Shared WIP Tag - Ultimate Goals

Well, it's wrap-up time.  Camp NaNo and April is coming to a close.  I'll be back on Monday with a monthly wrap-up post, and get you stats on this round of Rauladin edits.

What is one of the BIGGEST dreams or goals you have for your life?
Getting published both traditionally and independently.  I'd love to try both ways and learn the ins and outs of both.

Name the wildest goal you’ve got! (Don’t worry: we won’t judge.)

Haha, so I'd really like to train a Mustang.  Or even just raise and train a foal.  Basically, I'd like to take a horse that knows next to nothing, and train it to be at least a nice trail mount.  I've "finished" younger horses by putting miles on them, but never trained them from the very beginning yet.

This is basically me all the time.

What goal scares you the most? Why?
Kinda scared to train a horse, since I could really mess things up if I rushed through the whole process.  But with publishing...what if my family or friends read my books and be like "why'd you write this particular thing?"  Or my parents are going to read it and wonder "Where did we go wrong??"

What steps do you need to do to reach some of your goals?

I just need to have patience and keep learning, and keep practicing.  I may not be ready to accomplish these goals this year, but the more I keep at it, the more I'll learn, and the more skills I'll have so I can tackle these goals in the future.

(Or did you want really specific steps, like "read up on publishing, pitch and query, work with agents and editors"?  Cause you ain't getting those.)

Have your ultimate goals changed?  Have you decided not to do something, or to do things differently?
Well, my ultimate goals may have been pushed back, since I've decided to take my time accomplishing them and making sure I'm truly ready.  I'd rather wait a few years and publish something really good, than do it now and only put half-decent quality.

Do you plan to finish your current story ideas and then do other things in the future, or do you see yourself always having some story in the works?

Frankly, I think I'll always have some book heating up on the back burner.  I may not have writing as my main focus, but I've been writing for half an hour or so every night for over 8 years.  I can't see myself breaking that habit.

Plus, I always have ideas.  I'm sure I'm not the only writer like that.

If you could get only one book/trilogy/series published, what would it be?
I hate this question.  Who came up with this question??  *glances at google doc*  Oh.  I did.  *facedesk*

I guess I would honestly have to say the Betrayal and Bravery Trilogy.  It's closest to my heart, and I love everything about it.

But at the same time...*glances at huge Char ne Rayft folder in laptop*...doing this series would mean getting more books out at one go.  It's not quite as moving as Betrayal and Bravery, but still full of epic adventures and cool characters.

Let's just move on before I get a chance to look at the other books, or we'll be here all day.

Realistically, where do you see yourself in the future?

Doing the same stuff, honestly.  Working a day job.  Riding/running when I get home.  Writing before bed.  Reading in between it all.

Reality aside, where would you like to be in the future?
I want a huge farm, with all kinds of horses in nicely maintained pastures.  I'll work with the horses when the weather is nice, and then write and read in the evenings or hot afternoons or whatever.  Presumably I will be making tons of money with my amazing stories and sell/trade horses and give lessons and all that fun stuff.

Do you see yourself as a Writer, or just someone who writes?

When it gets down to it, I see myself as someone who writes.  I am many things - an office manager, a horse rider, a runner, a farmer, a musician, a writer.  I do all of them to the best of my ability.  I would gladly call myself "a writer" but it's not all that I am, and may not be the first thing I would introduce myself as when meeting other people.

It's been fun, y'all!  Looking forward to May!  Don't forget to check out everyone else's posts - they're probably a little more exciting than mine...

Faith, Sarah, Nicole, Catherine, Ceci