My Fantasy Life as a Published Author

Sometimes I get so caught up in my day-to-day responsibilities that I forget to stop and remember what I'm working for. Discouragement lurks behind me, waiting for me to have a weak moment. A few days ago, I had a particularly hectic morning. I finally poured myself a cup of hot tea, sat on my favorite chair, and smoothed a cozy throw over my lap.

And I started fantasizing about what life would be like...

I'm sitting at an outdoor table at a cafe in Paris. It's spring, of course, and the journal in front of me lies open with beautiful handwriting scrawled across the top half of the page. I sip coffee as I watch the happy couples walk by. The fresh tree blossoms float around me to the ground; I release a sigh of deep contentment. A sense of delightful anticipation shimmers. I plan my afternoon of window shopping, aimless wandering, and purchasing chocolates before meeting up with my darling husband for a spectacular meal.


My latest book will have just hit bookshelves to glowing reviews. Magazines clamor for interviews. I'm asked to be a keynote speaker at a conference. Life is good.
And the writing? Oh, the writing. Well, naturally, I never doubt my work. The books flow out of me like a waterfall in the rainforest, tumbling with ease and speed. Deadlines? What deadlines? Promotion? Piece of cake.
I scribble a note to self in the journal...
Nice fantasy, huh?


Okay, okay. So what will my future as a published author really look like?
Well, for one thing, my handwriting isn't going to magically become legible, so out that goes. And Paris may be in my future, but I'm restless and I don't know that I'd sit at a cafe for more than forty-five minutes. But a girl's got to have a dream, so dinner in Paris with the love of my life will be a part of my future. (And the chocolates stay, too!)
I'd still love the glowing reviews and to see my latest book on bookshelves, but not every book will get an A+. As long as I've written it to the best of my ability, I'll have to be content with whatever review I get. What about the magazine interviews? Hmm... The local paper might be interested; you never know! And I could be asked to be the keynote speaker at a small conference.
The writing? I don't think it will ever come without deep contemplation and planning, and I wouldn't want it to. I enjoy tripping over plot points, wrapping my brain around conflicts, realizing halfway through a manuscript that the emotion is flat. I don't really enjoy easy; it's the challenge that keeps me glued to the seat.
Oh, and I'm prepared for the cutting reviews by readers on Amazon. I realize an editor won't always approve or purchase the books I write. Deadlines will loom; life will interrupt, and promotion will be an ongoing--and time-consuming--process.
You know what? Reality looks even better than the fantasy! I wouldn't be happy with the fantasy because it doesn't suit me. I know who I am and I don't want to be anyone else.
What about you? What do you fantasize about in regards to becoming published? Are your dreams realistic? Who cares! That's why they're called fantasies!
Join me on Wednesday when I'll share the story of my first rejection.
And...
Get Motivated! It's Monday!

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