Books by Eric Douglas

Thriller fiction | Non-fiction: Adventure with a Purpose

  • Home
  • Mike Scott Thrillers
    • Held Hostage: Search for the Juncal
    • Water Crisis: Day Zero
    • Turks and Chaos: Hostile Waters
    • The 3rd Key: Sharks in the Water
    • Oil and Water: Crash in Curacao
    • Return to Cayman: Paradise Held Hostage
    • Heart of the Maya: Murder for the Gods
    • Wreck of the Huron: Cuban Secrets
    • Guardians’ Keep: Mystery below the Adriatic
    • Flooding Hollywood: Fanatics at the Dam
    • Cayman Cowboys: Reefs Under Pressure
  • Withrow Key
    • Lyin’ Fish
    • Tales from Withrow Key
  • Thriller Audiobooks
    • Cayman Cowboys: Reefs Under Pressure
    • Oil and Water: Crash in Curacao
    • Return to Cayman: Paradise Held Hostage
    • Turks and Chaos: Hostile Waters
    • Lyin’ Fish
  • Agent AJ West
  • About the Author
    • Scuba diving thrillers!
    • Six Questions with Eric Douglas
    • Publicity and Interviews
  • Nonfiction
    • For Cheap Lobster
    • Heart Survivor: Recovery After Heart Surgery
    • Oral History
      • Batter Up!
      • Memories of the Valley
      • WV Voices of War / Common Valor
      • Capturing Memories: How to Record Oral Histories
    • Dive-abled: The Leo Morales Story
    • Keep on, Keepin’ On: A Breast Cancer Story
    • WV Voices of War / Common Valor
    • Russia: The New Age
    • Scuba Diving Safety
  • Free Short Fiction
  • Collections
    • Mike Scott Box Set 3 (Books 7-10)
    • Mike Scott Box-Set 4-6
    • Mike Scott Box-Set 1-3
    • Tales from Withrow Key
    • Sea Turtle Rescue and Other Stories
    • River Town
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Books / Creative types have to stick together

Creative types have to stick together

August 20, 2014 By Eric Douglas

Douglas will be signing books tonight at Taylor Books

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00067]Part of the creative process is paying your dues. That’s why I’ve never liked these television shows that promise to discover the next great singer/voice/juggler or whatever. These wide-eyed kids may have the raw talent to become the next star, but if you listen to the radio, it’s rarely the person with the most amazing voice that gets the recording contract. And the only ones that stay around for more than a year or two before they get chewed up and spit out by fame are the ones with character and who are true to themselves.

I’ve always loved to listen to live music, and I’ve seen some great concerts. But I’m just as happy going to some small venue where a band is still working out the kinks. Sometimes it is terrible and sometimes it is magic. Most of them have dreams of getting discovered but they also understand that they need to perfect their craft before they can even have a shot at filling an arena. There are others who play simply for the love of the music. I know a few musicians who have had a taste of fame and turned their back on it; but they still love to play.

Musicians aren’t the only ones who have to pay their dues; it’s everyone who wants to create or entertain–painters, photographers, writers and poets. Every creative person dreams of a coffee table book of their photographs or a solo exhibit at an art gallery. There is a fine line between making your art commercial and staying true to your own vision. We all struggle to find it.

A couple weeks ago, I took my daughter to her pediatrician and as we checked in, a nurse stopped me to tell me that she loved my stories in the paper. It was nice and I really appreciated her taking the time to tell me so.

As a writer, I’ve often likened myself to a struggling musician selling CDs out of the trunk of my car. And every day I get up and work on it some more, hoping more people will notice and appreciate what I’ve done—just like a guitar player on stage. That’ s one reason when the folks at Taylor Books in Charleston asked me if I wanted to do a book signing during one of their open mic nights, I jumped at the chance.

Tonight, I’ll be signing copies of a couple of my books at Taylor Books on Capitol Street tonight from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, and I might even read a short passage from one of my books on the stage. I’m also looking forward to hearing some local talent come out to play. Or recite poetry. Or tell a few jokes.

We creative types have to stick together..

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Related

Filed Under: Books

Get a free, exclusive short story!

When you sign up, you can download a free Mike Scott short story collection. Theses three stories are only available to members of the mailing list. Don’t worry, we won’t spam you or sell your email address. We hate that, too.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

How I got into diving!

https://youtu.be/gKhw-4tORAM

Real Thugs: A Cult of Murder — Small groups of travelers have disappeared all over the mid-Atlantic without a trace. When bodies turn up with what appear to be ritual markings, FBI Agent AJ West is on the hunt for what might be a serial killer. Or something even more sinister. It’s a race against […]

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

View Book

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Going to the circus! February 20, 2023
  • Cayman Cowboys is now an Audiobook! November 24, 2020
  • Halloween 2020 – as if reality wasn’t scary enough October 30, 2020
  • Real Trick and What Noise? October 30, 2020
  • Local Diving — Summersville Lake September 21, 2020

Blog posts, by category

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 ·

 

Loading Comments...