30-Week Blog Challenge Week 30: Hopes and Dreams

I'm back with the Monday blog challenge . . . for the last time, 'cause it's WEEK 30! The lady in charge is Marie at Mom Gets Real. The questions are right here:

QUESTIONS

And Week 30's prompt is . . .

HOPES, DREAMS, AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE!



Everyone here knows I want to be a successful writer. I mean, that's been the idea since childhood. I never answered the "What do you want to be when you grow up?" question with anything else.

Child Julie didn't foresee the personal computer.
Child Julie was not actually orange.

My hopes, dreams, and plans for the future are a little more concrete than "be an author," though.


Writing-related short-term goals:

• Get a publishing deal for at least one fiction book. (Hopefully a multiple-book deal, but hey.)
• Publish some short fiction.
• Prepare for a great release for my nonfiction book in September.
• Write the Bad Fairy sequel and maybe one other book this year.
• Do some more media interviews and publish more pieces to promote awareness on asexuality in association with my nonfiction book.

Writing-related long-term goals:

• Become established with a publisher, resulting in a steady publishing career.
• Continue doing events and promotion in association with my nonfiction book (though hopefully minimizing the actual traveling).
• Regularly attend writing conferences and events (participating in panels, readings/signings, and workshops where appropriate, attending when not).
• Become a better short story writer and get more pieces out there.
• Write full time.
• Be able to take writing vacations.
  

Other short-term goals:

• Find more time to read.
• Keep up with my blogs, video creation, comics, singing, and other hobbies.
• Finish some of the website projects I've had sitting around for years.
• Finish posting my book reviews on Goodreads and begin participating in the forums.

Other long-term goals:

• Read all the books I own.
• Collect all the work of my favorite authors and musicians.
• Live in a house and have a real garden.
• Be able to assist my parents when they need support in their older years.
• See a bunch of musicals on Broadway.
• Be able to see my distant family and friends more often.

To tell you the truth, my current life is very similar to what I hope and dream about--just on a smaller scale. I don't have to spend much time at my day job, and yet it pays well enough and offers an environment secure and stress-free enough that I can spend the rest of my time devoted to my creative pursuits. I've already got a book deal for my nonfiction and am on submission to publishers for my fiction (which could end up resulting in a book deal any time now), and I continue to write more novels and short stories and engage in all my favorite pursuits. One day if my dreams come true I'll have more security, more time with people I love, and more opportunity to create my stories, and more people will be listening when the stories I write are shared with the world.

But as things are, even though I have goals and aspirations, I like where I am.