A friend of mine once had a sick cat losing her fur. The cat played with laser pointers & had an enclosed patio for bird watching. The vet concluded it was anxiety caused by never catching anything she chased, & she needed more physical toys.
Writing feels like this sometimes.
All of the rejections, close misses, long waits before publication, markets that go under, and then published pieces that barely seem to be noticed…
It feels like being a cat chasing a laser pointer. Even when you catch the red dot, it slips right over your paws.