Writers can learn a lot from George Michael. You probably think you have nothing in common with him but so did I until I watched a Netflix documentary!
Watch the video below to find out how George Michael’s ascension into stardom can teach a lot to us as writers.
Hello my lovely writers.
I’m watching a documentary about the pop band Wham!, who became huge in the 80s. George Michael was a member of that band, along with Andrew Ridgeley.
The Netflix documentary is about how they ascended into stardom. It’s been funny to watch because, when I think about George Michael, I think about this sex symbol, this huge star, this good-looking, successful singer-songwriter/performer who garnered respect all around the world from other singer-songwriters and, of course, his fans.
But he was not always George Michael and, in this documentary, it’s been interesting to watch his ascension from being Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, known as Yog by his friends, to George Michael.
From being a slightly overweight, very shy, very introverted, unconfident teenager, who wasn’t a good-looking boy at all, into the superstar and sex symbol that became George Michael and screamed at by lots of young girls and boys.
The connection between writers and George Michael
You may be wondering where the connection is between George Michael and you as writers?
The connection is the journey it takes.
When you are starting out writing your first book, you are young Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou. You are Yog. That’s who you are at the beginning.
But as you practise, as you write one book, then the next, then the next, perfecting your craft and developing your mindset and strength, it’s exactly what Yog did to become George Michael.
The mental transformation in him as he practised, wrote songs, sang, produced, toured and learnt his craft, was where the transformation came from.
It’s the same for you.
Your transformation is going to come as you do the practice, as you write the books, as you spend time with your characters, as you progress and learn. But you’ve got to do it.
You’ve got to do the writing. It’s all very well to watch videos like this, it’s all very well to read craft books, it’s all very well to listen to podcasts and go to summits and conventions, but you’ve actually got to do the work. That’s where Yog went right.
He was doing the work; he was listening to the albums and the songwriters that influenced him, then he was getting together with Andrew Ridgeley and they practised together. They wrote songs and melodies and produced their own demos on old cassettes.
That’s what you and I do when we’re writing our first drafts. We’re getting stuff down, making it as good as we can in that first draft, but knowing it’s going to go into the production studio and get better, knowing our books are going to go into revision and get better.
Unlock your creative block
Take a leaf from George Michael’s book, be inspired by him, watch the Netflix documentary if you’re interested but it’s all about the practise, it’s all about the doing, it’s all about building your confidence and changing your mindset to believe you are capable of doing the thing you say you want to do.
If you need help with that, Unlock Your Creative Block is my course. It is a programme designed to help you to stop being scared of the page, to stop you watching so many videos, or listening to so many podcasts and reading so many books. It will help you implement what you have already learned and I’ll bet you’ve already learned a lot.
If you know that’s what’s holding you back and you’re scared to actually put the words on the page, sign up to Unlock Your Creative Block today.
Emma xx
Emma Dhesi
Emma Dhesi is an author mindset coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer’s block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.
She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.
Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.
Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!
