Music, Debut Authors, and the Push to Publication

There is a song playing on the radio that gets me focused to push harder in my writing. Now, I don’t want to hijack the lyrics, because they mean more than just giving my all to becoming a better writer. But I do think about writing whenever I hear it.

The song is called The Motions by Matthew West from the album Something to Say. When I’m alone in the car I belt it out and think about what I am doing and what I could be doing to give this writing thing my best shot.

Here’s a snippet of the chorus:

I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?

Oh, and here’s the music video (which would be imbedded if only I would get around to upgrading our WordPress. Sorry. Clicking the link will take you to YouTube):

The Motions

My book stack lately has been filled with new authors. I’m curious to see what the “newbies” are writing about. What fresh ideas are catching the eyes of agents and editors? Then I check out the debut author websites. It’s been fun and enlightening to read each path to publication—because what else do new authors talk about on their websites?

They talk about rejection. They talk about lost contests. They talk about abandoned projects. Then there is a pause. A deep breath. Then I imagine their eyes sparkling while they talk about the book that made it. The call from the agent; the revisions with the editor; the first look at the cover.

The debut author has worked hard, pushed through, and made it to publication. You can’t give up if you want to be published.

There is another song, called One Life To Love by by 33 Miles from the album One Life. It provides the counterbalance to my writing obsession.

Here’s the snippet:

You only get just one time around, you only get one shot at this
One chance to find out the one thing that you don’t wanna miss

And here’s the music video:

One Life to Love

I could apply this one to my writing as well, but instead, because of the other lyrics surrounding it, I think more about my family and it is a reminder not to shut them out.

Living with characters in your mind is a solitary thing. Yes, give writing your all, but not at the expense of the important people in your life. You need them for the dedication page