I watched this really neat clip of Jon Mayer improvising a song during an interview a couple days ago. It shows Jon basically riffing and making up lyrics on the spot which “requires a stupid bravery all the time.” He essentially creates a song out of nowhere by letting go of fear and bypassing too much thinking. He just lets it come out. Pretty cool stuff. You should check it out.
I’ve been trying to write a book for some time now. I’ve had a few attempts that I couldn’t quite finish. Maybe I’ll come back to them some day. But I’ve been waiting for a good idea for a new story to come to me. And I had one today randomly while I was in the shower. And I’ve been thinking about it since. But as Jon says “you can sit here all day and go ok maybe that’s something but if you don’t go … you’re wasting time.”
And I haven’t gone. I haven’t been brave. I’ve done nothing but think. When what I really need to do is pick up the pen and riff. Write whatever comes into my head and let it take me somewhere.
I used to play guitar and write songs like this when I was in college. I know that process well. Some of the best songs spring out of nowhere by just going in the moment. Not by thinking and waiting and trying it make something perfect before it even comes out. If we let ourselves we will naturally filter all the good stuff out.
This is what I need to do with writing a book. Be stupidly brave and just go.
