I used to like to fancy myself a writer, but dared not refer to myself as one because I wasn't published and couldn't come up with a good answer to "What do you write?". In some warped corner of my mind, I couldn't defend being a writer and not being published. It would have been bad enough if I'd stopped there, but bad things (especially imagined bad things) often tend to get worse. I reasoned(?) that I've not been published, therefore I'm not a good writer, therefore I shouldn't write, therefore I won't write. To that radionale, I now say "stuff and nonsense". (I don't usually say "stuff and nonsense", but it came out anyway.)

Now, when asked, I'm pleased to say that I'm a writer. It's what brings me joy. While I'm writing, I'm contented and when the writing is finished, I feel peace.

Sure, the writing market is a tough nut, but I've come to the conclusion that the nut we see isn't the only nut there is. I think it was Will Rogers who said, "If you don't like the reality you're in, create a new one". The agents and publishers probably won't become a thing of the past, but the internet is allowing us writers to create that new reality.

So, every day I sit at my computer for many, many pleasant hours and post to my blogs and work on some other things and write my little heart out. And boy, oh boy does the patter of these keys sound like music to me.