Shameless Promotion of Dreams: River City Fiction

River City Fiction

Since March I've put together a blog about the fiction reading, writing, and selling community in my city.  I'm still geeking out about the people I've met, the books I've read, and the events I've attended. River City Fiction launched today, and it's taught me two things.

1. Pour yourself into what you love and ignore the little voice that heckles you with past failures.  You would not believe how many times I almost quit because of fear I'd make a fool of myself or annoy someone.  In public I keep my head low and my voice quiet, but now I have to reach out to authors, booksellers, librarians, and readers in my community.  That is scary business.  The more I thought about all that could go wrong, the more the project lagged, but when I accepted I'd make mistakes, it galloped away.  I'm doing this because of a passion for good books and a reading community.  Focusing on others and their accomplishments and dreams allows me to ignore the self-absorbed voice telling me to stop. 
2. People are inherently generous.  I can hear the anthropologists and psychologists agonizing over this statement, but I don't care because it is true.  My husband has given hours to photographing and proofing. Friends have listened and offered suggestions.  Strangers have tweeted and re-tweeted the contents.  They've visited the site and sent messages of encouragement.  And, of course, I have to mention the lovely authors -- Michele Young-Stone and Diann Ducharme -- and booksellers.  Without them, the site would not exist.  I was unsure of the site and now people are  taking it upon themselves to visit and promote.  

I dreamed big.  I put myself out there in a way I've never done before.  I'll be embarrassed by mistakes but I'll keep moving.  I discovered the magic of taking risks and growing into my own.  

Please take a look and let me know what you think.  

You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, Darling.

"You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, Darling."

I wonder how many people sat in the theatre this weekend, heard those words and, like me, thought, That's exactly what I'm doing.  Of course, my dreaming doesn't come with foreboding theme music or big kablooies at the end. At least I hope it doesn't.

July has been a month of risks for me, and August seems to be more of the same.  And for the first time, I'm not making excuses and slinking away.  I'm stepping out in a very un-Kristi-like way.  Friday I journalled, "I’m learning to take chances, to stop playing it safe.  Yes, I’ll still look both ways before crossing the street and still care about my 401K, but I don’t have to live timidly."  


I'm going to dream bigger with my work and my blogging.  How are you going to dream bigger?  


 

Dreaming of Concrete Images

From Clip Art 

I'm a little late posting today because I've been drooling over the web pages for BookExpo America, New York Book Week, and the Book Blogger Convention like a kid with a Sears Wish Book before Christmas. I'd love to go to any-- or all-- of them, but I'm not ready financially or in my career, which leads me to this week's post.

Back in September, I read an awesome blog post about having a concrete image of your dream. (Sorry, I can't remember who posted this originally. If any of you know, please link.) The writer offered her concrete image as an example. She went to a book conference and an author came in with an arm-load of her books to give away. That visual became the blogger's concrete image. She wanted to be the author with the arm-load of books.

So, I offer you my concrete images:

1. The original: In college a professor put one of her books on the reading list. Normally that seems self-serving, but she told us that all the proceeds from the book were donated to charity. She received no financial reimbursement from her work. I want to be a writer who can donate the sales of books to a charity.

2. Tonight's image: I want to be one of the book professionals who can go to these awesome conferences, feel like she belongs, and write it off on taxes.

If you had to pick a concrete image, what would it be? 

P.S. I'll add my first fiction post in the coming week. Gulp!