Dear World

Please Kill Me,

“All rise as the Honorable Writer takes the stand.” Aaaa…aaaaa…. OOOO… Eeee. ( That was supposed to read melodically. Did it? Whatever).

So today the obvious, networking. *Sidenote -for those of you reading, tweeting, posting, and boasting; you probably already get the punchline to this post. However I believe there is no such thing as a bad refresher course so here we go.

As a creative, assuredly you understand the importance of your creation. You’ve cried, bled, and worked tirelessly perfecting your message. Let me be the first to say -Kudos.

So you’ve written it and it’s perfect. You’ve celebrated with your friends, had a few too many, and banged that weird person who opportunistically weaseled their way to your private parts. Hazah! So we’re done here right? Nope. Not even close.

Most writer’s like to give you the montage version of their success story. They almost always end with a variation of “And so I finished and it just took on a life of its own.” (Pardon me while I vomit) *Sarcastic vomit, turns real* “Oops” #bulimia.

The true ending of that story, is that there is none. After your work is finalized, an entirely new and NECESSARY part of your journey begins. You’ve got to tell people about it numb-nuts.

No I’m not talking about your social circle ( that’s a given). Nor do I mean your Facebook, Twitter, or whatever you waste your time with after stroking it. I mean REAL LIVE PEOPLE. *A hush falls over the room.

Now trust me on this one. I know as writers we live a kind of off the grid lifestyle, so social interaction may not be a strong point. For those of you who simply see no use in it; listen up. It’s just as important as completing your project that you break out of your comfort zone, and extend what you’ve made to as many people as you can.

Screw being a “Diamond discovered in the rough” this isn’t a Disney movie, and you damn sure ain’t Aladdin. Perhaps that may have worked 40 years ago, but in this day and age when everyone is trying to be an online sensation, the only way to break ahead of the pack is by actually meeting people face to face and convincing them that what you’ve created is worth a look.

In addition to getting your sweaty ass out of bed, this will provide you with an extreme advantage over your online competition for several reasons including, but not limited to-

1.) Face to face interactions are much harder to ignore, and even more difficult to forget. ( I’m not saying to force yourself onto people). Showing charisma and enthusiasm about your work in person, will register to who’s receiving it. And as long as they are warm blooded, that enthusiasm (for your work) will transfer to them.

2.) Everyone wants to connect. Why do you thing this social media thing has basically become an “American Idol” competition. Don’t be a contestant in your own life. Be a fact. Be a necessity. Be something that transcends the void of an internet click.

3.) You never know who you’re going to meet. The main issue with social interaction is that the field is flooded, with both good and bad material. Anyone that may be looking for a “Diamond in the rough” has damn sure been referred to a consistent and quality creative, BY AN ACTUAL PERSON. You’re not Justin Bieber. Realistically, no one’s going to put their reputation on the line for someone online. Embrace yourself, not your profile page.

4.) You’re REAL. As I’ve alluded to, face to face interactions are imperative for success. It creates a sense of immediacy, importance, and most of all it is the only scenario where people can get a true sense of you, and build a relationship on that. Not on an edited lie. That’s like trusting Skynet.

Now I’m not gonna go on a whole preachy thing, and I was really trying to keep this short, so I’ll wrap it up with this.

Obviously, do all the social media you can to get exposure (I mean look at me, I’m such a glutton for it, I started a fucking blog). But to truly get noticed, progress faster, and more effectively, put down the keyboard and let those boots do some walking. Trust me, you’ll be better for it.

Still dealing with writer’s block, but DAMN IT, I KNOW HOW TO NETWORK!!!

Fuck Cable (#Netflix),

-Antwan Crump.