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Whatever your passion is in life, focus on being the best you can at whatever that passion is. Put in the work. Do it because you love it. If you get recognized for it, that will be the extra.
“I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.” Denzel Washington
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Seneca
Book marketing, or self-promoting my own book. I give myself a D- grade for that chore. For the past two years I have focused on life issues. Family issues…who needs what and how can I help you? Than we moved from one town where I lived my whole life (60+ years) to another, about 30 minutes away. Now that we are settled in the new house, I started thinking about the book that took me five years to write. I brought the book up on Amazon and reread the reviews: I think I have a good story here, I thought to myself. So this Fall I signed up for 4 Book Fairs in the county I live in - 2 down, 2 to go. What do I think of Book Fairs so far? You have to do them to gain the experience of meeting potential readers (maybe they didn’t buy that day, but give them a flyer with a QR Code to go right to your sale site. I also met the news editor for our local newspaper and he put his reporter in contact with me for an interview about my book. So, you just have to get out there, network, meet-and-greet and see where it leads you. More on my marketing efforts to come.
What is your first thought when you get that notice in the mail? How can I get out of this? Maybe I won’t get picked? In any event, you most likely will have to report to the court at least one day to go through the selection procedure. Now, the purpose of this blog is to not debate what is our civic duty. No, I am thinking of this from a writer’s point of view.
As a writer you should be thinking…there is a story here, somewhere in this experience.
When I arrived in the jury assembly room on a recent summons, I made it a point to look around the room and observe the people gathering to answer their “civic” duty. Most, that is to say, almost all of them were staring at their phones. What was their life stories, I thought.
Upstairs in the courtroom I watched each person as they were called up to the judges’ bench to be interviewed by her as to their ability to render an unbiased verdict based on the facts of the case. I studied the hand gestures and facial expressions of each person, including the judge, and wondered what their story was. As each person turned from the bench they either walked to the jury box, or the coveted freedom walk back to the assembly room. I wondered why one was chosen, but not the other.
There were probably the makings of a thousand stories to be written from that experience. As a writer, always be looking for a tale to tell.
In 2022 the world population was estimated to be 8 billion people. As a writer you should consider each person in the world to be your teacher. If you observe their actions and behaviors, you will learn human nature. It’s a great study in human character, and the character of humans.
If you are writing fiction, know your characters intimately. What is their human nature? How will they respond to the different situations that you place them in?
Know too, that you are a teacher in this world. A member of the faculty of 8 billion. Tell your story. Write your story.
Have you given that much thought? I didn’t, until later in life. Once you figure out who you are, you will feel more confident and content with your actions and your decisions, assuming of course you are seeking a life of virtue. Strive to be the calm, wise person in the room. Being a student of: philosophy, human behavior, religion, and history will certainly help you to cope with the ups and downs of daily life, and it will also help you in your writing. Know human nature, but more importantly, know who you are and what you believe in. If you’re supposed to be a reader, read. If you are supposed to be a writer, write.
Seek discomfort. The modern world is working to degrade our ability to endure even the slightest difficulty. Keep in mind that there are groups and individuals out there who look to gain from your dependency. As a young boy I grew up without air conditioning. Not in the apartment and not in our family car. I played hard outside with the neighborhood kids. We had simple mechanical toys. I went camping in all types of conditions. I learned from my father how to light a campfire, and we ate beef stew from a can. Later in my adult life I certainly enjoy the modern conveniences, however, I still like to seek discomfort on occasion. I’ll attend a football game and sit in the pouring rain. I chose the coldest day of the winter and take a walk on the boardwalk. After retiring from the fire department, I ran a full marathon, 26.2 miles. So, what did I gain from all of that? Some resiliency, I hope. Some courage to face and overcome the difficulties that I have faced and will face in my life. Enjoy our modern comforts, but from time to time, seek discomfort. Keep writing.