The most memorable-slash-horrifying dream I ever experienced occurred when I was a child in Pennsylvania. I was standing at the top of our staircase, upon a small rug that was inexplicably placed there, when suddenly my little brother ran up and literally pulled the rug out from under me (note the correct usage of “literally” here). I tumbled backwards down the stairs and before I could hit the bottom, I awoke with a deep gasp and cold sweat.
Alas, that horror story has absolutely nothing to do with being a dreamer.
Hand-in-hand with being a creator is being a dreamer. On the one hand I love to create stories. And on the other…hand…I dream of sharing my fictional worlds with others via the mystical gate of publication.
Thomas Mark Zuniga: published author. My ultimate dream.
Shortly after my dog Annie died in 2006, I was inspired by this crazy novel idea and after I graduated college in 2009, I set to work on this massive project. Ever since, I’ve been pining for the day when the world might read this story so dear to my heart. Of all the things I dream for in this life, publication is certainly near the top of the list.
The Phillies actually winning the World Series got crossed off the top of said list in 2008.
Praise God.
Being a dreamer is quite different from all the other roles I’ve written about this week, largely because dreaming draws on the unformed future. It’s like this intangible misty mass in the distance that also thoroughly pervades my present. Confused? Me too. What was I talking about again? Oh, right, the 2008 Phillies.
No, wait.
Something I did two years back while writing my first novel was upload brief videos to Facebook, charting my writing progress. I called these earth-shattering video installments, “The Novel Chronicles.”
Doesn’t that title just flutter like windblown lilies from the tongue? Say it aloud and thank me with a comment. I’ll also accept hugs.
Over the next couple months I hope to re-upload all those wonderful “Novel Chronicle” episodes to this website so we can all relive the glory together, or experience them for the very first time (how I envy your virgin eyes!). And who knows, a second season may even emerge.
Lord haste the day.
While publication certainly takes up a large percentage of my dream pie, other ingredients make up this pie too. Like cherries and cinnamon and cool whip.
I’m a fairly restless person, and I often find myself longing for the future. And when I say “the future,” I mean the future.
I dream of heaven way more than being a published author. Of eternal rest and belonging in a world drenched with unrest and aimlessness.
And that’s where I’ll close this post; where next time, I’ll finally wrap up this six-part intro to thomasmarkzuniga.com.
Until then. Keep dreaming.
And I dream of beating you to the punch when it comes to publication.
Just kidding. There’s enough room in the literary world for the both of us. Haha. I think when it comes to dreaming, we all have to remind ourselves that our dreams don’t always work out the way we intend. My mom was dead set on being an actress. Moved out to Hollywood in the 1960’s and everything. A few years later, she came back to North Carolina, but then she met my father and had me and my siblings.
I really want to be a published novelist. I’ve taken some steps to achieve it, like going to graduate school for creative writing so I could flourish in an artistic environment and produce some great fiction, but even then, I know that — just like there are always a lot of great bands and actors who never hit it bit, there are plenty of writers who never get published. I’m not saying it to be disheartening, but it’s just something that I’ve had to come to grips with. What if I never achieve my dreams? I think for me, the prospect of that has just made me rely on God more, so I’m grateful for that.
And besides, even if I never get published, I’ll always be showing my latest manuscript to friends and family. Whether they like it or not. Haha.
The race to publication is on!
I’ve too started to come to grips with the fact that my dreams and visions may not exactly line up with God’s. And if that’s the case, what will I do, how will I react? Definitely something I’m working on as time progresses. Learning a little bit more everyday.