What’s your dream job?

This question has been asked since my youth within the public school systems. At one point I wanted to be a marine biologist and explore the ocean and aquatic life because I loved being out in the open water. As time went on and I started to watch more television and became addicted to the crime drama shows, I wanted to be a CSI or police detective.

Now? Well, I would tell you that I want something that most would consider simple, however, if you’ve ever attempted to write anything outside of an essay for a history class, would understand that it is anything far from the coined term “simple”. It is countless hours of outlines and planning. Moments of inspiration, only to be met with moments of imposter syndrome or the infamous term “writer’s block”.

I want to be a full time writer. I no longer want to work 10 hours everyday, only to be burnt out and not enjoying the career that I am in. Having a fulfilling career that I can be proud of and reflect upon at the end of everyday is the ultimate dream job. I began my writing career when I was fourteen years old, writing short stories for classes and creating a script for a show that I felt inspired by at the time (CSI:Miami).

As I ventured through high school, I had been introduced to more arts related topics. These topics included theater, creative writing, chorus and band. It wasn’t until I had started my creative writing class that I had realized how intricate and taxing the art really was. Looking past the exhaustion and tedious amounts of drafts that I had to compose, I still felt a burning passion to write.

Years later, I have and still currently am working towards a novel that I had generated the ideas for when I was 16. The outlines have experienced many revisions and torn and crumpled up pieces of paper that had successfully made its way to a waste bin. As I navigate through this journey, I have learned a couple of key factors.

1. On the hard days, take a break but don’t quit.
2. If you come across writer’s block: do not stop writing- continue on to the next scene and return to that one later.
3. DO NOT edit as you write! I have discovered that I have wasted so much time doing this. Instead, write it all out first and go back and edit it later.

My dream job isn’t something that can be easily described but felt and understood- to be a writer. It would make me feel whole to be a published author and share my creativity with those around the world. An added bonus to this dream would be to open a local bookshop where readers and writers could bring their furry companions along and enjoy some quiet time amongst the satisfying aromas of dark roasted coffee with a warm flaky pastry to pair.