Dreaming the Dream

Traci Kenworth

As I’ve said on here before, my dreams often contain kernels of story ideas. They hit me when I least expect it and add such treasures to the day. But what about those other kinds of dreams? The ones where we see ourselves a successful author with hordes of fans seeking out our autographs? Do we nurture them or shoot them down as impossible? In other words, are you stifling yourself by not encouraging yourself to pursue your dreams?

I admit to a healthy fear of crowds, of the notion of me seated before a table, greeting my readers. But if I let that conquer me, I won’t be taking hold of the favor God gifts us with daily. I know part of my terror lies in my being tongue-tied and shy. What if I say the wrong things, react wrong to someone, worse what if they consider me as acting superior to them? Talk about shaky legs. And then there’s the speaking platform. Me? In front of my peers? Cold, clammy hands steer my thoughts.

If we let these things haunt us, we do ourselves a disfavor. How about turning the tables and imagining your readers and the thrill they get from meeting their favorite author? Or being on a stage where others await your nuggets of experience? We can choose to base things on our fears, or we can choose to drive forward by staying positive. This is not to say everyone will love you, obviously that’s not true: but in times of these types of confrontations, we can remember our dear fan that does.

What we have inside us is a gift. Our storytelling is meant to be shared. To bottle it up would be a mistake. Remember how delighted you were to meet your favorites then imagine how much your reader will be to see you. We touch others’ lives and in return, they want to celebrate ours. So relax. Smile. Extend your hand. Living your dream is going to be both heart-pounding and rewarding. But isn’t that part of the adventure we all go on when our character’s beckon? Not knowing how things are going to work out, just trusting that things will do so.