Part of preparing for college is exploring what you want to do and how you plan to get there. Currently, my son has a very specific career goal in mind. At the same time, we’re trying to encourage him to explore other avenues and just ‘see what’s out there.’
We had a ‘see what’s out there’ experience this past Saturday. One of the colleges in our area was having a computer science and engineering day where they specifically showcased the opportunities in that department. My son’s specific career goal may benefit from these programs. The only problem was he didn’t think so.
We went anyway. He learned more, got to talk to professors and other students, and even experience some of their technology. We took a full campus tour. He walked away feeling much more excited about the prospects in these fields. It may not change his mind, but he’s considering how these STEM-type fields will influence that specific career goal he has in mind.
He was even impressed with the dorms. This visit flipped a switch in his mind and has helped him open up to other possibilities.
When I first decided to try to write a book, my mind was set in a specific genre. It was one I loved, had several favorite authors in, and felt like I knew backwards and forwards. Until I sat down to write. Nothing. If I did come up with something, it never seemed to flow in a way that seemed natural. I submitted to a couple writing contests, hoping the encouragement of a hard deadline would help get the wheels turning. Nope.
What happened instead? I calmed myself enough to think about what I wanted to do and how I planned to get there. I sat down and wrote, only to have something completely different spill out on the paper. I enjoyed writing it. The ideas were flowing in the same way the ink was flowing out of my pen as I wrote in my notebook.
That work is a mystery. I’m also currently writing the paranormal stories you’re enjoying on Kindle Vella. These are both a bit of a far cry from what I set out to do originally: write romance.
Is there a time in your life when you thought it was going to go one way but went a totally different direction instead? Let’s talk about it in the comments or on Facebook!