Hey cHEwY gum gums

I saw La La Land recently and loved it! Apart from the little musical numbers that sneak into your ear, the scene that grabbed me the most was when Mia put on her one woman show. She poured her heart into her labour of creative love for weeks and months. She emailed all of her contacts about the show…and when it came to opening night (spoiler alert), hardly anybody turned up, except for her roommates and a few friends.

That scene struck me because I’ve been down there a few times. When I was in Year 11, I was involved in a production for Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound. On opening night, we only had a front row of teachers attend. The following (and final) show had roughly about thirty people. I had fun rehearsing but it was a downer seeing very little love from the audience.

Of course, people say that when it comes to being creative, it’s the journey, not the destination. I’ve heard people say that when it comes to writing, it doesn’t matter whether you get published or not. Well, maybe, but I’m sure every aspiring writer Dreams about sharing their book with their family and friends. And yet, there is always that fear of failure, of falling flat on your face or embassassing yourself…just like Mia in La La Land, you could overhear some harsh comments…

But hey that’s the risk you’ve got to take. Mia’s play was the kick-start she needed for her career. And if you really believe in your work and nobody likes it well…find someone who does. Surely it will be somebody’s cup of tea.

I’ll never take this cHEwY journey for granted. I know that I’m only as good as my next book. But as long as it’s a book that I’m proud of, I’ll be happy to go on centre stage and get blinded by that spotlight…no matter who is in the audience.

O.W