I’m going to have $50,000 in my current bank account by May 21, 2008, which will come to me in various amounts from time to time in the interim. In return for this, I’m going to sell short stories & my novel(s) (which will have to be finished). I’m also going to sell (on ebay) all that old stuff I’ve got in the house that I was just going to toss out; and I’m going to save at least 20% of my paychecks each pay-period. I will have this money in my hands by this time. My faith is so strong that I can see this money – I can visualize the bank-statement, see the ink on the page and the number $50,000 written in its place, I can feel the sense of accomplishment; and I am open to any changes I must make to the plan I’ve made to attain my desire. To achieve this end, I will put this plan into action:
1. I will pray each day to that which I hold dear; and spend time in meditation each morning and each night, reflecting on how I will carry out my plans and achieve the goals I have set for myself. I will read this written statement (or one very similar to it) – out loud – each day when I meditate.
2. I will purchase a Writer’s Almanac by June 1, 2007 (provided it’s appropriate – I don’t recall when the almanac comes out).
3. I will have 10,000 words, for my novel, written by May 31, 2007. I will do this by writing 1,000-2,000 words/day. After this, I will write 10,000 words every 10 days until the novel is finished. Once the ‘vomit-draft’ is complete, I will sock it away for 1 month and work primarily on short fiction or begin another novel – still writing 10,000 words every 10 days. After 1 month, I will take out my novel & make copies for a handful of trusted people to read and ‘mark-up’. I will do the same, then take all notes into consideration and write a second draft. This draft will be completed at a rate of 2,000 words per day; and then I will begin shopping for a publisher, while that draft languishes in its drawer for another month. At the end of that month, I will write a ‘final draft’ and send it off to the publisher(s). I will have a plan for finding a publisher (and dealing with rejection) by August 1st, 2007.
4. I will spend 20minutes each day (at least) online, searching for a paying means of publishing my short-fiction work, and then do so (get paid for my short-fiction, I mean).
5. I will work diligently & efficiently at my job, ensuring that the work gets done & done right, while seeking for ways I can help to expand the business & make myself even more indispensible to the company (ensuring more hours of work and thus, a larger “20%”). Each pay period, after depositing my paycheck into my account, I will “fudge” the numbers so that it looks as though I deposited 20% less than actual. In this manner, I will create an “artificial hard-deck” that I will not tap into; and that will continue to grow.
6. Beginning today, I will catalogue everything that I want to get rid of – clean (or dust) what needs cleaning (or dusting); and throw away the actual garbage (there isn’t much). Afterward, I will decide on a price (based on what’s fair and what I’ll have to pay for shipping and what-not). I will purchase relevant comics-buying guides as necessary. I will have this done by June 21, 2007.
7. I will begin posting auctions for my ‘junk’ on September 1, 2007. I will spend as much as an hour each day checking the auctions and packaging & shipping those items which sell.
8. Each month, on the 21st of the month, I will evaluate my progress and my actions to ensure I am on-track; and if need be, I will adjust my plans accordingly.
9. If – by some horrid turn of fate – I have faithfully carried out my plan and not attained $50,000 (or am not on-track to attain that amount by May 21st) by April 21, 2008, I will trust in providence to grant me the results I seek by spending $2 each week on the Florida Lottery.
