The other day I watched the special features disc from the third of Peter Jackson's Hobbit films.
It included a featurette on the recording of the film's closing song, which was sung by actor and musician Billy Boyd (Pippin from the LOTR trilogy).
As identified in the featurette, Boyd recorded 430 takes of the song.
I repeat: four hundred and thirty takes!
Spend a moment thinking
about the type of dedication that would require...
Do you have 430 takes in you?
More importantly, how many drafts did you do of your last piece of writing?
Was it two?
Maybe three?
I'm hoping it was more than that, but I'm guessing it was probably less.
(And I'm almost positive it wasn't 430 drafts.)
Creating memorable art takes work, dedication, and humility.
Next time you're busy telling yourself that your first draft is absolutely perfect, take a second to think about Billy Boyd singing the same song 430 times in a row.
Because that's the type of dedication and perseverance it takes to create something that will live beyond you and touch people's souls.
430 takes...
Your pal in writing,
Kevin T. Johns, author and writing coach
www.kevintjohns.com