Insecure Writer’s Support Group Question

July 3 question – What are your ultimate writing goals, and how have they changed over time (if at all)?

My ultimate writing goals were/are to publish.

I started writing over thirty years ago to get ideas out of my head and on paper.  And at first as a challenge from my mother.  I had stories that I thought might be good, readable, interesting.  The publishing part I had no idea of how to achieve and frankly no energy to pursue either.  When I started writing I had a full-time job and a young child, so writing happened at night usually after eight o’clock bedtime until maybe mid-night and then I would get up the next morning and go to my job.  Needless to say I could be dragging some days at work.

I pretty much had this pattern for the last thirty years (well the child grew up and moved away) and retiring recently opened up my time.  But then it was…”Oh, look at all the pretty things on the Internet.”  Why hadn’t the Internet distract me earlier?  Because I had used basically stand alone computers, no home Internet, and honestly I think I would like to go back to that for my writing.  I try to be disciplined but the siren call of just reading one more blog…

This changed this past Christmas when my DIL offered to become my publisher.  Thank goodness for young blood and ideas on how to negotiate the current publishing landscape.  She set up the on-line publishing accounts, looked up ways to advertise etc.  Then she basically told me where to ‘click’.  Okay, she didn’t break it down quite that simply, but she is the publisher as far as I’m concerned and I am quite happy to pay her for her time.  As a result I currently have four books on Amazon.com.

Will I get rich at this newest gig?  Unlikely, but I think my stories are worth reading.  And as long as new ones continue to rattle around in my head, I’ll try to bring them to fruition on paper.  Or rather on the computer screen?