Hi friends. Today’s post is quick and off the cuff. I have family visiting from out of the country, and I’m still in the final throws of publishing my latest short novel, Baseball on the Bayou: The Colton Lacombe Story (available now on Amazon), so this entry will have to suffice.
Jason
I don’t worry about my legacy. At least not as an author. As a father? Sure. As a friend . . . perhaps. But as a writer? Hell no!
The world is already over-saturated with new literature . . . new “content”, in the modern parlance. Our attention spans are shrinking while the volume of shiny new media grows. So there’s no point in worrying about making a dent in the universe, literary or otherwise.
Once I took legacy and its kissing cousin–reputation–off the table, I found myself feeling a lot more free. These days I write what I want to write, say what I want to say, and think whatever the fuck I want. The only rule is: get better.
If I’ve learned anything at all about achievement and personal growth, it’s the simple observation that you can’t sit still. If you want to be a great or even good writer, you have to have the gumption to complete stories and put them out in the world. Somehow, producing and then sheltering them on your hard drive isn’t enough. You have to put it out there (and risk the hits to your reputation, ego, and your legacy).
Write the stories. Publish. Repeat. That’s my method for the duration. There are now three books to my name. I haven’t written a truly great one yet, but the pursuit of greatness is in there, and every time I hit “publish” on a book, I climb another rung on the never ending ladder of progress.
Whatever it is you aspire to do: complete the project, put it out into the world, and bury your head in the next effort. It’s the only way. We don’t wait for greatness . . . we pursue it.
Happy Day After Easter-Y’all.
Jason
New Bayou Books 