I gotcher hobby riiight here.

Just spent the evening rounding up my receipts for upcoming tax preparation. I tried to be so careful and so diligent! I was probably 80% careful and diligent. Though the diligence here errs on the side of caution: I'll be taking fewer deductions (because I don't have the necessary receipt).

Part of my slackness was because it didn't occur to me until about April--i.e., about when I got my agent--that I'd be able to really and truly show a profit motive for the writing in 09. Then, lo and behold, I actually broke $400 (the hobby income limit) for writing this year! First time!

For those not keeping track at home, my writing income by year:

2004: $235
2005: $5
2006: $355
2007: $380
2008: $391
2009: $430

Can you make a living at short stories? Well, *I* can't. Not in 6 years. But I also only break about 8-9,000 Google hits on my name, and I have this sneaking suspicion that Google hits are correlated with income in this arena. Somehow. Maybe a survey? Maybe NOT.

How's that for glamor? How's that for ritz? Mnnmh.

Nope. The name of this game is patience and fortitude. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something.