(Taking a break from the radio)
While it will be a major blow to the literary world, I have put my autobiographical memoir “Raised on the Radio” on indefinite hiatus. 80,188 words have been written and edited several times, yet I’m still not “feeling it.” There is a mood or tone in the book that doesn’t accurately reflect the experiences I had in the radio business. Something is missing and I don’t want to issue a piece of work I don’t believe in.
So rather than self-publish something I’m 100% behind, it’s better just to shelve the damn book until I figure out what’s needed to complete it to my satisfaction. Looking back, I spent too much time focusing on the ins and outs of what happens AFTER the book is completed. That’s like trying to serve a cake while it’s still baking. One of my worst personal habits is getting my head way over my skis and then crashing hard. This certainly happened with penning “Raised on the Radio.”
To be honest, I have no idea when my radio memoir will see the light of day. You can’t force something like this and expect it to come out properly. Putting it in a musical perspective, in the late 70’s the Eagles were pressured by their record label to get a follow-up to their massive selling “Hotel California” album in stores ASAP. They struggled and fought and eventually succumbed to their record company’s wishes but the result was a lesser effort with “The Long Run” album. It was O.K. but certainly not one of their best records.
(Forcing a rush job left this album as just “O.K..”)
Then again, Guns N Roses took over 10 years to finish the “Chinese Democracy” album and that was a mediocre record at best.
My favorite quote on creative efforts comes from the late Eagle Glenn Frey who said, “Perfection is not an accident.” With any book I write I want it to be perfect in my eyes and this one isn’t there. Still, I’m not mad or bummed out about the status of “Raised on the Radio.” There are great stories to be read in there but to make the book right in my eyes, it needs more of something. Until that ‘something’ is found, walking away from it at this time is what’s best.
Meanwhile, I still enjoy writing blogs and mini-essays and will use mickkahler.com to do just that. I’ve got a couple of things to post up shortly and more sets of writings will soon follow. So for now the radio’s writing is over, but other words on other subjects will be turned up full blast!
(I’ll still be writing on this blog, but the book is on hiatus)