Kate McCahill Writes About Becoming An Author

I love Patagonian Road–Santa Fe writer Kate McCahill’s first published book. But what does it feel like to turn from a struggling writer to a published author?
Read her thoughts in this new essay–http://www.themillions.com/2017/08/youre-a-writer-now.html
It’s an unpretentious and yet heartening account. I’m afraid I’m the anonymous character who cynically reiterates that nothing–in the world of literary career–really means anything.
But this is true and false at the same time. My first husband Robert Winson used to say: nothing leads to anything else. That was in response to my belief that there was obvious forward motion in the literary world–a published book led to better gigs, etc. When this didn’t happen, I’d get morose and lie on the couch.
Wipe that “the world owes me a living” expression off your face, he’d say.
And yet McCahill’s publishing is a personal success–which most importantly gives a book to its readers. It’s good to temper our dependence on the outside world with inner autonomy. And it’s great to launch a book!
I’m also a fan of McCahill’s personal essays, and am looking forward to what is next from her.