Here is installment #1 of “Melissa’s Dreams: An explanation of the dreams Melissa has for her near and not so near future”.
The dream: To be a writer (and get paid for it!). I’m not sure exactly what I would write- there are a lot of things that I am interested in writing about. I would like to write about religion, spirituality, making the world a better place, social justice, caring for creation, delicious food, growing and cooking that delicious food, El Salvador, awesome books I read. I’d very much like to write a memoir, and my friend Julie is encouraging me to write a book with all the social justice Bible studies I’ve created over the past 9 months working at my church. I certainly have lots of things that I am passionate about that I can write about.
Where this dream came from: I have always loved to read. I love books- of all my possessions my books are one of my most precious. I certainly have more books than anything else I own. (By the way- if anyone has a bookshelf they don’t need let me know because I am officially out of space on my bookshelves.)
My favorite author Anne Lamott wrote “For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die." Yes, that’s exactly right, Anne.
I have always loved writing- it is the way that I feel I can best communicate. And I think I’m good at writing- at least that’s what I’ve been told by friends, family, and professors. The idea of writing a book or at least getting an article published has this really romantic feel- wouldn’t everyone like to have their ideas validated by being a published author. Maybe it’s a little bit self-centered of me but I think it would be really cool to have other people read what I have written and look up to me in awe like I look up to some of my favorite authors. I do a lot of writing to try to make sense of stuff going on in my life and in the world (that’s pretty much what this blog has been so far). Perhaps the greatest reason why I want to be a writer is that I have all these ideas, thoughts, and reflections that I want to share with other people. I want to share because I want to find other people who can relate to my experiences and reflections. I also want to challenge people to examine their own lives and make sense of their experiences and then do something to make a better story of their lives.
What I would need to do to make this dream a reality: Well, it seems relatively simple. I write. I submit what I wrote to someone who will publish it. They publish it. People buy what I wrote. And then I get paid with some dollars, appreciation from my readers, and the satisfaction of being a published author.
Obstacles to making this dream a reality:
- Spending hours writing, editing, and agonizing over my writing
- Having the time and space to spend hours writing, editing, and agonizing over my writing
- Actually writing something that other people want to read
- Making publishers think that what I write is something that other people want to read
- I don’t really know much about the publishing process
- I need to find people who are willing to help me with editing and giving constructive criticism as I work on whatever I’m writing
So that’s an explanation of my first dream. Stay tuned for the next installment…
