The Big Picture: Writing Outside My Generation
My middle daughter, who by 24 owned her own company supplying clubs with dancers (not strippers), told me one day to go to Craigslist ® for writing jobs. She had seen eight sub-headings under the heading of "gigs, " and one of them was "writing."
In mid-March, I put in my own listing for writing services on Craigslist and went to "gigs" to see what writing jobs I could find there. Most of the offers for "work" were either vague, short-term, or woefully technical. Except one. It was for what I thought was a new magazine called No Cover Magazine, a music and action sports lifestyle publication. All I saw was that I got tickets to attend concerts and sporting events and then was to write a 500-word review or something (it was vague about what I would be writing). Well I can write a 500-word anything during the course of eating a bowl of McConnell's Chocolate Almond ice cream. But it only paid $5-10 an article. That was an insult. But I sucked it in and looked at the bigger picture. There wasn't one. It was just this tiny little picture: me, sitting with a bunch of loud, stoned 20-somethings or younger listening to too-loud music, void of melody, with lyrics built around one-syllable words.
So I applied.
I really thought they wouldn't care to take a 58-year-old private eye/theatrical director/writer/grandpa who really dreams of being a professional golfer and listens primarily to classical and classic rock. I don't think they really cared about those things. I guess they just need writers.
I was notified that I was accepted into their throng of "staff writers." Mind you, I'm one of the most skeptical guys you'd ever meet. I live by the rule that if it's too easy it's not real. In the editor's e-mail, I was given a long list of bands from which to choose my top three. I was to give the editor the names of my top three bands from the list so that I could write about them. His e-mail said he'd get back to me with the concert information and, in the meantime, if I wasn't familiar with the bands, I should do my research. I found out this magazine is legitimate and has been a viable publication since 1997.
So I spent three hours finding the Web site or other music sites where I could learn more about the band and, more importantly, listen to their music. And I was pleasantly surprised that out of the twelve bands, I liked eight of them. In fact, I had a hard time picking my top three. But I did. Here's what their Web site says about why the magazine started in 1997:
"We focus on new and upcoming bands and athletes. It all started from an idea discussed over lunch in February 1997 with some friends at Chicago Pizza in West Los Angeles. By April of the same year we had a plan and layout of our 1st issue but no cover and no name for our publication. Our mission was to provide a lifestyle resource to cover the Los Angeles music, pop culture and club scene. Plus highlighting and give recognition to unsigned bands of all genres since all other publications at the time turned away unsigned music artists and only covered artists signed to major labels."
My younger brother started the band The Never Never and my older daughter is a member of the band as well, so this excited me. I've come to appreciate the challenges new bands (like new writers) have to meet to have a real break-through, and part of that process is getting their name out there. I liked the idea and suddenly writing for this magazine had a different purpose for me. I'm going to accept the little picture and let the big picture fall from the sky.
I have this idea that I'm not really the kind of writer this magazine is looking for, but I know I'm the kind of writer they need. So I'll write . . .undercover for No Cover. Hopefully, they won't look at my Facebook page and see who I really am.
After listening to hours of some of the most inventive and talented new bands, knowing that most of my generation wouldn't bother, I wondered if I wasn't being a fool. But isn't that what the Big Picture is? Self-realization? How can I find out all that I am as a writer if I think I'm just the man I see in the mirror each morning.
Here I come, kiddies!
Posted by Tom Eubanks at 4/29/2011 7:31 PM 
Categories: Finally, Touchy Business, On Writing
Tags: Essay Getting Personal Out of the Shoot Writers Who Write
Categories: Finally, Touchy Business, On Writing
Tags: Essay Getting Personal Out of the Shoot Writers Who Write
This should be fun. You're the perfect guy for this.
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We shall see!
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