“It is by sitting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer.” ~Gerald Brenan, British writer
Dreams take a whole lot of work.
Who knew?
At first you hum a few song lyrics:
Life is but a dream …
Daydream believer …
Dream a little dream of me …
(OK, I admit it: I need to update the playlist in my head.)
But here’s the point: Put the concept of daydreaming to music and it sounds so … easy. So let’s-lie-around-in-the-grass-all-day-and-stare-at-clouds simple.
You know what, all you dreamers out there? There comes a time when you have to drag yourself up off the ground and sweat your dream into existence. Those old adages of putting your shoulder to the wheel or keeping your nose to the grindstone (ouch!) — that’s the stuff dreams are made of.
For the last 10 days I planned out my second contemporary romance novel. This preliminary stage was it’s own kind of work. Sketching out characters, detailing emotional journeys, deepening subplots … those sorts of things.
But yesterday I grabbed myself by the collar of my robe and dragged myself down to my office at 5 o’clock in the morning. Which meant my alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. There was no pushing the snooze button for 30 minutes — I was getting a few necessary things done before I powered up my computer and started my version of “It was a dark and stormy night …”
(That last bit was a joke. You know that, right?)
So here’s my writer’s equation for the day: Dreams = Hard Work.
Simple as that.
Oh, yeah. That process of dreams coming true? For me, prayer is the foundation of both my dreams and my hard work.
In Your Words: Finish the sentence: Behind every dream is ______________. What would you put in that blank space?
Comments 19
Writing off the top of my head I might finish that sentence something like this:
“Behind every dream is inspiration, motivation, determination and encouragement in abundance.”
Hey, Jeanne,
That’s pretty good for writing off the top of your head!
š
I hope, for myself, I’d finish it this way: “Behind every dream is a desire to please God.” And I agree about the hard work. It’s so easy to get unfocused and distracted by other things, but if we really want it, and God is behind us, we can do anything. *Cue anthem.*
Hey, Lindsay!
Good morning to you!
I’m all about background music too. Or anthems. Whatever it takes to get motivated!
And, yes, because my faith journey is woven into my writing, pleasing God is part of my dream too.
. . . is a seed planted by God. If we water it, it will grow. If not, it stays dormant.
Love this, Dee. It’s poetic.
Behind every dream…is a team.
Not just saying that to rhyme. Though, come on, it is good. š No, but I think it’s true…especially for me. Or, at least should be true. So many people uplift, encourage and help me move towards my dream…and I love that!
I like how you filled that blank, Melissa, rhyme and all! I’d be no where as far along the writing road without my “dream team.”
š
Great quote, and so true. I guess I’d say: behind every [writing] dream is a butt in chair!
~Debbie
Love it, Debbie!
Perfect!
š
(And, yeah, I’m spending a lot of time in my chair these days … but now I’m gonna go exercise for a bit.)
…is God running away with your imagination and working on your behalf.
Love this post, Beth! Hard work=reward. š
Love this, Jess!
It reminds me what Reba Hoffman said last night at the MBT chat:Imagine what it looks like when God brainstorms!
š
Maybe it’s because I’m reading this at lunch, but my first thought (honestly) was chocolate. I love all the answers. I think determination has to be present, so I can accomplish my dreams.
Whatever it takes, Stacy. Whatever it takes.
š
My first thought: Behind every dream is a spark–but of course the trick is to keep it burning! š
A most excellent way to fill in the blank, Coleen.
Enjoyed my visit to your blog!
š
….is faith, hope, and love.
On a random note…I was flipping around on the TV the other day and ran across The Monkees, I stopped to watch the madness for a moment before they broke into song. And yes, guess what they sang? or should I say, Davy sang…Daydream Believer.
“Hey, hey, we’re the monkeys! People say we monkey around, but we’re too busy singing, to put anybody down …”
Wow.
I’ll let you guess whether I had to look those lyrics up or not.
š
On a more contemplative note, I did like your response for filling in the blank.
š