Dream Chasing

Every writer on this blog is a dream chaser. We each chase a similar dream. Each of us sits down and writes stories we hope to share in "book" form. Some of our members have books out in ebook form. Some have books in print.

We want to sell books to publishers so readers can enjoy them. We also want to make money from our writing. To a new writer or a reader this might sound simple enough. Write a book and send it to publishers and someone will publish if for you. Sure! (Have any idea how many people say they want to write and book and how few finish even one book?) Folks have told me often that I can sell my books on the web. We should put parts our books online or our websites and readers will beg for more and buy the whole books. Have you heard that one? Of course it has happened, but consider the odds of selling enough books to make enough money to buy a few groceries or to get the attention of an editor or an agent who will offer us barrels of money. There are folks who don't consider that I'd have heard about that idea many times over. They just want to help.

Of course we can self-publish or go through a vanity press and sell our little hearts out to make any money, certainly not enough to pay bills. We have at least one member who has gone that route for some books and she can tell us more about that.

We can write for pleasure and let that be our reward. Changing the dream might be the answer or at least a temporary answer.

Many actors want to make money acting, but some work in local theaters for free. These actors chase a dream and have to decide how big the dream is or change that dream. Having people applaud and praise these actors might be enough reward for them.

Many children dream of being dancers, models, cheerleaders and more. Each can have a dream and a few will achieve their dreams as professionals. Some kids will become adults who make the pleasure of learning and performing without pay the dream.

Artists with enough talent and enough drive and the right opportunities might someday make a living doing what they love to do. More won't sell at all.

I won't get into athletes dreams for fame and fortune.

Should we chase dreams? Oh, yes. We need passion for something. If writing is my passion, I need to keep trying to sell a book, knowing that it might not happen. If I knew I'd never sell a book, I'd still keep writing. I'd need to change my dream, though. No NYT best seller list. No huge contract. No making a living as a writer. Giving away my stories.

Some of us have learned that selling our treasured books might be just the beginning of the job.

Do you have dreams, passions that might or might not come true? Drems that weren't all they were cracked up to be?

I'll be heading to San Francisco Monday to work toward living my dream. Approximately 2,000 writers, many members of Romance Writers of America, will be there to give and attend workshops to help us work toward our dreams. Agents and editors for publishing houses will be there and maybe offer us a big break. We'll be around writers who write for a living and some who make the big bucks writing. We writers will network and visit and try to uncover that secret to success! A special few writers will be honored in our version of the academy awards, the Rita and the Golden Heart. Dreams come true!

I have eight completed novels and more stories I haven't completed. I also have a stack of rejections. I'm not done yet!