Misfits!

by Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor

In every aspect of our society there are misfits, those that just don’t fit the mold. We have seen this is in sports, arts, music and writing. 

In sports we saw this in the 1968 Olympics with a competitor in the high jump named Dick Fosbury.  Fosbury chose not to use the three common styles of high jump and came up with what was called the Fosbury Flop. Dick Fosbury flopped right into the record books with a Gold Medal.

In the art world we have Vincent Van Gogh. We look back at what we now recognize as a great artist and yet at his death at age 37, his accomplishments were known only to a small group and appreciated by even fewer. Many of his 2100 works are now priceless.

 

Music has many examples. The most famous was the little studio in Memphis called Sun Studios, owned by Sam Phillips. Sam created a studio where those who were unacceptable elsewhere were welcomed. Sam was recording at the time what was known as “race” music. In 1951 Sam recorded a Clarksville MS group called the Delta Cats with a piano player named Ike Turner. The song recorded was “Rocket 88” which is considered the granddaddy of rock n’ roll.

This led to a migration of many misfits from across the region. Musicians who didn’t fit the mold of southern blues, gospel, or country found their way to Memphis to record where they were accepted. Artists like Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Sam Phillips’ self-proclaimed greatest discovery Chester Arthur Burnett better known as Howlin’ Wolf, all came to follow their dream. 

And now we come to writing. Maybe you have yet to find your fit in the literary world. Maybe you have been told that your work does not fit the category or the category the agent or publisher represent. Maybe you have been told you don’t fit the mold. If so look at you potential. The misfits mentioned above went on to become very successful in their field. They kept on until they found the right fit. You must continue on until you find your right fit.

  

If you have an example of a writer that was a misfit and found their fit let me know. I would love to share their success with others. I am looking forward to hearing from you and I hope to hear that misfit that overcame was you.         

     

Lost as Last Year's Easter Egg?

by Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor

While enjoying the Easter festivities with our family and watching the kids hunt for Easter Eggs, I was reminded of the expression, “as lost as last year’s Easter egg”. I have heard this for most of my life. Its uses refer to a person actually lost or being frustrated and not knowing what to do next. We all have been there with last year’s Easter egg at one time or another. When we are what do we need to do?

If you find you are lost or frustrated with where you are in your writing that may not be a bad thing. It could be a wake-up call. Tiger Woods said, “I think that’s a good thing you get frustrated. Because obviously you have expectations of what you can do, what you can accomplish. And I think that’s good.” As Tiger said you may be there due to your clear vision of where you want to go, want to be or what you want to accomplish and find yourself coming up short. Recognizing your position is important to your work. You recognize you aren’t there yet and need more because you expect more and know you can accomplish more.

Once you find yourself there take time to evaluate what it is that is missing. What is bringing your frustration?  Pick it apart and in detail write it down and begin working on the concerns. Many times I have found what I thought was the source of frustration was not the problem at all. The problem was something else altogether. Once the problem is identified we can address it and move forward.

Just as Easter comes regularly and eggs are lost, we must remember that our frustration will come regularly as well. We will again find ourselves lost or frustrated and again will need to search for the source of this frustration. Remember the process and take the time to identify, address and move forward. Use your frustration as a measuring tool for your accomplishments. If they come up short of your expectations you will know it and will have work to do. My hope is you find all your eggs.