Goals – Do You Have Them? I DO!

I realized that it has been quite a while since I posted anything on here. I’m terribly sorry about that, life sometimes has a way of getting away from me.

So the latest challenge issued by the lovely Amanda is about goals. Goals for writing and for the blog, and dare I say even life.

I’m a strong believer in goals, they are what help keep us on track when life throws a few too many distractions at us or when it feels like we’re just spinning our wheels in a giant mud pit. They are also what helps us figure out where we’re headed and to see how far we have already come.

So, my goals….

1. Why do you have a blog? What do you want to accomplish with it?

Honestly, the purpose of this blog has changed slightly since I first started it. Initially, I started a blog in the hopes of promoting my writing and possibly boosting sales of my currently published works. As time has progressed though, it has become a platform for me to share short stories with others and a place to share my thoughts, and goals with the world.

2. Why do you write?

There are quite a few reasons for why I write.

The first answer is because I enjoy it, I enjoy creating new worlds and characters that I and others can relate to. I enjoy taking ideas from my head and putting them onto paper for others to enjoy as well.

I write as an outlet or an escape as well. I think this is a common answer for a lot of people who write, or really who do any form of art. It’s a way to explore the world, feelings, struggles, and even pain in a world that is safe. It’s safe because it’s a world that I as a writer create. I get to make up the worlds and decide how things play out in the end. Sometimes, though, even though I have complete control of my story, I still have to let things be painful and difficult for my characters and maybe even my readers and myself. It’s part of making it believable…something that touches a bit on reality too. As much as we want to avoid pain in life, sometimes it has to be there to help us appreciate or enjoy other parts of life just that much more.

So why do I write?

In a nutshell… because I need it, the stories are a part of who I am and through them, I have grown and learned and improved. Through them, I have had the joy of touching other lives and sharing the joy of a good story with countless others.

3. Where would you like to see yourself as a writer 5 years from now, 10 years from now…

I’ve never really planned on writing being my career or making me a millionaire. I know the likelihood of writing and selling the next bestseller are pretty slim, especially if you have things other than writing going on in your life.

So where does that leave me? Well here’s what I hope for….

I hope to have a few more stories published, whether through self-publishing, as part of an anthology or whatever. I hope that in 5 or 10 years I’m still able to create and share stories and characters that are interesting to others.

Given that I will be done with my Masters soon, I have another goal to add to this, since I will likely be writing non-fiction, history material, I hope that I can get at least a few of my papers published to journals, or maybe even a book published and available to the public.

Curious about the goals of the other writers doing these challenges? Check them out: 

Haven of Chaos

Writing Kennel

Flying Kitty Studio