Goal setting from La-La Land
Nov. 18th, 2004 01:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shalannaI love the following quotation. It's from Jim Macdonald's EZBOARD discussion about how to write commercial fiction.
"My goal is to become a published author within six years and be making high five figures within nine years.--Jerry"
I could NOT stop giggling. Seriously. I hate giggling so hard that I leak tinkles on myself like the dog when he's trying to wait to be taken walkies. It takes me back to third/fourth/sixth grades when I had a best friend who could send me into uncontrollable giggles with crazy author names ("Yellow River" by I. P. Freely, "Hairstyles" by Bobbie Pinns, "Gravy Stains and How To Remove" by D. G. "Dribbles" Galore, etc.) and later (9th grade) Tom Swifties whispered into my ear by Terry Sutton (the grossest of which is, and this one is from a published book--okay, *these two* vie for being the grossest: [PG-13 WARNING] "I'm coming!" Tom ejaculated, and "I'm a necrophiliac," Tom said in dead Earnest.)
Yes, the little goal setter who wrote this Personal Goal Statement so earnestly has undoubtedly been to Management School and/or has been reading those motivational books that the corporations like to see their little drones memorizing because corporate climbing is a sort of religion unto itself. Woo-hoo!!
However, JDM does not blow this idiot off the way I would have in my old FidoNet moderatrix days. He simply notes:
"You've put down timeframes and dollar amounts in your goals. I've seen people do this before; I've even seen 'em figure which year they were going to win what major award. That's counterproductive. Just concentrate on the day, and on the current project. Let the future take care of itself."
Yep. As if anyone else could take care of the future, except God, and He's not sharing that much info with us . . . just the flashlight beam showing the very next step. And the trust that there's a road beyond, down yonder where the wild yams grow.
I could NOT stop giggling. Seriously. I hate giggling so hard that I leak tinkles on myself like the dog when he's trying to wait to be taken walkies. It takes me back to third/fourth/sixth grades when I had a best friend who could send me into uncontrollable giggles with crazy author names ("Yellow River" by I. P. Freely, "Hairstyles" by Bobbie Pinns, "Gravy Stains and How To Remove" by D. G. "Dribbles" Galore, etc.) and later (9th grade) Tom Swifties whispered into my ear by Terry Sutton (the grossest of which is, and this one is from a published book--okay, *these two* vie for being the grossest: [PG-13 WARNING] "I'm coming!" Tom ejaculated, and "I'm a necrophiliac," Tom said in dead Earnest.)
Yes, the little goal setter who wrote this Personal Goal Statement so earnestly has undoubtedly been to Management School and/or has been reading those motivational books that the corporations like to see their little drones memorizing because corporate climbing is a sort of religion unto itself. Woo-hoo!!
However, JDM does not blow this idiot off the way I would have in my old FidoNet moderatrix days. He simply notes:
"You've put down timeframes and dollar amounts in your goals. I've seen people do this before; I've even seen 'em figure which year they were going to win what major award. That's counterproductive. Just concentrate on the day, and on the current project. Let the future take care of itself."
Yep. As if anyone else could take care of the future, except God, and He's not sharing that much info with us . . . just the flashlight beam showing the very next step. And the trust that there's a road beyond, down yonder where the wild yams grow.
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no subject
Date: 2004-11-18 03:57 am (UTC)I think I'll cross-stitch this one.
...and I like the idea that, down the mysterious dark road ahead, there's a bright field full of wild yams.
I've been looking for that field all my life. So that's what's waiting there!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-18 06:20 am (UTC)Reminds me of this entry by John Scalzi, about book deal descriptions, as developed by himself and a few colleagues at this past Worldcon. Clearly Jerry either hadn't read it or (more likely) made his comment before Scalzi came out with his post, or he'd have said "Man, I'm gonna get published with a world-class, Shut UP! deal by the end of the decade."
Just sayin'. :-)
no subject
Date: 2004-11-18 11:59 am (UTC)I'm not sure where the six and nine year figures came from from the guy you mentioned--but 30 is no mystery. I think that's the age most people set for their "I want to have done this by" musings!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-19 11:11 am (UTC)Ecch. Reminds me of another corporate phenomenon -- the job interview, wherein the interviewer asks the interviewee, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
I always want to snappily come back with, "What? I look like Miss Cleo?" I've learned enough about life by this time to know that I haven't the foggiest notion where I'll be in five years. At my age and condition, in five years I could be dead! But so could that smug interviewer, if he or she steps out into traffic without looking. (sigh)
Yes, our little writer in your story is to laugh at, for sure.
It is the writers who DON'T have such a "mission statement" who make those kinds of killings (the "Shut up!" deals). Like J. K. Rowling. (grin)