In his bestselling book The Creative Act, music producer, Rick Rubin, says that the only person who needs to like what you’re making is you. I had a bit of trouble with that statement, until I understood exactly why he said it.
Rick Rubin doesn’t play any instruments. He doesn’t sing or rap. He’s not a musical engineer who controls the levels when an artist is recording. Rick Rubin has become one of the most celebrated and accomplished producers in history because of one thing: his taste.
That’s it. He sits in rooms with different musicians, creates a positive environment, and tells them if he thinks what they produce sounds good. If it doesn’t, he makes suggestions on how it can sound better. It’s all about what he likes. This is how he has built his career.
As an ambitious author, you can see how this puts me at a bit of an impasse. I want to touch the world with my words, with all of my stories. I want millions of readers to get lost in my novels. How do I accomplish that writing for myself?
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