I recently read an article that compared writers to baseball players. Not for much, just talking about a different thought of success.

We write stories and we submit them to magazines. Once we start getting an acceptance or two – we start thinking every idea we have can be turned into a saleable story, especially after completing an MFA program.

The point is that baseball players have a batting average. Some stories are just better than others. What if we did think about it as writing a .200? Of every five ideas, we finish a short story. Of every five finished stories, one is a gem.

It’s definitely an interesting theory. I know some of my stories touch the reader more than others. I also know some stories I read from other writers make me feel more than others.