Writing Lessons From The Clash
I’ve just finished up listening to “Stay Free: the Story of the Clash,” the 8-episode podcast narrated by Chuck D, and besides totally fangirling out over a band I really loved, I started thinking a lot about exactly what made the Clash so great — and discovered that those same qualities could apply to my writing. Here’s what I took away from this podcast:
Do the work
OK, this one is a gimme. But it really struck me how, even at the height of the punk era, when a lot of groups were proud of how little they knew about what they were doing, the Clash almost immediately distinguished themselves by working really, really hard to do the thing they wanted to do — become an amazing band. They still had fun and cut loose and goofed around — including playing pickup footie games with record company execs! — but from very early on, they dedicated themselves almost completely to their craft.
Doing something a lot is what helps you get better.
Now, I’m not planning to lock myself in a bare-bones building and spend 20 hours a day writing. But it is worth reminding myself the same thing I often tell my young daughter: namely, that doing something a lot is what helps you get better.
