A Place in History

What does it take to become a part of country music history? Normally it takes incredible talent, drive, determination, a dedication to the road, a certain “something” that sets you apart, and the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time.

Then again, sometimes all it takes is a little dumb luck and a quick pen.

For those who know Nashville and country music, all you have to say is Tootsie’s. For the rest of the world, it is known as Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. One-time hangout of every star that had a hand in putting the Grand Old Opry in the center of the country music universe. And while some may call her a fading icon, country music stalwarts and a handful of Nashville’s finest who take time to remember the Opry’s heyday, still stop in for a quick drink and a memory.

Tootsie’s sits right behind the Ryman Auditorium, the mother church of country music. Ninety-four steps from one historic icon to another. It is a must on any country music fan’s itinerary. Shoot, where else can you go and have a local show you the spot where Hank Williams got drunk and passed out while trying to get across the alley to the Ryman to play? Where else can you go out front and see where Willie Nelson got so depressed about his career, he lay down in the street in hopes of getting run over. Ask a local and they might even show you where Roger Miller became a drummer.

As the story goes Faron Young approached a young Roger Miller one night at Tootsie’s and asked, “What’s the matter with you boy?” Roger said he didn’t have a job. Faron Young said, “Are you a drummer?” Roger said he wasn’t, but asked when the country star needed one. “Monday,” was the reply.

“OK,” Roger said, “Monday, I’m a drummer.” He worked as the drummer in Faron Young’s band for a year.

In the early days of country music the stars waiting to take the stage at the Opry would tune up and wait in the famous “back room” while patrons had a drink or two in the main lounge area. Stars like Hank Snow, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Tom T. Hall, Hank Cochran, Mel Tillis, Webb Pierce, Waylon Jennings, Harlan Howard, George Jones, and Patsy Cline were regulars. And it wasn’t unusual for Tootsie herself to slip a $5 or $10 in a singer or songwriter’s pocket when they were down on their luck. But that’s just the beginning of the Nashville landmark’s story.

The building itself has a tale to tell.

The walls, tables, posts, and any other surface within reach are a permanent museum in themselves, because every surface is covered with autographs.

Thousands of autographs: Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, George Jones, Ernest Tubb, Waylon Jennings, Tex Ritter, Minnie Pearl, the list is not endless, but it is extensive enough to cover everything in sight. It is a monument to the bedrock of pure country.

About 25 years ago, I was in Nashville for a conference. The last night I was in town, I met one of the folks who was going to sing at Tootsie’s that night. She was paying her dues. Working hard to make a name for herself. Backup work, session work, demos, showcases, singing in all the clubs, and hoping for the right break. That, and being a waitress.

That night her guitar player (that’s accompanist for you city folks) didn’t show up, so I filled in. Then between her sets I played a few impromptu sets of my own. Although I had been playing nightclubs for a few years, there was a feeling in that room I had never felt before and haven’t felt since. I have played bigger places and played for more people, but I’ve never captured that particular kind of lightning in a bottle since.

And I may never capture it again.

I played licks that night I’d never been able to pull off before, and hit a few notes I wouldn’t even attempt today. But that was then, and this is now (catchy, ain’t it). I’ve been back a few times since that night. Never to play. Just to listen.

And to look for something

It’s right there in a secluded corner, under the corner of a poster, under one of Jerry Reed’s autographs. A less well-known signature. The signature of someone who stumbled into a dream.

A Few Thoughts on Being a Writer

Verily brothers and sisters it is that time of year once again. The time when our thoughts turn to warm weather, the beach (where I’m touching up this missive), and wondering if we’ll fit in last year’s bathing suit.

That, and what ideas to pitch to magazine editors for their early fall issues.

So, with all that in mind, I want to take a look at some of the ideas we’ve talked about over the past few years and add a few new things. Sort of like making soup.

And like good soup, hopefully it will be filling and give you something to fortify you for the days ahead

Or at least unlike bad soup, maybe it won’t give you any sort of gastric distress.

So, that being said, on with the show.

First, Don’t Be “Precious”

I subscribe to a number of writing-related email loops and online groups. And for reasons which will become obvious, I have a separate email address that all of the related communication goes to. The main reason is that I want to keep my business, email loops, and daily “stuff” email separate. I don’t want to have to sort through Praise Team rehearsal email, notes from my family, estimates from the contractor, jokes from my brother-in-law, and “catching up” emails from two particularly good friends when I am looking for a note from my agent or an editor.

The second (and in some ways more pressing) reason is what I call The Precious People. And I don’t mean precious in the sense of, “Oh look at that puppy. Isn’t he precious?” I mean it in the eye rolling, obnoxious relative who came to stay for a week, do we really have to listen to this, don’t make me puke sense.

These are the people addicted to the acronym WIP. That means Work in Progress. These are the people who work “my WIP” into every email, Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/Goodreads post. The ones who will say, “I am currently working on my WIP” at the drop of a hat. These are also the people who get on the email loops and other online venues and ask inane questions (about my WIP) that they could just as easily answer through a quick Google/Ask/Bing search, or by opening a dictionary or Thesaurus.

The problem is, they want us to know they are working on a book. They want to seem like professionals. They want to be accepted by their peers. They want the reader to say, “Wow…he/she is a real writer.”

Now to be fair, we’ve all been there to a certain extent. Every beginning writer has those moments. But it seems to me that in the days before instant communication, we did things differently. In the days before the Internet people looked up answers. They did the real research. And they used the few (or many) writing friends/acquaintances they had for the important questions.

In short, they “grew up” a little faster.

And while we all want to be accepted, shouldn’t we want to be accepted for the right reasons? For our work and our work ethic? For the quality of our writing, and not the fact that we have a WIP?

Remember, editors and agents read these same loops, and we are all making an impression on them. One way or the other.

It’s About the Work

Charlie Grant

That leads me to the next thing. The only way to be published is to do the work. As Kathryn Ptacek (award winning editor/author and all-around nice lady) told me when I first started writing, “A writer writes.” Craig Shaw Gardner (he wrote Batman, Batman Returns, Revenge of the Fluffy Bunnies, and other neat books) gave me some advice that had a familiar ring: “Tom, a writer writes.” And the late Charles L. Grant said something very similar to me on more than one occasion. “Make it quick, I’m on deadline.” (Translation: A writer writes).

Many people talk about writing. Or they talk constantly about their current project. Or the projects they have started.

But a writer writes.

That’s the key to success.

Bad writing can be fixed. And like playing an instrument or a sport, constant practice develops the appropriate muscles for the activity in which you want to excel. Including writing. As we write we develop a feel for the language. We discover an innate sense for how the words should fit together. We learn to listen for the internal cadence of a sentence.

In short, practice makes us better.

And through writing we develop the habits that will make us successful.

Good Habits are Not an Option

Should you write every day? I think so. Even if it is only fifteen minutes a day. There are some successful writers who agree with me and some who disagree. Some only write when they have a project. Some write before, during, and after projects.

But even those who take time off between projects or only write when they have a contract in hand still have good writing habits, and the discipline to sit down and do the work. When they are supposed to be writing, they write. They have put in the hours of writing time that have helped them develop into the writers they are.

So, even if you don’t write every day, write on a specific schedule. If you can only write from 3:00 p.m. – 3:18 p.m. every third Thursday of the month, then every third Thursday at promptly 3:00 p.m., you need to be about the business of writing. And yes, the example is a bit extreme, but it is nonetheless valid. Write every day. Write every other day. Write one day a week. That’s up to you. But whatever schedule works for you, find it and stick to it. Write in a coffee shop, the basement, under a tree, in Elvis’ private bathroom at Graceland. The where isn’t as important as the actual doing.

And read. Read a lot. As Stephen King says, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

The Final Word

At first glance, there are a lot of words but only a few ideas here. But the few ideas are important. If you want to be a writer, write. Ultimately it is all about doing the work. It’s about sitting down at the keyboard with a plan, with the desire to write, and with no illusions about what it takes to be a writer. Because writing is not about waiting for some flash of insight or waiting to hear the whisper of your muse. That’s reserved for amateurs, hobbyists, and folks who write literary fiction.

Writing, if you want to be a professional writer, is about doing the work in  a professional manner. Doing the market research, the marketing, and the work. It’s ultimately not about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or any other social media outlet. It’s not about chat rooms, blogs, and impressing online communities. Those are only a part of the equation (when utilized properly).

No, writing is about writing. Period.

Let’s say that together class: Writing is about writing. Period.

So, don’t talk about doing it. Just do it. On a regular basis. Keep at it until you are successful.

Rinse.

Read.

Repeat.