Great post. I think it's hard to be honest about some of these things, especially in public. As writers, it's foolish to compare ourselves to other writers -- there's always somebody doing better in some category than we are -- but all of us do it. It's important to admit how silly it is.

OWW was absolutely critical for me, but it is for writers at a certain point in their development. After that point, you need to find your crits and your push elsewhere. Still, I sent in my membership money this year just because I feel like I owe the place for helping me get to where I am.

And congratulations, not on being a semi-finalist, but on reaching the point where you know your own goals and keep on writing. That's a cool thing.