4-Part WIP Special – Part 4: Ultimate Goals
We have reached the last week of the 4-Part WIP Special. D: This week is diving into long-term, ultimate goals, so let’s go out with a bang.
What is one of the BIGGEST dreams or goals you have for your life?
Overall, to travel all over the world. I want to see as much as it as I possibly can, learn about things firsthand, gain more experiences to use in my writing, spread the love of Christ, all that jazz.
As far as only writing is concerned… I think I’d like to publish at least a hundred books before I die.
Name the wildest goal you’ve got! (Don’t worry: we won’t judge.)
Those two up there.
What goal scares you the most? Why?
Currently? My goal to go to RealmMakers next year. I’m SUPER EXCITED about the idea, but also I’m afraid I’ll end up staying in my little bubble, hiding in my comfort zone all week like I do most places and won’t get to fully enjoy it. Last year I would have interpreted that as being afraid of meeting people, but that’s really not what it is. It’s my fear that I’m afraid of, I guess. XD
What steps do you need to do to reach some of your goals?
*long sigh* Oh boy. I have so many goals with so many steps. XD I guess I’ll stick with RealmMakers for now. I want to have a completed novel when I get there, so I can pitch it and not waste the opportunity. Traditional publishing isn’t my ultimate goal, but I definitely want to try it at least once and see how it works and get familiar with the process and get a book or series traditionally published. In order to do this, I have to finish The Masked Captain (this is the one I’ve deciding to pitch) and go through at least one round of editing. I also want to get paperbacks from a couple of authors I’m looking forward to meeting, and probably get a second suitcase just to haul all the books I want to get signed. XD I want to cosplay (again, mostly for the experience and saying I’ve done it), so I’ll need to decide a character to go as and acquire the pieces for my costume. And I’ll need to raise the money to actually get there and attend the conference. So… lots of steps. XD
Have your ultimate goals changed? Have you decided not to do something, or to do things differently?
In what time-frame are we talking? Eight years ago I still wanted to be a private detective or a spy when I grew up, despite how much I enjoyed writing and how terrible my skills of observation were (and still sometimes are). Two years ago, I had no dreams of traveling the world, or of going into youth/music ministry. Now I do. But, in general, my writing goals have stayed the same since I was ten-ish: I want to be a proficient author, and I want that to be my primary career.
Do you plan to finish your current story ideas and then do other things in the future, or do you see yourself always having some story in the works?
I will always be working on a story, until the day I die, if not by choice then because I can’t stop the story ideas flooding my brain on a daily basis. But it’ll probably be by choice.
If you could get only one book/trilogy/series published, what would it be?
So I want to say my whole Hylands series, because they’re super close to my heart and I’m excited to rebuild them and share them. But, really, I’d publish The Dark War Trilogy. I’ve spent too much time on it and it has too big a meaning for me to not publish it, and really it means more to me to share that one than it does for me to share the Hylands series. I’d be okay with just having those finished, I think.
Realistically, where do you see yourself in the future?
This is an extremely vague question. Next year? In five years? In fifty years?
Let’s just go with five. I’ll be twenty-two-ish. Let’s say I’ve published three novels (and several more short stories, probably), I’ve been out of the country once, I’ve tried YouTube and if I liked it I have an ongoing channel, I’ve finished (or mostly finished) my rebuild of Aleruus for all those old “novels” I wrote, I’ve been to RealmMakers at least once, and I’m a camp counselor.
Reality aside, where would you like to be in the future?
Again, five years. I’ve published four novels (one traditionally), been out of the country once, tried YouTube, finished my rebuild of Aleruus and re-written at least the first Hylands book, been to RealmMakers every year since 2020, and I’m married and work with my husband in youth/music ministry in the church. Oh, and at least the first drafts of The Dark War Trilogy are finished.
Do you see yourself as a Writer, or just someone who writes?
Definitely as a writer, though personally I’d use the term author because I intend to publish regularly. To me “someone who writes” is someone who writes just to write, which is awesome. A “writer” is someone who publishes once or twice but doesn’t really consider it their career. An “author” is someone who’s dedicated to their craft and wishes to make a career out of it. So I consider myself an author, or a writer on her way to becoming an author.
Check out the other participants:
If you ever find a way to catch the plot bunnies, let me know. I create so many mini-stories in my head, it’s not even funny.
Both your futures sound so much fun :) And I like how you differentiated the author from writer – I think a lot of us missed that :)
I actually have a method for keeping them under control… they just keep coming. XD When I get an idea that really catches my attention, I’ll usually write down the gist of it, maybe even write the first 1,000 words or so, and make a Pinterest board. I’ll let myself focus on it for a day or two to get down all the most important pieces, and then usually it’ll be placated and I’ll be able to get back to my main project. But of course then it exists and gets added to my ever-growing list of started/almost-started stories. XD
Sarah and I seemed to have a similar view of the terms. I was actually already planning on making that differentiation, and then i read her post while I was in the middle of writing my post and found that she’d said almost exactly what I was thinking, lol.
100 books? AWESOME. *starts saving money now*
Yeah, in my mind, a writer is someone who writes, while an author is someone who is actually published. And since most of us aren’t published yet, I used the term writer…if that makes any sense.
REALM MAKERS
(I do have a post coming out in May about introverts and Realm Makers…better save the link and read it before you go next year!)
Thanks for joining in on the Tag!
I definitely have the ideas for that to happen… whether or not I have the time and discipline is another question. XD
*nods* That definitely makes sense. And I don’t have any problem with how it was worded, I just decided to clarify what my take on it was. :)
Ooh! Awesome! I look forward to reading it!
Absolutely! Thanks for having me. :)