Comments on: Hopes & Goals

By: Megan

Megan — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:40:13 +0000

Wonderful post, Justine! Thanks for being so encouraging and positive while still being realistic and practical.

Also, personally I don’t want my future book(s) to be the next Twilight, or the next Harry Potter, or the next Lord of the Rings, or the next anything (though if someone were to compare my writing to Tolkien’s I would consider that the highest compliment). I’d rather they be in a class of their own! Also I think there’s something to be said for small but devoted fanbases…

By: MissAttitude

MissAttitude — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:35:24 +0000

Another great post! i agree that regardless of what your career is, it’s important to have hopes and goals. They keep you motivated. I daydream all the time, and now that a study was done showing that daydreaming helps students I do it even more!
I gave you an award because your posts are so honest and from the heart. They (You) are great. http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/2009/10/award-waiting-on-wednesday-blessings.html

By: Justine

Justine — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:06:52 +0000

Lauren: What you said. Every time I wonder what the point of it all is I receive the most amazing letter from a reader that reduces me to tears and demonstrates exactly what the point is.

Summer: Daydreams rock.

Becca: You’re welcome. Took me ages to be able to make the hopes/goals distinction. It’s made a big diff to my piece of mind.

By: More Links – the Agent (mostly) Version « Genre Bender

More Links – the Agent (mostly) Version « Genre Bender — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:17:03 +0000

[...] this seems to be an agent linkage post, here’s Agent Kristin with some author behavior that doesn’t normally get mentioned. And then she has a follow-up here. What she said. If your agent isn’t working out, definitely [...]

By: Becca

Becca — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:14:24 +0000

Amen to Lauren. That hope can be so varied – “I hope I can be the next multi-million seller” or “I hope at least one kid feels something and thinks about something because of what I’ve written.”

And I think the hope (what you can’t control, but wish for) and the goals (the things inside your control – like writing the best work you can) have to be distinct and separate, even though they’re all related to the work at hand. Good post, thanks.

By: Summer

Summer — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:29:44 +0000

Heh. That’s definently something I worry about-when I hit the big wide world of publishing (I’m not out of school for another year, so I’m sure it’ll be a while.) will my first series be a success? (It’s defiently going to be one of my more ‘mass market’ ones.) I’m glad I’m not the only person who dreams of my future novels and comics being big movies WITH NO WHITEWASHING of my varied, multi-ethnic characters. (And not turning my gay characters straight, either.)
Also: yay for daydreaming!

By: Lauren McLaughlin

Lauren McLaughlin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:16:20 +0000

Thanks for the pep talk. I assume you wrote this post exclusively for me

It’s too easy to get caught up in fear about your career when you know that without good sales you may not have a career for long. For me personally, all those fears completely fall by the wayside when I get an email from a kid thanking me for representing his under-represented demo in a positive light. It’s at those moments that I realize that even a short career is a successful one if you’ve spread a little love.