Procrastinatin' Rhythm

Procrastination is the arch enemy of every creative, The Darth Vader, Voldemort, Joker and Green Kryptonite, all rolled into one.

When I was a kid and procrastinating on my English essays, my mother used to sing the jaunty George & Ira Gershwin song to me: ‘Fascinating Rhythm’. Except she changed the words to ‘Procrastinatin’ Rhythm.’ Nice one, Mim.

As I cited in the launch post of this very blog, I have a novel stalled half way, a manuscript that sits on my desk – it’s bulk making it that much more intimidating. It’d be so much easier if it was a few half-conceived notes. But there it stands, bulky like the Pentagon, a Buckingham Palace of tangible failure – and the worst thing is, I can’t even take it up where I left off five years ago.

The world of sport has changed. The novel is a sneaker book, set inside the global world of sneakerdom, where the big brands fight like jealous empires to put sneakers on shelves and logos on feet.

The trainer industry is awash with Big Characters, often far more fascinating than even the athletes, and through Nike, Mizuno, Puma, Saucony and now Canterbury, I’ve been lucky enough to meet quite a few of them.

Draft One – if I’m honest – crumbled under the giant weight of its own ambition, and because I centred the action in the U.S., and indeed in Miami – the epicentre of zeitgeist at the time I wrote it – well, I probably should have pushed it to New York agents.

In the event, I was put off far far too easily. My friends and family loved the scenario – which I won’t share with here for fear someone might nick it. But it’s part morality tale, part romance, part social commentary. And a chance for me to immortalise my love of sport.

I sent it to a successful novelist, Boris Starling, a chance acquaintance. (he’s written some corkers including ‘Vodka’, and ‘Messiah’, as seen on TV.) He absolutely loved it – he read it one Easter along with some other manuscripts – and came back full of positivity and encouragement. However his agent (Caradoc King – he handled ‘The Horse Whisperer’ amongst others) didn’t go for it.

To put it mildly I was gutted. I unsuccessfully tried one more agent, and that was it. I was founding Electric, and my other creative love – this very business – took over.

But I still believe, a thousand per cent, in the central premise of the novel – and there are five years’ more experiences and wisdom (hopefully!) to put in it.

I was going start at Christmas, but a wonderful project from one of our key clients took over the holiday season, and January has been busy on all fronts. But now it’s time – the ship of this sneaker book needs to leave port, and this time we need to make land the other side.

London is the new key location, and let's face it we're talking The Capital Of The World and of course soon host to The Olympics.

So here goes. No more procrastinating rhythm. And I will of course keep you posted!

P.S: From my Mizuno campaign of the Nineties, here's the image (athlete Mike Marsh, photographer Mike Powell, Art Direction LP) that I'd love to recreate for the front cover. Except given the plot, the athlete would be a woman.