A behind-the-scenes look at this crazy journey as I write my first book
For those of you who've known me since the late 80s/early 90s, the fact that I'm writing a book about 90s music and culture should come as no surprise. Hell, I've essentially talked about this material with you ad nauseum over the years. Even if you met me last week, I can guarantee 90s music has already come up in conversation.
It's who I am!
Looking back on my late high school years and the start of college, I can vividly remember the shows, discussions with friends, and the time spent listening to hours of music together. Something happened to me during those times. Now, 30-plus years on, I can honestly say that I'm as interested and fascinated by that music and those days as I ever was.
Writing a book is incredibly difficult. The research, analysis, over-analysis, writing, and re-writing...what exactly did I get myself into? I must be crazy!
Here's the thing, I can be crazy and still realize this book has to happen all at the same time. I was watching a video about the early 90s Seattle scene on Rick Beato's YouTube channel the other day and he said something that I inherently knew but was still important for me to hear from someone like him.
If you don't know Rick, he's a musician, producer, composer, and audio engineer with one of the most popular music YouTube channels out there. With over 3 million subscribers and decades of industry experience, Rick has his finger on the pulse of music, especially the music I'm writing about in Slacker.
Anyway, during the video, he mentioned that there are not many books out there about 90s music and the cultural aspect that went along with it. I agree with that statement wholeheartedly and it just reaffirms that my book needs to be written.
I know how to write but I don't know how to write a book. Admitting that is easy, I've never written one before so how could I know what it entails?
Do you know who knows though? The folks at Inspired by You Books, that's who. Jenn Tuma-Young and her team have been there and done that.
Jenn is a published author with HarperCollins and has seen the good and bad within the publishing industry. Her knowledge and experience have led her to the creation of Inspired by You Books, an imprint of her company, Inspired Girl Enterprises.
Working with Jenn (who has been featured on The Rachel Ray Show, The 700 Club, The List, Daily Buzz, WPIX 11, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, and others) and Inspired by You Books gives me the tools I need to write the best book I possibly can write, and that's just what we're doing.
Writing Slacker: 1991, Teen Spirit Angst, and the Generation It Created is a dream of mine. Some of you would say I've been writing it for three decades and ya know what, you wouldn't be wrong.
I cannot express how much it means to me that so many people have been following my music and writing endeavors, watching my videos, engaging in conversation, and offering kind words of encouragement all along the way. It's never, ever lost on me. I aim to provide the best content I can, show you what this insane journey is really like, and ultimately write a book we can all enjoy and be proud of!
The easiest way to stay connected to this project (and future books...you didn't think I was stopping at one, did you?) is to follow all of my social media accounts and to subscribe to Generation Riff here so you'll always know what's going on.