Sunday, November 2, 2014

Be A Star

Those who know me realize they can't bother me on Monday and Tuesday nights, since that's The Voice time. The similarities between music and writing keep surprising me. The publishing business is as subjective as the music industry. What appeals to one ear will sound like chickens killing each other to another.

My latest manuscript got rejected recently by a publisher. In this instance, the manuscript was rejected because the editor didn't care for the way my characters talked. I realized this was the same thing as a country performer singing in front of a rap artist. It's easy to turn your back on something because it's not your flavor. It's more complicated to dig beneath the surface and find the true talent that is there.

Last season on The Voice, Usher made a statement that 'luck favors the prepared.' I took Usher's words to heart, and have put a publishing plan into place. I've been honing my craft for years now, so I think I'm prepared. In both musical and writing terms, I've trained my voice. I know how a book (or a song) goes together, what to emphasize and when. I'm ready for some luck. I'm prepared.

This season, Pharell, my new favorite Voice judge, made a comment that 'stars don't just sit still–they sparkle.' I have been working really hard on my sparkle this year. I've connected with acquaintances at meetings and turned them into friends. I'm volunteering my services at a local level and I'm giving a portion of my earnings to various charities. I've started up a joint blog site with several of my new friends called History Imagined, where we discuss–you guessed it–history and historical events. I am a guest on several different blog sites. And most recently, I wrote a column for USA Today's Happy Ever After column, and contributed to an article for RWR magazine. Sparkle, sparkle.

I'm doing everything I can to be the star Pharell talks about.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

10 comments:

  1. Thanks, Becky. What a wonderful message for any artist.

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  2. Thanks for visiting, Rachel. I agree, advice given to any art form can cross over.

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  3. Inspiring post! I have watched The Voice but am thinking of tuning in this week. Thanks, Becky. :)

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  4. How clever - that digs right to the heart of creativity and tenacity. You are ready and definitely have your sparkle on.

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  5. Thanks, Kathleen and Joanne. Creativity and tenacity are definitely needed to succeed in this business.

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  6. I am a huge The Voice fan just for all the reasons you mentioned. There are so many similarities between writing and music. I also jotted down Pharell's mention of how stars sparkle. It's such a great show! Good luck on your publishing journey.

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  7. What a clever blog post. I agree with everything you wrote. Who would have thought you'd get such great nuggets from The Voice? I'm going to check it out.

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  8. Thanks, Rebecca and Liz. I love the show and the similarities between the two art forms never cease to amaze me. A friend of mine wrote that an artist draws inspiration where they connect with life. I think that sums it up beautifully.

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  9. I am so impressed by your plan and your dedication and determination.
    Love your parallels.

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  10. Thanks, Susan. I wish I had all of your connections, though.

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