water broke.
You believe in yourself: You’ve had several stories accepted in good publications and you write every day now, and consider yourself a writer. You’ve move on from the fat girl in Accounting and asked the barista at the local coffee shop out. She did not laugh at you.She likes your cat.

I am working on my next book, which I hope to have published by the end of the year.  I have several short stories in the final stages of being rewritten.

I no longer dream of writing, because I am too busy every day writing,

Feels good.