Have you been there yet?  In that breathless moment when the magazine shows up in your mailbox, or the book arrives by special delivery.  Have you stood in that moment where you feel as though you’re floating when you eagerly thumb through a publication until you reach familiar words?

You’re published, and this is the first time you’ve seen your words in print, on someone’s blog, or in an ezine.

What a rush!

Congratulations, if you’ve taken that immense, frightening step to present your work to the Royal Person with the power to say Yay or Nay.  You traversed the perilous Plains of Blank Pages to win the grail sought by writers throughout the Kingdom of Hopeful.

You’ve slain the dragons of Fear and Low Self-Esteem.  You’ve polished and honed your sword before ruthlessly carving out the leanest story you could rescue from theForest of Words.

When the demons of Who Do You Think You Are shrieked as they swooped around your head, you sang at the top of your lungs.  Boldly, you belted out endless verses of – “I am Writer, See me Write…” until they gave up and flew away.

You saved your family and village from the Disease of Disbelief, even when they didn’t know they needed to be saved, and didn’t want you to be the one to save them.

Now – finally – you stand before the citizens of Reading Nation.  Your armor glows with an unearthly light as you raise your sword high above your head.  With one powerful stroke, the razor sharp blade slices the chains binding the treasure box, releasing the precious Golden Words recovered on your quest .

Stripping the gauntlet from your trembling hand, you reach out and touch the treasure for the first time.  Slowly, reverently, you raise it high above your head.

Men cheer, women faint, and children decide they want to be you when they grow up.

Oh yeah!  It’s great to be a Writer.