While it is hard to quantify and measure the rewards of writing, let’s try to determine if your writing career is suffering from Failure to Launch…
Completing the following questionnaire may or may not initiate a Come-to-Jesus moment? Whatever the case, I hope you find it amusing.
I have been seriously writing for ( ) years.
I have written and completed ( ) short stories.
have written and completed ( ) features.
I have written ( ) pilots and ( ) related episodes.
I have received ( ) in monetary payment for my writing.
I have spent ( ) on contests, doctors, instruction, etc.
My pet (cat, bird, or dog) eats better than me.
I don’t mind spending another ( ) years chasing my dream of becoming a successful writer.
Of course, there are those to whom the joy of writing exceeds any and all normally accepted measures of success and the answers to the above questions are meaningless and unimportant. If you are such a person, please open a new blank page and type FADE IN.
Damn the torpedos and full speed ahead!
Hee hee, time for a bit of depressing navel-gazing, I see?
I'm in the negatives for just about every one of these survey questions, and for a few that aren't listed, but the torpedo I'll fire off is the old trope I've quoted previously here on this forum:
"The only loser is the one who quits"
On the other hand, it's always disconcerting to see how much MONEY some spend on "career advancement aids", but it and so many other things can be done for free, or maybe isn't even needed to factor into one's thinking. That is, just because somebody says you have to do it (enter BlackList, get coverage, do contests) doesn't all all mean it's necessary, or emphasized to the degree it is. We're all free-thinking adults here. Emphasis is on the word "free", though don't be fooled because that is usually accompanied by words such as "initiative" and "hard work", if you get my drift.
Not looking to identify Winners or Losers. My point is a personal review every so often is a healthy thing to do. If you're not on the PGA Tour after years of trying to get better... just accept you enjoy playing the game and move on with your life. No harm, no foul.