I'm never going to hit "perfect work of genius." It'd be nice, but I'm realistic. I would like to be outstanding. Better yet, I would like to be outstanding enough to regularly get published in professional venues. It's not going to happen with average work, and there really is nothing in these particular stories to make them stand out.

I'm still submitting, still editing the things that I believe show promise, still writing. I'm just trying to cut out the deadwood here. :-)