Vision

I created a vision board for the first time. I wanted to see all of my dreams and goals in picture form. A section of my board focuses on the social aspect of writing.

One of the things I am striving to find is a Romance genre writing community. I remember back in the olden days when I first picked up pen and paper to write, there were several tried and true websites where I could go to bond with other romance writers and readers. 

I recall particularly loving the forums on the Romantic Times Book Reviews site, though there were several others. Back then, the most racy and innovative thing people did online was add background music to their web pages. 

Then, I was on a first name basis with other aspiring writers. We cheered each other on as we attempted to reach our goals. I wonder what happened to some of them? Did they ever finish that manuscript?

The trouble with my start/stop writing efforts over the years is that I’ve lost so many connections along the way. The internet has changed. The writing community has changed. I, on the other hand, have not changed enough.

I know that social media is an important part of growing as a writer, but for the life of me I struggle with the idea of putting myself out into the current digital world. I love the safety and partial anonymity of the analog world with which I presently surround myself. 

There is no chance of me making a public misstep in my world. No chance of me going viral for the wrong reasons. No chance of me being canceled. No chance of me being forever memed.

There is also no chance of me growing as a writer. 

After I carefully place a photo of a manual typewriter (a tool that I still use to write) on my vision board, I decide to make room for one more picture. This one is a header for an imaginary, semi-viral, TiTok post. 

I’ve never actually posted anything on TikTok before but - at the risk of sounding like one of those inspirational quotes people hang on their living room walls - I figure that if I can envision it, I can achieve it.