I think most of my fellow Debs are sharing more realistic writing dreams this week. I have those, of course. I used to say that all I wanted was to see my book on the shelf at the Chicago Public Library one day. I even took a picture of the spot where it would go:
And I still want that! I’m going to be ecstatic to cross that item off my bucket list this summer. But lately I’ve been feeling like, since my wildest lifelong dream – publishing a novel – is about to come true, why not dream even bigger?
So here are my over-the-top, pie-in-the-sky dreams for my writing career and my life in general:
- I want to have my work adapted into a film one day – ideally directed by Karyn Kusama, with a score composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (note to the universe: this dream applies for any book I write, not just Temper).
- I want to live in a house that has a turret and a library with one of those rolling ladders. Would not turn down a secret passageway either (hey, Dan Brown has one, why not me?) This would be far more realistic if I didn’t live in a real estate market as expensive as Chicago, but we’re dreaming here.
- Obviously I’d love for my books to be bestsellers. But even more than that, I want to get to the level of renown where if I blurb or recommend a book, it becomes a bestseller too. Like, Reese Witherspoon-level industry influence (not Oprah though; even I won’t dream that big).
- And finally, my ultimate rich bitch writer dream is to die with enough money to establish a grant or scholarship in my name. Not some small honorarium, but a really kick-ass grant that would allow recipients to focus fully on their craft without worrying about making ends meet for awhile. The kind of grant I wish I’d had when I was starting out.
Of course I know these things may never happen, but there was a time I thought getting a novel published was an impossible dream too. If I’ve learned anything over the past year it’s this: don’t limit yourself, because you never know!
