That people are reading and enjoying my books. I've chosen to write books kids and YA audiences so I love it when my fans tell me they can't wait for the next book to be published. I also love it when parents tell me about their kids reading past their bedtime or begging their parents to read one more chapter. This is what success looks like to me.
Absolutely! Even though I write Fantasy/Sci-Fi, it's important to me to be honest with my readers. I can create fantasy worlds but as long as I am true to my creation, I feel I'm giving my readers the best I can. I need to add things from my life to help make this journey feel real. For example, when I was a teacher I would read The Chronicles of Narnia series to my students all year. I would read using voices and engage the students in the books. In my first book, Awakening, Gustav Schliebe (Chuck Schliebe was my 1st-grade teacher) does the same thing for his students. There are things like that throughout all my books. I just wish I could really turn into a dragon :-)
I do read my reviews because I am looking for better ways to connect with the readers who like my books. I know not everyone is going to like what I write, and that's okay. If a bad review is helpful, I will incorporate helpful suggestions into my next book. I don't listen to haters though, or give them power over me.
Don't wait so long to get started. I let a comment from a college professor derail my desire to write for over 30 years. I let that comment affect me for too long, I'm sure he forgot about it two seconds after he made it but I allowed it to shape my thoughts for many years. Write about what you like to read and you will find other people who like to read what you write as well. That's what I would tell my younger self.
