An MFRW Author Post – And check out the other blogs on the hop!
I’d write tons of books – yes, that’d be my motto, I’d be a real author if I won the lotto…
Sorry. It just reads like a Dr. Seuss poem! And I do already know I’m a real author, I’m just not all that good at rhyming so I needed a word that fit.
If time and money weren’t an issue…
The truth is, I’m a millennial. I could win a million dollars tomorrow and by the time I paid off our debt and helped my folks sell their house, we’d barely have enough money left for a house of our own, which we wouldn’t want to buy in a depreciating market. But that is what I’d do. As a writer, you’re never stable. You may have a great month of sales or a terrible one. You could go a year without selling a book. It happens.
So I’d use the money, whatever kind of money it was, for that stability. I’d finish furnishing our apartment all at once, instead of slowly trickling in chairs and desks and shelves, but I’d still shop Target or IKEA. This is my temporary home, I don’t need fancy shelves, just something to hold up my books! And then, it’s the student loan debt, I’d wipe that all out, mine and my boyfriends. Hell, I’ll throw in my brother’s too if I can manage. After that, the money my folks owe on the house – clear the ledger and give them enough to get the place ready for sale without them breaking their backs.
And then what?
Well, naturally, it depends on what I have left. Some of it would go into writing – advertising and marketing are expensive and often require sacrifice. If it’s a lot of money, I’d become the investor my start-up company has been looking for. I may trade in my car for something less than 20 years old, but it isn’t necessary. I’d get a gym membership and a yoga membership. I’d buy a cute new pair of sandals.
But I don’t think I would change my lifestyle all that much. As the daughter of freelancers who have consistently made magic to pull ends together, I know what it’s like to worry about health insurance. I know what it’s like to prioritize some bills over others. I understand the rollercoaster of working so hard for something and not always knowing if you’ll make enough.
So, no fancy cars, no exotic trips, at least, not to start. If I have the opportunity or I win a boatload, then hell yeah, adventure awaits. But if it’s a good amount, a real amount, then I take the boring route. There’s no better feeling than knowing you have a safety net, no matter how much money you win. And I’m planning to win a lot.