For the grand opening of this blog, I’m spotlighting some of my favorite blog posts and moments from over the years throughout the month of June.
Week Two: The Writer’s Life
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CREATING A FANTASY WRITING LIFE
First posted on: July 6, 2011
See the original post at: http://marissameyer.livejournal.com/247541.html
It’s in our nature to imagine what life will be like when we’ve “made it”—we fantasize about fancy lunches with our agent, attending the red-carpet premier of the movie based off our book, or meeting our doting fans during a three-month all-expenses-paid book tour.
Sadly, a lot of these fantasies aren’t within our control. Yes, we can work on studying the industry and the craft and writing the best book we can, but at the end of the day we still can’t control the trends of the market or how long it takes to get an agent or a book deal. We can’t control the size of our advance, whether or not we hit the bestsellers list, or if a movie studio decides to produce the film.
With that in mind, I’ve been making a conscious effort this past week to reconnect with my fantasy writing life and enjoy every minute of this year and this journey. Rather than stressing about whether or not my editor will like the next book, and what on earth will I talk about if I’m asked to be a guest speaker somewhere, and what if Cinder does awful in the marketplace, and all those things that aren’t in my control, I’ve instead been focusing on the day-to-day act of being a writer, the way I always imagined my life as a full-time writer would be. As it turns out, the small things are actually way more fulfilling for me.
Things like:
– Keeping fresh flowers on my writing desk.
– Relaxing on my sunny porch while updating my outline.
– Writing in cafes and restaurants on days when being home is one big distraction.
– Brainstorming in a bubble bath.
– Discussing web site ideas and merchandising with my best friends over lunch.
– Not feeling guilty about an entire weekday spent reading.
– Updating my word and page count goals on my office’s whiteboard.
– Enjoying a glass of wine after a productive writing day.
– Having a HUGE grin when people ask me what I do for a living.
Sure, they’re little things, but these are what in my mind make up a warm, contented writing life.
What are some writer-life fantasies that you’ve made a reality, or intend to make a reality someday?