It seems almost inappropriate to me to talk about things like process and business of writing and writing careers right now. It feels... well, describing how I feel would probably devolve into a rant of inarticulate swearing. So when I look at the topic of the week to be "what does success mean to you and how do you define it?", I'm not even sure what I could say about that right now.
But then I also think that art and craft matter. Especially when things seem bleakest. Fundamentally my job is to help you, the audience, slip your brain to somewhere else for a little while. That I can make someone's day a bit brighter, a bit easier... that means so much to me. I recently heard from a fan who had to spend all day in a hospital waiting room while their daughter had a battery of tests, and they were grateful to have one of my books with them to get through the day.
I take those little scraps of joy every chance that I can, because at the core, that's what it's all about. This business-- just like everything else in this world-- can grind you down so hard. It will crack you across the face and not even have the decency to watch you fall down.
Succeeding, to me, is finding the strength to stand up again, bloody and battered, and giving the world a tiny smirk and asking, "That all you got?"
And that's what I'm gonna keep doing.
