I myself am on the treacherous journey of completion and publication....don't ever give up and one of the assets of such an undertaking is knowing there are many others out there who may have more self doubt than you.....don't ever hesitate, always continue onward. I know, who am I to champion the demise of the league of procrastination & self doubt; I've been a submissive party member for years.....off and on anyway. I offer this little story, actually the first story of my as yet meager writing career......

I'm not a huge Stephen King fan...yes I like him....I don't care much for his early work......horror, formulaic writing....I was just never impressed(yeah, I know he doesn't mind,especially when he goes to the bank)....I do believe however his writing has gotten better and I am definitely interested in any Stephen King story adapted for film......I'm sure there are others out there who would agree that Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption was one of the best stories on film in the last twenty years.....In my eyes that movie and story have become one of the great ones. What a pleasure it was to watch all those actors tell that story on film.
(Morgan...you deserved that Oscar...way to go boy!)

Anyway....my point is years ago I was reading an article Stephen King had done and he was talking about writing, choosing it as a profession and doing something with it....having a future and being comfortable with the identity of being a writer; actually saying it and realizing that is you. He said, "Look, if you write something...finish a piece, send it to a publisher, they decide to use it, cut you a check and you go and pay the phone bill with it then you are a writer."

I never forgot that bit of wisdom.....I think of it all the time. That statement is what propelled me to send in my first article back in 1996 and yes maybe my blind faith brought me beginners luck because that first piece I ever worked on with the cognizant intent of seeing it in a professional publication got accepted on its first submission to a local publication, was printed and I received a check for $40.00US in the mail and I paid the phone bill with it.......and then we were off ladies and gentleman, heading down the straight away coming into the first turn, dust flying and what a glorious day for a race folks.....anyway I think you can see the point. BELIEVE.......and Thanks Stephen.