Walk Unafraid
Twenty-twelve will be a year I won't be able to forget because it's the one where I came out. I didn't lean into a microphone in an airport on a sitcom and tell everyone I was gay like Ellen Degeneres did, but I made myself known. The year started when I joined critique groups, exchanged my writing with others, decided to turn my serialized story, The Ballad of Helene Troy, into a novel, and entered a short story, Italian Radio, in an online contest. After two and a half months of social media hassling everyone I knew and didn't know to vote and promote me and my story, I finished in a tie for fourth out of over three-hundred entries. My writing career was now like Norm and Cliff walking into Cheers. Everyone knew my name.
It's okay if you rolled your eyes at the last sentence. I have a wife and three daughters, including a seventeen-year-old, so eye-rolling is warm and wanted affection to me. I don't consider people on the internet knowing there's a guy named Lance Burson who wrote a story about a mysteriously ill New York Post reporter interviewing and investigating a story similar to the Amanda Knox saga in Italy as being famous. But, I put myself and my stuff out there. You know that stupid mind game people tell you to play before you speak in public where you imagine people in their underwear? Well, I've felt like people have been looking at me in my drawers for the past year and I need to hit the gym harder.
I played sports from toddler age til my early twenties. I participated in leagues where everyone got a trophy, just for trying. I also fought and bled in leagues where second place meant first loser and you got a kick in the gut and trash talked for showing up. Showing people your art is more like being a tackling dummy for an NFL team. You're around. You're on the squad. But no one cares about your injuries or your pride.
Participating in critiques groups and contest are a great test not only for a writer's talent but also a writer's ego. The America's Next Author contest I took part in with Italian Radio was more about organizing social media contacts, being diligent in reminding people to use their mouses for more than porn, and letting your shameless, miniskirted whore walk down the information superhighway, than the judge of skill. I believed in my story, a 1500 culled piece of something that's actually 10,000 words scheduled to be published in February. But I held no delusions that it was worthy of Poe, O Henry, or Hemingway comparisons. Italian Radio was me dipping my toe into the Mariana's Trench of writing notoriety. The water was warm and I made some terrific contacts a few friends.
As I wait for my first novel and short story to be published, I'm grateful to my usually frazzled nerves for putting me out in the woods for the Big Bad Wolf to tell me i sucked, was good, or whatever was typed in between as a response to my pieces. What I did with my writing in 2012 wasn't South Gwinnett Little League tee-ball in 1975 where I got a medallion for keeping my fingers out of my hose and my gloved on the right hand. But it also wasn't University of Alabama club football where I got a separated shoulder, my hand spiked, and a request to not come back for a second season in 1989. It was me coming out and telling people, including other writers that I'm here, I'm not Shakespeare, get used to it.
My entry for Ameriaca's Next Author that finished in fourth place: http://www.ebookmall.com/author/lance-burson
The Ballad Of Helene Troy coming soon from Pound Publishing
Here's some REM:
Comment
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Comment by Lance Burson on January 28, 2013 at 5:48pm -
@alexa i won't random cheerlead you. showing your work to a mass audience is a level of anxiety you can't describe. when, you're ready, I can't wait to read it.
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Comment by Alexa B on January 28, 2013 at 5:08pm -
This is great! I am you about a year ago. Well, with some obvious differences! I am at that point where I have done the writing, and now I need to get it out there. But I am terrified that I am that kid on American Idol that can't sing on key, yet insists to the judges that I am the best singer in the world and they don't know what they are missing! I'd really like to get into some of these writing competitions, because I think I might need to be bruised up a little to help me improve. Good for you and congratulations on your upcoming publication!
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Comment by Joe Scott on January 24, 2013 at 7:58pm -
I don't want to like this, because it scares the hell out of me, but well done, sir!
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Comment by Vicky Willenberg on January 23, 2013 at 4:08pm -
Hmmm... Maybe I've been a mama bear too long but I don't like negative reviews. I know they're good for us and all that character b.s. but it's takes courage to get out there! Who needs help and character, right? ;)
Vicky
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Comment by Lance Burson on January 23, 2013 at 12:07pm
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thank you everyone. It's important that you get feedback from people other than you friends family, and blog followers. The negative reviews, and there were some, were soul crushingly helpful.
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Comment by Vicky Willenberg on January 23, 2013 at 1:07am
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You deserve a slow clap, circa 2000 for your boldness. I'm sure you've heard it all (you've got to try, at least you made the effort, it takes courage to take risks) all the cliches that people toss out to encourage you. But they are cliches for a reason- they ring true and they are often highly comforting. I think it is amazing you took the leap and came out. I think it's easy to write for ourselves or a chosen few. But to love something so much and take the risk to share it with others, especially writing which is a piece of your soul... that's bravery. Well done! Looking forward to a post here when your book is released!
Vicky
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Comment by Kath Galasso on January 22, 2013 at 4:26pm -
It seems a lot of us have been taking the whore walk, at least you weren't wearing heels like the rest of us...or were you? You've done well young Lancelot, but it's never good enough, at least to you. Enjoying the ride with you...keep on rockin'
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Comment by Marie Nicole on January 22, 2013 at 11:01am -
Woot! Woot! I think you're the bomb. I'll be waiting in line to grab a number to join your fan club... You're just an all-round awesome dude.
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Comment by Nancy Davis Kho on January 22, 2013 at 10:42am -
Great post, great song...congrats on jumping into your work, unafraid...
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Comment by Kelly Sajonia on January 22, 2013 at 10:36am -
Great post, Lance! It is inspiring to all of us who are still staying low key with our writing, afraid of taking that big leap.
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