Dream | Sharon C. Williams-Author

This is a chorus from the song “ Dream Big”

And when you dream, dream big
As big as the ocean blue
‘Cause when you dream it might come true
When you dream, dream big

This is a phrase we hear a lot. When I first heard the song by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband I immediately fell in love with it. So seeing this plaque while I was shopping with my mom I knew it was coming home with me.

My mom on seeing the plaque said to me, “Sharon, do you dream big?” Looking at her I nodded and replied I did.

As we continued our way around the store what she had asked me still was in my head. Do I dream big? I have been a dreamer for most of my life. My imagination has always been without borders as I wondered, plotted and tried to figure out how to accomplish what was going on between my two ears.

My first dream big was to go to a four year school of higher learning. I would be the first in my family and I was determined to not fail. Even when I changed my major in my Junior year I still graduated on time at the top of my department, Chemistry and Physics.

But when that day came what was left? Finding work and getting married seemed to be what we did at least in the time frame I was at. When my future mother law had said ,” Sharon don’t make me a grandmother before a mother in law,” I told her my only goal at that moment was to graduate.

Getting married and having a child was another dream, one that came and went pretty quickly. My life started to have a routine about it. There is nothing wrong with routine. It keeps me stable and focused. Yet when my mom asked me that questioned I wondered when was the last time I dreamt big and the first answer that came to my mind was my writing.

I started writing Jasper:Amazon Parrot in the Fall of 2009. I completed it in a few months and have done so many revisions and edits if one saw the first draft to where it is at now you would recognize the name Jasper and that is about it. Prior to that time I had never thought of myself as a writer in any form. A good friend Debbie told me that my husband had told her he felt I wrote well. When she told me that the wheels started to turn in my head. That summer is when the thoughts and words came of how to start this book. I am not sure what was the umph that made me get started but I did and have not turned back.

This is my dream big project and it has been with me for a few years now. I don’t think of the business as being hard, which we know it is. I don’t think of the many people who have told me this can’t be done. I don’t think of all the negatives that can come in one’s way when one tries to get a book published.

My sole thought is why the hell not? Seriously what do I have to lose? My back up thought had always been if worse come to worse I can make it into a book and read it to my grandchildren the series that I have in mind of writing. So with that I am pushing forward with this book and others that have been written since the late months of 2009. This is my dream big. It has been a rocky ride but I am up to the task. I don’t have a back up dream big plan at the moment, I am too busy trying to make this one a reality. ‘Cause when you dream it might just come true.

Dreams Are What We Make Of Them

By: Lissette E. Manning

Success in the literary world is sometimes defined by how many books you sell and how fast/how far you climb across the charts. Word of mouth helps and the fans you accrue along the way help in getting the word out on what you do. Not to mention your friends and family, those that are supportive, anyway, will be there with you every step of the way. They’ll be there with you throughout your triumphs and your failures.

Every step you take will determine how you far you take your dream and the success it’ll net you. Mind you, success doesn’t happen over night. It takes time to get there so that you can reap the rewards from the efforts you’ve put out.

Keep in mind that in order for us to enjoy those benefits, we have to actively work for what we want. If you want to rise to the top, you’ve got to put in the hours and the effort to get yourself there. No one else is going to do it for you.

Sure, you can have someone else do the work for you and scream to every part of the world that you exist, but I’m going to be honest, unless you make that effort yourself and show people you really want to make things happen, there aren’t a good many that will take you seriously. Dreams are what we make of them but we have to strive and work whole-heartedly to achieve them.

If you believe in what you do, show it. If you know you have what it takes to make things happen, strive to make your dream possible. Don’t sit around waiting for someone else to try to do the work for you. The more you show others you’re determined to succeed, the more they’ll see you’re ready to take the next step.

Your book is like your baby. You want it to grow into something beautiful – something you’ll be proud of. You want people to see you took the time to make your work shine to the best of your ability. You’ll be taken more seriously that way, in all honesty.

Don’t let your work go out into the world half-assed. Edit, revise, re-write, and proofread your work until you think it’s ready. If it’s not, keep at it until it is. Listen to suggestions and feedback. Implement as many of them as possible. Keep working until your book is completely polished. Make it shine in the eyes of your readers and your followers.

Make use of beta-readers in order to make sure every base is covered when it comes to the above. Beta-readers are your eyes and ears when it comes to editing and revising your work. They’ll always see things you don’t see in the first place. Trust them and thank them for the work they do for you. Find a way to show them your appreciation in every way possible.

Always take the time to polish your work before you release it out into the world. The product you put out will make or break you. The more your work shines, the better things go for you. Poorly edited manuscripts tend to put off your potential readers. You’re pretty much killing your career, then and there.

Never settle for second best in all you do. Strive always for the best. Make your books shine. Make your readers, fans, and followers believe in your work. If you truly believe in it, they will too. They’ll shout your praises to every part of the world once you’ve shone you’re willing to give them great work for every penny they shell out.

Dreams are what we make of them. Our success is defined by the quality of work we put forth. It’s defined by the belief that we believe in ourselves and the products we give to those who seek to immerse themselves in the books we write. Believe in yourself and strive for your dreams. They do come true but only if we truly work to achieve them.

Broken

By Lissette E. Manning

Genre: Romance, Drama, Short Story

The past is hard to bear, but sometimes, we must face it, no matter the cost.

Displeased with the life she’d led, Ellie Morgan walked away from it all in hopes of finding happiness amidst all the turmoil. She knows it’s only a matter of time before she has to face the bitter reality of the repercussions caused by her past actions.

Broken and bereft, she tumbles head first into her despair. Yet there’s always a silver lining to every cloud, a certainty she knows is there if she’ll allow herself to see it. To do that, she must let go of the past and put her ghosts to rest, once and for all.

Available for purchase via the following retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords.