I've decided to join the Insecure Writer's Support Group and today is my first post with the group. Today's prompt asks you to describe your future writing self and your future life as if you were already "living the dream." Funny thing is today is my birthday and every year I write a letter to myself for the next year. So, I guess this is a letter to myself whenever that whole "living the dream" thing happens.
I'm imagining by now I have a couple of books published that are bringing in enough income for me to live off of - or at least very close. I can't say what my future life will be like, though, in terms of who is around me or where I live. I don't tend to think like that.
I've only been published once - two poems that were featured on a website called "The Voices Project" but once the initial excitement wears off, what remains is this idea of wanting to do it again. The publishing high doesn't last long. Or maybe it lasts as long as the length of the work. Who knows. I'm imagining if somehow I've managed to make a living off of writing that the publishing high has faded quite a bit and writing is now it's more of a habit and lifestyle.
If my ideal scenario is that I am making a living off of writing than I'm imagining that if I could change anything, I want that excitement back of first publishing my work. How does one change that, though? I guess you can always try something new and maybe that's what I'd like to encourage my future self to do. Don't forget to challenge yourself along the way. Write outside that comfort zone.
Oddly that is what I'm encouraging myself to do this next year. I want to write outside of my usual comfort zone. I am hoping to challenge myself to write in at least 2 unfamiliar genres next year. I also want to challenge myself to finish a previous work that I left undone. I have a few in mind that I want to see complete.
What is your ideal writing life? What does it look like? What would you want to change about that idealized version of your writing life? Tell me in the comments.