I'm Like Fancy Nancy...Sort Of

So I got this great idea about a month ago. You see, I want to be a writer. Full fledged for a living. I want to write fiction, and I'm pretty decent with words. But more importantly, I sort of love it...the writing that is. So I thought about what I need to do. A whole list of things, actually. To do, that is. But it really boils down to one thing: writing daily. My thoughts went thusly:

1. I thought about my blog.

2. I thought about how I rarely update it.

3. I thought that might be because I'm not really writing about things I want to write about.

4. I thought "I love books." I write my critiques on goodreads pretty faithfully. So

5. I thought maybe I should have a blog about that...
6. I didn't forget that I want to write fiction; I just thought the daily exercise of writing a blog about books I've read could be a start.
7. And then I thought maybe I could write about my musings as well.
8. I probably thought about chocolate after that!

Anyway, in all that thinking, something has become increasingly apparent to me. It's one thing to dream about something, and then it is quite another to get outside of "dream" mode and actually do something about it. I'm kind of the type to get stuck in "dream" mode and forget that if I really and truly want something, then I really truly have to do it. I have to risk. And let us face reality. Risk=S.C.A.R.Y! Yes, risk means facing the fear and doing something.

UGH...sometimes I hate reality.

But then the good thing is this; the real life rewards of risk are so much better than my little fantasies. Embarrassing, albeit honest, confession. In my fantasies, I'm the American J.K. Rowling. I get to interview with Oprah, and she confesses to me that she loves my books. It's a nice dream. But that's all it is, really. Hmmm...so that gets sort of old and hollow feeling after a while. What's a nice girl like me to do when the dreaming part isn't fulfilling anymore?

A girl must get herself a plan and stick to it because actually reality can be pretty stinking awesome. The following are both real, and fabulous, moments from my life.

1. Getting accepted in law school after all that work. I'm not sure I want to be a lawyer. But...
2. Learning the law. I remember sitting in contracts and thinking to myself that I was really there, really doing it. It was a good feeling.
3. Kissing my first real crush - I was just certain he was NEVER going to kiss me.
4. Seeing the Louvre for the first time and getting all teared up.
5. Having the guts to backpack through Europe - maybe I'm not such a big scaredy cat after all.
6. Passing the bar. Anyone who has suffered through that torture knows what I mean.

I could go on, but you all get the point. Reality is good...really good. Nothing beats knowing you've set out to do something and then accomplished it.

Lately, I've seen quite a few of these "hipster/Mormon mommy/lifestyle blogs" floating around in articles and such. I love them. These girls have got some serious artistic skills. They write; they take photos; they bake. It's all very Martha Stewart for the younger, hipper set. And it's all very, very different from my life. I'm not married. I have no children. I'd like to learn to be a good photog and buy a really expensive Nikon camera. I rarely bake (but I do make some mean cookies and other such desserts). But one thing I know I can do? I can write.

And that's where Fancy Nancy comes in.

No, I do not want to write children's lit. I'm much more in with the young adult set. But here is the thing about little miss Fancy Nancy. She says things like this..."My favorite color is fucshia. That's a fancy way of saying purple." Or, "A princess is supposed to wear her tiara." Or, "Ooh, la, la!" That might be my favorite. Nancy knows what she likes and what she is good at. She isn't afraid to try. I'm aware...the girl is fiction. I'm not. I'm real.

However (that is a fancy way of saying but), these hipster Mormon mommy bloggers are real, too. Just like me. And like Fancy Nancy, they are confident in their efforts. Or at least confident enough to take the risk of writing for a public audience. They try new things. They write about life. And why can't I be like that? Nancy says, "No one in my family is fancy at all." That doesn't stop her from being fancy anyway. Nothing is stopping me from being a cool, hip Mormon blogger (even if I'm a single one).

So here is to beginnings and tryings. Here is to the adventure of making my life what I want it to be. Of living instead of just dreaming. Or maybe better yet, of living and dreaming at the same time.