Dreams and Goals

Hi everyone! Summer is almost upon us. Every June for the past five or so years, I’ve spent a week in Los Angeles for the world’s biggest video games convention and to visit my family (and sometimes, to visit Disneyland). Unfortunately, that won’t be happening this year, but I’ve made my peace with it. I keep trying to find little moments of joy in each day, and I look forward to future days of travel. ❤

One of the brightest points for me lately has been revising. This is the last big round of revisions before one more editing pass. I am so, so excited to start querying this story I love, one that has challenged me to become a better writer every step of the way. And while querying will be a tough road, I’m optimistic!

Which is why I want to talk about dreams and goals, and why both are important.

Dreams are wonderful things that you hope will happen and can work towards, but much of it is out of your control. As opposed to goals, which are within your control to reach, and help you get closer to those dreams.

Some of my writing dreams:
– Sign with an agent
– Get this book published and into the hands of readers
– Hit a bestseller list
– Go on a book tour
– Have fan art made of my characters

Awesome, right? These are a few of the things I dream about when I imagine the best happening for me on this wonderful, unpredictable road. I love having these dreams. However, they’re not really in my control.

Yes, I want to sign with an agent and am doing everything I can to make my story stand out, but I of course can’t force an agent to sign me (nor would I want to).  What I can do is make sure my query list is well researched with agents who best match the story I’m writing. And as surreal as it would be to hit a bestseller list, there’s nothing I can do about that now (not to mention that’s a whole other nebulous endeavor for another blog post).

So what do I focus on? That’s where goals come in! Some of my current writing goals for this month and next:

– Revise for 30 hours this month
– Swap manuscripts w/critique partner and aim to finish my pass within 2 weeks
– Build out my query list, with a minimum of 50 vetted agents
– Revise synopsis and query
– Finish beta reading a friend’s story

The above goals, while in some places a bit ambitious, are attainable. They do not require any outside influences, and they’re things I can control on my own. They also help me get closer to those wonderful dreams. Most of the time, I keep my focus on the goals, and less on the dreams.

That said, just because dreams aren’t necessarily in our control, doesn’t mean they’re not important. I sometimes forget that. Dreams are what sustain me when I feel particularly low about this journey, or it seems too difficult with no guarantee of success. Those are the moments I remind myself that I love writing no matter where it does or doesn’t take me. I love it even if it’s only for me.

So! I’ll keep working on my goals, and I’ll keep chasing those dreams. I’d love to hear some of your own goals and/or dreams! ❤