An anniversary to be proud of

Fictionpress.com, for those of you who are not aware, is a website that houses original fiction written by an author, or, in the likes of me, authoress.

I have been there for a year now, and I feel as though I have accomplished so much.

Number of Stories Completed:  8 archived, 13 total 
Number of Novels Completed:  1 archived
Number of Stories In-Progress:  3
Number of Novels In-Progress:  1
Number of Words Archived on the Site:  782,172 (and counting)
Number of Reviews:  5,292 (and counting)
Number of Stories Planned:  5
Number of Novels Planned:  7
Number of One-Shots (A story that is only one chapter - a story unto itself) Planned:  too many to count

I know it sounds somewhat arrogant, but I feel so accomplished.  When I first began posting, I was slightly wary, unsure of how people would respond to my quirky way of writing - if they would accept it at all - and I was pleasantly surprised.  The biggest lesson I have learned from Fictionpress is (however cheesy it may be) that if you believe in yourself and you work hard, you WILL be successful.  When I first started out, I barely got two reviews a chapter, but because I updated frequently and responded to every review, my stories' reviews continued to grow and grow until even I was surprised.  I'm still surprised!

And this is only my first year.  Imagine what next year will bring!

I know for sure, however, that when people ask if I have a job, I tell them:  "Yes.  I am a writer."  Because I am.  So what if I'm not getting paid for it?  I enjoy it, and in my definition of the word, I am successful.