Having something to say



The other night I was flipping from one television channel to another when I stopped on BET. The awards show was on and they were in the middle of honoring Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. I had to stop because the sound of their music always brings back fond memories of summers with my father.

As I got into the tribute, which included a little humming, singing, and even at one point dancing, the music stopped and members of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly began to give speeches.  At the end of Frankie Beverly’s, he urged musicians to do the music they want to do. Ignore the flavor of the month, and do the music you are good at and you enjoy-- is the gist of what he said.

This morning I thought about what Beverly said. It’s the same thing with my writing. It’s a creative tension I experience daily, really. There is the writing I think I should be doing and the writing I really enjoy and could be decent at if I could focus on it.

The statement also reminded me of how certain books like Twilight or Diary of a Wimpy Kid became successful and sparked hundreds of readalikes.

Writing is about having something to say, right? The only way I can hold true to that is to follow Beverly’s advice and do the writing that I really want to do.

I'm so sick of talking. I need to act.