My membership to Science Fiction Writers of America was approved yesterday. Since I started entertaining the idea that I wanted to write (oh so long ago), joining SFWA has been a goal. At that time, I didn’t even know what SFWA did; I just knew that the science fiction writers I read were members.
In a way, I saw it as providing validation to my writing, which is an odd thing for me to say now because I usually don’t care much about that stuff. As I’ve progressed as a writer, I’ve cared less about what others think about my writing, and more about the writing itself. I know my writing isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine with me. Validation for me is now found in the finished story, not what other people think of it.
I still decided to join SFWA. Sure, it’s validation in a sense, but it also provides other professional benefits and services…and I get to vote for the Nebula Awards, which is very cool. I still have a great deal to learn about the writing profession. Hopefully being a member of the SFWA will provide me with the tools and information I’ll need as I continue toward my ultimate goal of writing speculative fiction as my day job. Speaking of which, I better get back to writing….
D. Thomas Minton 
I get what you’re saying about the odd tension between writing for yourself and the validation inherent in being recognized by the SFWA. Maybe that’s the thing about validation — or at least the best kind of validation. It comes not when you’re seeking it, but when you’re doing your best to do the best at the thing you do.
So true. I think it comes with getting older (and hopefully more mature)—when we start to do things for ourselves and not for what other people will think. If nothing else, I feel even more driven to keep working hard.
Congratulations!
Colum
Thanks, Colum. You’re just about there yourself. DSF counted as one of my sales (proof it is a qualifying market), so your two sales get you two-thirds of the way there. Not that SFWA seems like your cup-o-tea, but maybe the BSFA?