I've been a romance writer for about three years and a fantasy author for the past year. Besides being a mother and wife, I work full time as a high school teacher. The road to publication has been look and not entirely well marked. Now that I have my physical books in hand, bookstores are more than a great place to visit for me.
Few professions have the amount of support by fellow members as writers do. I've made so many friends and contacts, I gave up keeping track. It's a tough career and only the truly determined make it. Sticking at something is one of my most obvious character traits. Who knew creativity would be such a 'job.'