I had lunch with a woman who is also a writer and throughout I was struck by her love of what she was doing. She had no bloodthirsty goal to be on the New York Times Bestseller list or climb the lofty heights of the Amazon ranks. She wasn’t out to make sure that her writing was on all the Nooks and Kindles in the universe.
She just loved what she was doing. She was happy, and her happiness was comforting.
I will admit to you I’ve fallen into that unhappy underworld when I begin to wonder why the heck I’m not selling millions, okay maybe thousands, of books on Amazon or at Barnes & Noble, or why Hollywood hasn’t optioned any of my stories for big screen or little one, for that matter. These are times when my ego takes hold like a rope. But as I’ve grown older I have learned that pinning happiness on those two things alone will lead straight to unhappiness. It’s like high school when you wish the cutest guy would ask you out or that you make the cheerleader squad. When those two things don’t happen, you are in high school hell. Thankfully, high school is over.
And please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not knocking ambition. If your only goal is to sell lots of books, then I wish you all the happiness. Damn, if my books do hit no. 1, I certainly won’t be sad or turn down the royalty checks.
But I’m not going to be holding my breath either.
I’m just going to keep on writing and learning how to become a better writer because that’s why I began all this in the first place. I love to tell stories and create characters. I love to have someone read my writing and feel a bit of the emotions I felt when writing the words. Or have them say, ‘Hey, I know what that’s like.’ I like to make them laugh, cry, feel scared, or rewarded. I like them to think. Mostly, I pursue awhat Harper Lee wrote in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
That gives me the greatest joy–giving people another point of view through my writing.
I’ve had my share of successes and I am grateful and lucky, but as in life, I have to realize there will always be people with more success and less success. People with more money and less. At times, I still have to work to keep myself out of that hades of unhappy writers, but it is getting easier and isn’t that something to be happy about?

Following is the link to the best list I’ve read about how to be a happy writer by novelist, screenwriter and game designer Chuck Wendig. Enjoy!
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/03/26/25-ways-to-be-a-happy-writer-or-at-least-happier/?subscribe=success#blog_subscription-2

Make a list of all the tools you need to be a writer.
Let’s see, computer, paper, ideas, dictionary, and yes, dedication.
Those who challenged themselves in National Novel Writing Month in November, that is writing a 50,000 word novel in a month, have already learned this simple rule, philosophy or whatever you choose to call it. Namely, you must write everyday to make the goal. You must be dedicated.
But dedication is something you need year round as a writer, not just in November or for New Year’s resolutions.
You must be dedicated to finish your projects. Sure, you may have a few projects going, but be dedicated to completing one. Your novel, essay, poem or memoir–whatever you are writing–demands your dedication.
Be dedicated to writing something most every day, even if you go back and erase it the next day.
Be dedicated to becoming a better writer either by taking a class, going to a conference or getting involved with a critque group.
Dedication is tough because we sometimes must sacrifice other things, but a love of what you are doing makes dedication just another writer’s tool, just like your computer, paper and dictionary.