Dream on
Musings by Lisa Torcasso Downing
From the October 6, 2009 New York Times (by way of the AML-list):
In an ingenious spin on the co-author strategy, Stephenie Meyer, who wrote the Twilight novels, said that her vampire hero appeared in a dream and then dictated the first book as fast as she could type. He did not demand a percentage of the advance. This does sound like a great strategy, and I understand that millions of American women currently have a dream of having that dream.
I am one of those American women. Oh, not for the reason I think the Times writer implied. I wouldn’t let a man for whom the destruction of the human female was his most primitive instinct near my computer, much less me. But I do dream of getting in on that “it-writes-itself” genre…especially since it seems to be paying now.
Heck, I give my writing away. I work my butt off trying to make my fiction good enough for someone to publish for free. Rephrase. Actually, I’ve worked my butt on, seeing as its grown rather large as I build my career as an unpaid artiste. So yeah, I want to write my dreams by dictation, make a boat load of money, and have a home gym and a personal trainer. And a maid. I’d even get a dog if I had someone to clean up after it. And a golf cart. I’ve always wanted to pick my kids up from school in a golf cart. Way cool. Oh, and maybe I’d buy an electric can opener. No, an electric knife for Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t want to seem worldly.
What about the rest of you? What would you buy if you made millions off your dreams?
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October 9th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Which genre is this?
October 9th, 2009 at 7:43 am
I’d buy a house. I drive by cute houses on cute streets and wish I could afford one of them. Sigh. It is not to be.
October 9th, 2009 at 8:12 am
What genre is the “it-writes-itself” genre? Well, its the genre that encompasses any best-selling book in which a vampire, or some other character, dictates the text to the writer. Perhaps thats a category and not a genre?
October 9th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I’d buy 6 acres and build a library – rolling ladders, lounge cushions, 40 foot oculus, and free smoothie bar (with silent blenders of course). And then a dog, a big dog, and a crate of frisbees. Ya, that’d work.
October 9th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
A cute house… not asking too much.
The library idea reminded me that what I really wish I could do was make enough frill cash to put aside scholarship and grant money for folks who can’t write their dreams and make billions. But who should be writing. Now if I ever do make money, you don’t have to remind me of that. It may be something I’d like to forget I said.
October 9th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
I’d bring Fanta Red Creme Soda back on the market, and then I’d fund five more seasons of Firefly and pay someone to mow my lawn.
October 10th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I could use $40 million, but I’d take as little as $10 million for my Mormon arts schemes — there are several components, but the one that is the most personal and least boring is that I’d buy the very unique house (it’s walls are made of rocks cemented together) my maternal grandfather built in Kanab and turn it in to an artists retreat and award yearly summer writing and visual arts fellowships.
Also: I love(d) Fanta Red Creme Soda, Stephen. You’re the only other person I’ve met that has quite the same feelings about it.
October 26th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I’m going to go with Stephen on this. I would also fund more seasons of Crusade. Heck I’d fund any good non reality tv program so I had something to watch while drinking red cream soda in my newly built house on an acre of land far away from any major university/college, but within driving distance of good art. Is that so much to ask?
January 6th, 2010 at 6:09 am
Thank you for this good post. I really love this tv show. Can’t wait for the another episode ! Keep up the awesome work with this