When it comes to your fiction, have you ever wondered what you’d do if you won a $150 million lottery?
Today I stopped at the grocery store to buy yogurt. A teenager (pink rubberbands on her braces and, like, green eyes) with a dog carrier caught my eye. We got to talking about her pup, a Japanese Chin.
I was about to ask the pink-banded one if her dog also dances up on its hind legs, when a growing line of people visible over the girl’s shoulder distracted me further. Apparently, Powerball is up to $150+ million and people are buying tickets big-time.
It took me an inordinately long time to decide on the yogurt. In the midst of all-important considerations — strawberry-flavored or vanilla? lowfat okay since there are no nonfats? what, now there’s yogurt with added fiber? — I couldn’t help wondering what I’d do if I won the lottery.
Just how much of a novelist do I think I am anyhow?
Would I live a well-invested life of bling and leisure, happily dabbling at writing, no pressure to publish, no need to see my words in print?
Or, would I self-publish because I’d have the money to hire excellent editors, copyeditors, designers, marketers and publicists?
Or, would I take 20 years to write one masterpiece, get it out there, and call it a day?
I like to think that I wouldn’t change when it comes to my fiction, but I don’t know that for sure. Writing might be a totally different experience when you don’t have to worry about growing a career.
It’s that nasty word “career” that adds a level of urgency to the equation and has me wondering what my writing would turn into if I didn’t have to earn a living.
(P.S. Didn’t buy a Powerball ticket.)
5 comments on “Lottery Distraction (and Dogs Too)”
Writers and artists throughout the ages made good use of wealthy sponsors who believed that one should not be worried about subsistence in order to be able to make art. On the other hand, the artists who have been through enormous struggles seem to have done just as good if not better art, right?
I don’t know. Life would certainly be boring without struggles and if it’s not money, I am afraid of what else it could be.
I hope that if you won $150 million you would do the following: Live the bling life, self-publish with the help of hand-picked editors, not take 20 years to produce a masterpiece (because I’d like to read your work!), and of course, treat me to a nice steak dinner.
Happy New Year!
(and please note, my blog address has changed. sorry for any inconvenience).
Having our basic needs met allows us the opportunity to live our talents and passions. It sounds like things have turned around for you — which is wonderful news!
As for dear Luna. . . her head, body type and temperament are far more Cavalier King Charles Spaniel — which is a noble and delightful breed which has provided great companionship for centuries.
On the writer thing: You’d still write. You’d have space and you’d write like crazy. I suspect you could/would go for the blockbuster winner AND hire the team that gets your self-publish out there – you’d do it all. So, relax. “Career” is so … 90s. Pooh. Just write.
Now let’s talk dogs!!! that Japanese Chin is killing me with that little tongue sticking out. But, oh, Luna!!!! What a doll, what a charmer, esp. with that sly eye. Thanks for popping these pictures on here – making me smile!
Yikes, Lori, you bring up a good point about the vacuum. Better the struggle we know than the struggle we don’t know?
Ha, Mari, good call: I’ll treat every I know to a good steak dinner!
Hello “Elaine” (pseudonym?). Thanks! I am feeling better — sun in January probably helps!
Oh — I went awhile without mentioning my dog or dogs in general, didn’t I? Now I’ve had my fix for the moment. 🙂