What's lovely is that I don't have to panic. Usually, on the verge of a No 1 record - which is what I think this is going to be - I'd have been a basket-case. I'd have been under sedation. But I'm 57. I've been there before. I'm really happy with my life: this is all a bonus anyway. You have to admire the Madonnas and the Eltons, who keep managing to make themselves popular, although I personally wouldn't want to go on a TV show with Eminem, or write a sex book, and I mean that in the nicest way. People like me and Cliff are patient and wait for the opportunities. I'm like a painter, who tries to amass a large amount of material, so when the retrospective is held, there's a lot of work there to be judged. Meanwhile, I enjoy a sort of freedom inside fame. I don't get spotted.
Leo Sayer, talking to Oliver Burkeman in The Guardian 8/2/06
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1704762,00.html .
This really cheered me up ~ I am inexplicably warmed to see Leo Sayer making a comeback. Not just because he's an all-singing, all-dancing, fun-sized pop minstrel, but because he has such a positive attitude, even after all those years without a great deal of commercial success. "I'm like a painter, who tries to amass a large amount of material, so when the retrospective is held, there's a lot of work there to be judged": he's playing the long game, focussing on the work and not the fame. That's one of the reasons I enjoyed reading this so much today ~ a reminder to me to focus on amassing a substantial body of quality work, rather than chasing that elusive publishing deal or competition win. Truth will out, and in the end work worthy of reconition will be recognised. And so says Leo. All together now:"You've got a cute way of talking..."
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Got some feedback on a piece I submitted to Jacqui Bennett Writers Bureau (http://www.jbwb.co.uk/ ~ recommended), and although I didn't make into the competition "mentionables" the critique I requested made interesting reading. I feel the ned to request critiques of this type as I am far too chicken to present my stuff to someone face to face (and far far too terrified to take the resultant criticism with a non-wobbling lip). It's a story I've been hawking around for a while (mainly because it's one of the few complete pieces I have!), and I have taken the comments on board, rewritten and tweaked where necessary and resubmitted it to a further competition. After that it will be time to put the old war-horse out to grass once and for all, but the lessons I am learning from the feedback is definately helping me to tone and tighten the unslightly bulges and flab.
On the plus side I was told that "Your story is written in a way that quickly draws the reader in to become involved [...]. That is important, for character-identification is such an important ingredient." However, "I did find [...] that several aspects are over-described and would benefit from some pruning." Me! Over-wordy! Fie on you!
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