I think most writers are also Dreamers. Why not? We can dream about the novel we'll write this next year. Or the essay that lands in The New Yorker. Maybe a poem that wins a $2500 prize in a contest. Or a Grant or Fellowship bestowed upon us.
To dream about a big accomplishment in your writing life will serve to inspire, to push you into doing your best. It's not enough to only have the dream; you also need to pursue it. You can do it by keeping a steady stream of finished pieces of your writing moving through the days and weeks and months of 2015.
No slacking off--make that one of your smaller goals for this year. No giving up--there's another. No pouting over rejections. Instead, be as objective as you can and figure out what needs to be done to the piece that didn't make it.
Maybe you won't reach those dream goals but it's perfectly alright to aim high. You might surprise yourself and hit that high someday.
Note that the quote in the poster mentions efforts and achievements. It takes the first one to attain the second. We don't receive much of anything in this life without putting forth some effort. Those great achievements don't just appear. They require lots of hard work. A cliche works here--blood, sweat and tears go into those successes we have in our writing lives. The success would not be nearly as sweet without them, would it?
As we face a brand new year, I wish each of you dreams come true and multiple achievements gotten through your own efforts. Waltz throught 2015 collecting gold rings from the carousel over and over again.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Well said...great piece!
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