Plans and Dreams.

Plans and Dreams…

This is something I don't ask myself very often. What are my plans? What are my dreams? History suggests that whenever I make big plans, they always fall through. When it comes to dreams, I don't usually get the opportunity to realise them.

I've been writing Cambion Strength, my first novel, for ten years; did you know that? I just recently discovered that. If I had the money and the means to have published my novel sooner, where do you think I could be? Granted I try and not play What If games. Wishing things had turned out different doesn't change anything.

Now I'm going to try and seriously ask myself what I want, what am I going to plan going forward and what dreams do I want to come to life.

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Lets start off from a obvious standpoint - what do I want from all this writing; whats the plans and the dreams?

I want to publish this year. It will be self-published. I have no idea how I'm going to do it, but I'm researching and hoping to learn how to market myself and my book.

I want to be successful at what I do, while I know a lot of self-published authors have found great success and been able to make a six-figure income, I'd be wholly happy with a high five-figure income.

I'm going to start sharing my work in forms of a Short Story series that I'm calling Lantern Light Tavern. Short Stories are typically 1,000 to 7,500 words anything more than that goes into the novella territory, and I think it would be fun to collect the stories into an anthology. Had thoughts of maybe making a Zine out of them and distributing a few out into the community in like Little Library's, or Coffee Shops and maybe see if my Local Bookstore might be willing to let me have a display so someone could take them for free? Something I need to look deeper into.

Personal plans… Honestly, what I'm doing for myself now would not be changed over much by having published. I'm improving my health, by going to the gym and trying to lost weight (17 lbs down - woo). I could then afford a trainer then? Maybe I'd get away from the house a little more often, go on adventures and check things out that I've always wanted too. I'd have the Gas money for it!

Dreams… Dreams are harder. Both personal and business related. I'd be able to get my own home with a five-figure income. A big, 4+ bedroom sorta house? Likely not. A Large condo? Yeah, I think that's doable.

I'd have health insurance.

Buy a couple of things that I've been dreaming of; Art could be a hobby and just for fun. I'd love to travel to a couple of places.

I've friends out of Ontario that I'd love to see and hug in person. I want to go to Nova Scotia and Scotland, and maybe Japan.

I guess making plans and thinking up dreams when they've never worked out does make it really difficult to figure out.

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I do have some immediate plans, that don't require the book being published.

I'm trying to lose 70lbs. This is for my own health and not to achieve an aesthetic. I want to be able to keep taking care of my mom and one day I will have to take care of my dad too. I need to be healthy to do that. This is a bit of a challenge though, PCOS makes losing weight extremely hard and not a simple matter of calories in vs calories out - otherwise, pretty sure I'd be half way to my goal. I'm also not restricting my diet but finding alternatives to my favourites to make them less calorie dense. Right now I'm deep in the throws of a 'Sushi Bowl' obsession, and the way I make them they're about 500 calories and almost 50g of protein. Mom teases me about making it almost everyday, but damn they're so good.

I'm working on my oral health. I've changed up my tooth paste, invested in a water pick and actually brushing twice in a day. Next steps is to get Health Insurance so I can actually go to the dentist.

Regarding artistic endeavors, I'm going to be redoing my bedroom this summer. I've picked my paint colours, just trying to figure out the combinations. I'm doing two walls one colour, two walls another colour and then my bedroom and closet doors are going to be something else. I dunno if dad will let me paint the trim and baseboards, but we'll talk about it. Dad's been murmuring about replacing windows so the wall with my window might wait until that's done. I'm also going to rearrange my furniture and make myself a little reading nook at the foot of my bed.