Play Like You Belong
My friend Chet and I looked at our upcoming books in an on-line catalogue the other day discussing how surreal and out of place we felt to see our names there. My book is surrounded by pages of talented and seasoned authors : best-selling writers that I imagine don’t plunk words on an old laptop like I do, but rather finger-surf keyboards like concert pianists filling pages with crafted explosions of poetry (with little effort). It is intimidating to consider all the compelling...
What Does It Take to Orchestrate a Comeback?
During chapter twenty-something of writingmy upcomingbook, I took a break to read through the working manuscript…It leveled me. Isaw problems ineverything. My ideas and writing seemed pathetic; I couldn’t seem to locate a poetic moment amongst the densely worded stack of kindling. I was very close to heading straight for the fire pit in our backyard. I had a long way to go in the writing process, but felt crushed with hopelessness. I had the overwhelming desire to watch...
The Sacredness of “No” in a “Yes” World
We live in a “yes” culture. Winners say “yes.” Elections are won with chants of “Yes, we can.” “Yes”-men seem to have thejob security. “Yes” gets us the attention we crave. We are conditioned that “yes” is always an appropriate answer… One of my favorite songwriters wrote about his conflict of having to decide betweenoccupations: a classical pianist, a college professor, or a musician in a rock band…It...
Frustrated by Your Lack of Progress? “Take What the Defense Will Give You” (Some Encouragement for Writers)
I was working (plodding would be a better description) through rewrites of my upcoming book (September ’12… can’t wait!) when I came across this helpful piece from one of my favorite authors, Stephen Pressfield. I love his fiction, but as a neophyte writer, I’ve found his thoughts about the craft to be a lifeline at times. Pressfield posted this on December 28th: “Everybody loves the vertical game. We all thrill to the deep ball, the long completion,...
When you don’t make “the Cut”
It was a steamy summer morning, the kind of heat and haze that dims the stars a bit, unusual to even the warmest Ohio summers. It must’ve been 3 am, shortly after the bars had closed, when a lanky, thin man, stylishly unshaven and wearing a concert t-shirt, closed the door of his car and approached the window of my store. A sense of dejection hung to his persona and seemed to draw the cigarette smoke he was exhaling from his mouth down around his shoulders like a thousand...
Are We Blogging for Gold? (Why Blog?)
I received a forwarded email and note of encouragement from a good friend the other day. The title of the message proclaimed that 95% of blogs are abandoned. The following information was featured prominently on the page: “Blogging is tough. It’s hard work. And it’s never ending. But is it really worth it? It’s a constant commitment to… Consistently read new content. Uncover the key influential blogs in your space. Accumulate new ideas for the posts that...
Feeling Like a Counterfeit? (Your Probably Doing Something Right)
I found an old t-shirt of my sisters who passed away several years ago in the bottom of a box of keepsakes her husband gave us when he remarried. It was one of her favorite shirts to wear when she was bumming around – a grey PT shirt with ARMY emblazoned across the front. I threw it in the wash and decided to wear it. I walked into a gas station the other day to buy a drink. Standing in line several of the patrons started to thank me for my service to our country. Talk about...
Your Calling Isn’t Just About You
I picked up a book recently called The War of Art and read it in an evening. I have been on Amazon ordering copies for my friends ever since. The author takes an honest and humorous look at the forces that keep us from doing what we are called to do. When I came across these lines (below), I was taken with the idea that when we do not pursue our calling — whether it is teaching, coaching, running a business, inventing the next iPhone — we aren’t just crippling...
Mockingbird Monday – The Story Behind The Mockingbird Parables
Many authors and agents have expressed to me that I went through more drama getting my first book published than I will probably experience in my entire writing career. It is an interesting story which I began writing about last week — you can get caught up on last week’s blog here: http://mattlitton.com/2011/05/09/mockingbird-monday-the-story-behind-the-mockingbird-parables/. I hope it will provide some encouragement for inspiring writers, maybe some entertainment...
A Tale of Two Desktop Files: Choosing Our Story
I keep a folder on my PC desktop of rejection letters from publishers. Most of them are very nice. Whenever I read them, it reminds me a little of my college dating life. I was dumped a couple of times in a really benevolent way. You know you’re in trouble when you get the “you’re really great, and smart, and fun,”…and then comes the “but.” I also remember breaking up with a few people in the same manner with some really melodramatic niceties....
