A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about resolutions. I’m not big on them. Rather than wait for a specific day on a calendar, I’m in favor of taking action. But what is a resolution? In my opinion, it involves taking stock of your life and instituting change. A while back, I looked at myself. All my life, I’d been jotting down stories or dreaming up characters in my head, but I’d never taken steps to live my dream. In this age where we have the world at our fingertips, it’s sometimes easy to get caught up in life and not think about whether it’s too late to pursue a dream. For some people, it’s playing the guitar or another instrument. For some, it’s painting or sculpting or some artistic expression that satisfies their need to make the world a more beautiful place. For still others, it’s traveling and experiencing the world from somewhere beyond their backyard. For writers, however, it’s getting that story out and putting it on paper. So, how do you make that dream change from a wisp of an idea in the mists of your mind to reality?
Contemplation. Being truthful with yourself is a great place to start. Truthfully, I’ll never play on Center Court of Wimbledon on Championship weekend. While some people love to dance, it makes me self-conscious. What I do love is coming up with a new story and new characters. So while I won’t be a championship ballroom dancer or a professional tennis player, I can make writing my career and work hard to achieve my dreams.
Action. If creating art is your dream, check out community colleges and your local YMCA. If recreational sports are your dream, check out USTA or your local YMCA. Don’t sit around waiting for something. Make your dream a reality.
Writing. If you’ve always dreamed of becoming a writer, there are easy steps you can take. Check out local writing organizations or online ones. Romance Writers of America is a great resource for romance writers, just like Sisters in Crime helps mystery writers. Read. Read a craft book about writing and read in the genre you want to write. If you want to write a family memoir, go ask your local librarian for some good local memoirs and read those books to get a sense of the tone, style, and tempo of the book. Most importantly, sit down with a blank page in front of you and write. If you can do this day in and day out, you’re a writer. If you’re a beginning writer, I hope you’ll join me over the next couple of Tuesdays as I discuss some of the basics of genre writing. What does BICHOK mean? What are some commonly used acronyms? What is POV and what does head-hopping mean?
Even if you’re not a writer, I hope you’ll take some time to dust off your dreams and figure out how to make them a reality. Sunrises represent a fresh start to a new day. Make today the sunrise for your dreams.