{"id":1207,"date":"2018-12-16T16:33:32","date_gmt":"2018-12-16T21:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/dremadeoraich\/?p=1207"},"modified":"2018-12-16T16:33:32","modified_gmt":"2018-12-16T21:33:32","slug":"an-obsessed-writers-ultimate-wish-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/16\/an-obsessed-writers-ultimate-wish-list\/","title":{"rendered":"An Obsessed Writer\u2019s Ultimate Wish List"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>Dear Kris,\n

How are things at the North Pole? I hope you and your Kringle S.O. in the red leggings and faux-fur lined cap are both well and ready for the imminent last-minute rush. Rudolph and all your other four-leggeds are healthy and rested? I\u2019m sure the elves have been putting in loads of overtime. Please give $\"\"$ them my love and remind them to schedule some down-time into their long workdays.<\/p>\n

I know a pro like you gets a ton of mail and your schedule this close to the Winter Holiday is bonkers, so I\u2019ll skip the rest of the pleasantries and get right to the point. Here\u2019s my wish list for 2019.<\/p>\n

1. More time to write. I know we haven\u2019t spoken in a while, Kris, but let me tell you\u2014it seems like life has me constantly on the run. I won\u2019t bore you with the details. Suffice it to say that by the time I can sit down in front of my computer to \u201cpen\u201d new worlds, my brain is mush. Maybe you could help me learn to clone myself? That way I could send one Drema to the grocer\u2019s, one to work at the law office, and another to play with the kittens while I, the original, could finally write in relative peace.<\/p>\n

2. A viable niche and eager agent\/publisher for my \u201cscience-fantasy\u201d fiction trilogy. That first book is as ready as I could make it on my own. I\u2019ve handed it off to a mentor, as you suggested, so once I get her input I can start the next round of revisions. Meanwhile, if you have any ideas on who might be my ideal agent, send them my way.<\/p>\n

3. A better understanding of the vast universe that is the short fiction market. I took your advice and signed up for Duotrope<\/a> and<\/em> Submission Grinder<\/a>. Trackers help, it\u2019s true, but I still can\u2019t keep up with all the magazines out there accepting short fiction. Every time I finish a story, I start the search. I know my fellow writers probably say the same thing in their letters to you. It\u2019s part of the writing life that I accept, but if I could just plug my neural implants into your database and download all there is to know $\"\"$ about querying and submitting to online and print zines, it would sure speed things up for me. Think about it, won\u2019t you?<\/p>\n

4. Ample time to revise, research and query. Remember when I first started chasing this dream, and you told me the writing was the easy part? I didn\u2019t believe you then. Now I have firsthand understanding of how right you were. The quest to revise a story until it\u2019s so tight it squeaks takes three times as long as it did to write the dang thing in the first place. Querying is the very essence of a lesson in patience. And when it comes to research\u2026 well, let\u2019s just say \u201crabbit hole\u201d and move on, shall we?<\/p>\n

5. A viable and supportive publishing contract for my aforementioned trilogy. Honestly, if I could write fiction for a living instead of working another day job, I\u2019d do a happy-dance in the street. I\u2019d love it even more if it could be success on the level of Brandon Sanderson<\/a>, or even J.K. Rowling<\/a>. But I\u2019m not greedy. I\u2019ll take a contract that pays a reasonable advance and royalties, grants my agent (see item #2) significant motivation to represent me and my work, and offers me guidance and a little hand-holding in my initial foray into traditional novel publishing. That\u2019s not too much to ask, right?<\/p>\n

6. An evergreen laptop charge. Because seriously, one cannot always write where there is an electrical outlet.<\/p>\n

7. Side time to engage in critique sessions with fellow writers and editors. Since I\u2019ve already asked for additional time for two other specific tasks, I\u2019m making this a standalone item because I so enjoy reading the work of my colleagues. Whether or not they are published, I always feel a little privileged that I am one of the first readers to lay eyes on their words. Besides, I know how much their feedback means to me, so the least I can do is reciprocate. Squeeze a few extra hours into the day for me to accomplish this. M\u2019kay?<\/p>\n

8. Truly outstanding classes and mentoring. This item isn\u2019t just for me, really. It\u2019s also for the writers I know, and the ones I don\u2019t. We all<\/em> recognize that the craft of writing is an ongoing process of learning. The markets are always changing and even if you help with item #3, it takes work to understand those trends. Classes help. Please don\u2019t limit them to my local area (we already have a plethora here, but are always open to new options); deliver them online, too, with various options for writers who can\u2014and those who can\u2019t\u2014afford to pay full-price. I know you are a big reader, Kris. This will benefit you, too.<\/p>\n

9. Ongoing interaction with the writing community, both online and in real space. Please. For the sake $\"\"$ of my sanity. Give me people who understand my weirdities.<\/p>\n

10. More time to daydream. In fact, you know what? I\u2019ve asked for a lot of time here, so let\u2019s just roll items 1, 4, 7, and 10 into one time-related mega-item for the list: a 48-hour day. Maybe, if I write myself a tight schedule, I could fit it all in then.<\/p>\n

Look, I know I\u2019m asking a lot. But you have to admit I\u2019ve been an angel (or at least not such a demon) this year. On top of that, I haven\u2019t asked you for anything since I was a kid, so I think I\u2019m due. As a sign of my advance thanks, you\u2019ll find a cup of mulled wine and a bowl of popcorn beside the tree. I figure you\u2019ll be tired of milk and cookies by the time you get to our place.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be thinking of you and the team in the coming weeks. Once I know you\u2019re back home in your comfy chair with your feet up by the fire, I\u2019ll raise a toast in your honor.<\/p>\n

Thanks, Kris. My best to all at the N.P.<\/p>\n

Love,
\nDrema<\/p>\n

Christmas Elf by Couleur<\/a>
\nJacked In photo by Markus Spiske<\/a>
\nDaydreaming by Tirachard Kumtanom<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"