Writing with a Dream in Mind
We are halfway through 2025, and I’m not sure how that happened. I say this constantly. Where did the month go? Where did the school year go? How are we halfway through the year and I have done nothing??!
Life feels a little like a race at the moment, and I’m not in the top ten. I’m the last runner getting into the check station, while they’re already breaking it down. The volunteers are like, “oh shit, there’s someone still on the course. Can I interest you in the last gritty mouthful of gatorade?”
And, I swallow it, because I’ve still got miles to run.
Part of that feeling is tied to my kids. They are growing up and they’re at the busiest stage of their lives. They’ve committed to sports, musicals, band classes, school activities, and have a thriving friend group.
And they need a ride to all of it. This is where I come in.
And honestly, I love watching their lives expand and their interests and skills grow. Some people will judge this, but I’d rather be watching my kids’ do their thing, than be almost anywhere else.
But, it’s hard to chase your own dreams when everyone you love needs help chasing theirs. Especially when the dream you’re chasing is hard.
I’ve always liked writing. I grew up on a farm and since I couldn’t just pop over to a friend’s house or go play at the park, I escaped into books, and because Amazon wasn’t a thing then, I often ran out. What’s a girl to do? Write her own. Were they highly plagiarized ideas with plots from 2-3 books re-tangled into a new book? Yes. Were they good? Probably not. But I enjoyed it.
I didn't think I’d publish them. I didn’t try to sell them to my friends. I wrote because it was fun to come up with characters and put them in extraordinary situations and figure out how to get them out of it. I enjoyed the creativity and challenge of it. And I still do, but now, life is busier.
I can’t sit on my bean bag chair for hours on a Saturday and plot. Besides my chauffeuring job, I have a day job, a miles long to-do list, and groceries to buy, and a house that is never 100% clean, and grass that might just get sucked back into the ground if I don’t water it RIGHT NOW, and a dog who always wants a walk. But, the urge to create, the plights of my characters, and the twist I can almost land pulls at the back of my mind and invites me to get my butt in a chair (not a bean bag, I’m 42) and play.
I committed to two weeks of writing 1000 words a day, every day, thanks to Jami Attenberg’s challenge. It’s been great. Exactly the push I needed to re-ignite my love of writing and get my schedule back on track. It helped remind me why I get up early to carve out some extra time in the day.
I’m giving myself a little pocket of time in my day to dream. To forget about the no’s I’ve already got and the books I’ve shelved. To move past the doubts and the why am I doing this self-judgement. To let myself do something I love because I might figure out my character’s true motivation today. I might have the A-Ha moment I need to straighten out my plot. I might do something that brings me joy and takes me a step closer to finishing this project and realizing my dream.
If you’re looking for a sign to keep working toward your goals, to prioritize the things you love, and to re-invest in your dreams, here it is.
You’ve got this. I’ll stay late at the race with an evenly mixed glass of gatorade (or wine, whichever you prefer) to cheer you on.
What a great ‘slice of life.’ I love that you savor each minute of watching your kids do their thing. I found the teen years was when my kids really needed me to be accessible for those rare moments they wanted to talk. Good job that you are available.
It might seem like you need to be writing more now, but you’ll get there. Soon enough the kids will be off starting their lives and you can put all your amazing ideas on paper.