What we can learn from Freddie Mercury, Madonna and Jerry Seinfeld about writing well

How to write well? Let us learn from the stars.

Now I am not referring to "stars" who are famous for being famous or famous for being controversial - sans talent.

I am referring to those stars who have talent (mediocre or excellent), who developed their talent and did not stop honing their craft.

All the legitimate stars we know now (by legitimate I mean their career spans more than a decade)  had to work at becoming one.

None of them started out immediately as a star.

They had to earn it. 

Let's look at three of them. I chose them not just because they're my favorites but because I researched enough of their evolution to know how much they changed for the better - talent-wise - compared to how they started.

Freddie Mercury

Believe it or not, Freddie Mercury used to sound like a sheep according to Queen's drummer Roger Taylor.

Listen to him perform the song Rain when he was a singer for the band Ibex (during his pre-Queen days)

and compare that recording to his vocal performance during his later years in the below clip.

Now his voice didnt just change overnight. Freddie Mercury didnt just become the lead singer of Queen. He was a lead singer of the band Ibex first, and then met fellow band members Brian, Roger  John in college second, and then later on --- well, the rest was history and it involved lots of practice, singing, performing, touring.

We can compare Freddie Mercury with Madonna. Though Freddie Mercury could flinch on his grave and his fans could throw tomatoes at me when they read this, please note I am referring to - not just their penchant for dramatic attention-calling stage performances - but the evolution of their voices.

Please know that I know the difference of their voices - Freddie's is amazingly operatic and powerful!!!

and Madonna's voice is nothing compared to Freddie's. But understand that I am referring mostly to their energy and how they give their all for the craft.

Madonna

Madonna's voice during her early years was touted to be akin to Minnie Mouse on helium but Madonna was unperturbed. Instead, she used other people's criticisms to better herself.

Madonna:  "The ones that said I was talentless, that I was chubby, that I couldn't sing, that I was a one-hit wonder. They pushed me to be better, and I am grateful for their resistance." 

Listen to the evolution of her voice below.

Both were driven. Both wanted to sing. And they did. 

They practiced a lot. They performed a lot. They sang a lot.

They didn't let anyone's opinion affect their performance unless it would be for their betterment. They took those which would help them be better and they chucked out the bad.

Jerry Seinfeld

Seinfeld admits he was neither the funniest in his high school nor when he was growing up (he says he's father is the funniest). 

From this self-knowledge and from his awareness of his own limitations, Jerry Seinfeld taught himself comedy by watching shows each and every day - until night - until he developed his unique observational style of comedy.

Still, this did not guarantee him instant success.

Seinfeld was fired at his first sitcom job (and no one told him he was fired, he only realized he was when no one gave him a script to read).

He had to hone his skills for more than 10 years in comedy clubs.

His first attempt at stand-up did not do well as all he could do was "blurt out his list of joke topics: the beach....driving.....your parents."

Seinfeld's joke about husbands could also be used to refer to online writing:

"Being a good husband is like being a good stand-up comic - you need ten years before you can even call yourself a beginner." 

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jerry_seinfeld.html#rDPy4KG3SRwZK1xH.99 

Here is Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up comedy bit during the early 80's.

And here he was in his show Seinfeld. See how more confident he is below - highly likely matured by time and constant practice. 

Their evolution could help us learn that good work, quality work requires just that -  WORK! 

We need to spend time and energy bettering ourselves.

It's not enough we have talent, we must constantly develop it.

It doesn't matter if we have mediocre talent, we can nurture our desire; our potential and eventually excel.

Some have the talent for singing but not the patience to tour or go hungry once in a while.

Some have little singing talent but have the drive to tour, go hungry or do anything for the craft.

It's not enough that you think you're funny. If you want to make people laugh, these people must also think you're funny. To be able to be funny, you need to be aware of slight nuances in tone, language and words. These could only be possible if you have practiced long enough, and made enough mistakes to make you definitively say you now know better.

Similarly, it is not enough that we can write. We also have to be willing to spend countless hours honing our skill; and doing actual writing. We must also be prepared to face a lot of alone time and a few penniless days.

But that doesnt mean we cant have fun.

Work is great only if we can stand back from it and see how much we have changed - or not and then do the appropriate to always evolve ourselves.

In the long run, everything will turn out fine. We get what we think we deserve so it is best that we think positively about ourselves and then match our positivity with action.

Afterall, we too are stars in our own right.