Corbin Maxwell wrote:
I think you’re putting too much pressure on yourself to get published. It’s sucking all the pleasure out of it. I feel that when you write, the prose should make you feel good. Like you took a drug or something. Or exercised. Chances are nobody’s ever going to pay for working out, but generally people feel good afterwards.
By the way, you’re not writing for David Farland or anyone else but yourself. If the words and the story don’t make you feel good before you submit it, then winning or getting published might feel hollow. Just a theory of course.
I won't argue about that first part. But I am not a good judge of how my writing is coming along. If editors start to say good things about my writing, or actually buy my stories, then I know my ability to tell the best story I can has improved significantly. Feeling good about writing is what has kept me going over the years I have been here. Recently I have gotten out of the habit of coming here but it's been, not sure, but over five years since my first post here. Writing even longer than that.
As to your last comment: I might just feel that even though I thought a story was badly written if Dave and the others that look at the finalists, think my story should be in WotF then I know I was wrong about it. I would be greatly surprised but still know I did better than I thought.
Oh and if I ever got a semi finalist I would know I have improved greatly even then.