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.
