There are not many guarantees in life, but I'm willing to make this guarantee.
The day you don't write is a day you WILL NOT write a hit.
There have been countless days when I didn't feel like writing. I had too much going on, I was distracted, worried about the kids, going through a divorce, not feeling well, you get the idea.
On most of those days, I got up and wrote anyway. On at least two occasions, I wrote #1 songs on days when I really didn't want to or feel like writing. Am I glad I did it anyway? You bet!
Not showing up on those days could have cost me a lot of money, and, potentially even a career.
A friend (who never did get a major cut) told me one day that she had been supposed to write with a big writer several years prior. On the day they were supposed to write, she had so much going on that she called to cancel.
He said, "I've got something really cool halfway done - can't you come for several hours and help me finish it?" She told him she just had too much going on. Her car tags were expired, a million errands to run, etc.
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He would up finishing the song by himself and had a HUGE #1 hit. Her not showing up DOUBLED his income, set his career off like a rocket and virtually doomed hers. If she had been a part of that hit, she would likely still be writing and she would have made a lot of money.
In this business, you have to be present to win. You never know when TODAY will be the day that changes everything. But you can bank on it - not writing today guarantees that you will NOT write your big breakthrough song today.
Take advantage of every opportunity. Don't let your writing depend on "feeling" like it. Put in the work. Keep resisting the reasons not to write. Today could be the day.
Here's the video for "Fire It Up." It was written on a day that I had lots of reasons to cancel!
Write on!
Marty Dodson
Marty Dodson is a songwriter, corporate trainer and entrepreneur. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and The Plain White T’s. He once bumped Psy out of the #1 spot on the K-Pop charts but that’s another story for another day. Marty plays Taylor and Batson guitars. Follow him here: www.facebook.com/songtownusa, at www.facebook.com/martydodsonsongwriter and at Twitter @SongTownUSA or visit martydodson.com
