List
1) Go to Europe Again
2) Write a book
3) Learn to play the violin
4) Learn another language
5) Learn Programming
6) Develop an App/Program
7) Run a successful business
8) Talk with a successful author
2) Write a book
3) Learn to play the violin
4) Learn another language
5) Learn Programming
6) Develop an App/Program
7) Run a successful business
8) Talk with a successful author
Writing that Book
Writing a book is something that has eluded me for years and feels like one of those things that would be so easy, yet ends up taking all of my free time for about two weeks, gets put on hold for two months, gets returned to and immediately scrapped because I no longer like it. I always have the energy to start a new book, but never the energy to continue an old one. However, perhaps the most interesting part of writing a book is that its success depends on no one else but myself. Any other project could be deterred by lack of funds or other reasons, but people have written books under worse circumstances. This only leaves one obstacle in my path, my patience. In the past and most likely in my immediate future, this will likely remain a barrier. I like to finish things quickly and often "get over" my past work, regarding it as insufficient compared to my current skill level. As for my method, I will refer to The Writer's Workshop for assistance. "Start with a fabulous idea." This seems fairly straightforward, after all, the internet in all of its vastness must contain a good writing prompt to get me started. However, what matters is if that prompt is good enough for me. Becoming bored of an idea while already having started working on it is frustrating and wastes time, though it will happen. Interestingly, completing the other items on my bucket list may actually aid me in this quest. I can collect ideas from my travels abroad and meet people that deserve their stories to be told. Moving on, I must decide who to tell the story. Shall it be first person point-of-view, third person? Will it be Fictional or Non-Fictional? Where does it even take place? (When if I'm going for historical/time travel) furthermore, once I have a character in place, I must know them. I need to know what their habits are, what makes them human and not a background character in a tv show. After working on my tale for some time, it should begin to take shape. However, another person’s opinion would give great feedback, so I would at this point, reach out to other authors or networks to try to garner advice. Inputting this, in the end I should have a completed book. The total cost to me: my time and energy for anywhere from one to two years. The reward: a book that may or not do well. Well, writing is very risky endeavor. It is always worth a shot, even if it doesn’t work out in the end.
Sources
1. http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/how-to-write-a-book.html#