Last night, unwinding from a busy week, I saw the Tom Hanks directed movie “That Thing You Do”. It is a story about a group of guys from a small north-eastern town who get discovered with a catchy-tune that eventually makes its way, with Tom Hanks starred as the group’s manager, to the big time where they even make an appearance on an Ed-Sullivan type television show, where the whole country see them play their music.

At one point of the movie the drummer meets at a jazz dive (bar) a famous musician who he has idolized over the years. He tells this to his idol and the idol shares with him the challenges of a career in music. He tells the young drummer that many things can take you off course, things like the road, women, partying, etc. So, his advice to the young drummer is this “keep on playing – keep on practicing and don’t stop”. The veteran musician finally shares with his fan that “bands come and go, but the music goes on.”

This is great advice for all people in all walks of life, and writers are no exception. Since 1996, I have worked with seven companies – some as an employee and some as a contractor – but I have kept the writing spirit alive. Just because there have been challenges in the road, I have not given up. My devotion is to writing software documentation, and making sure that each and every piece of documentation is a good one. This is my career, and it is no different than a career in music.

As Bon Scott of AC/DC once sang “it is a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll.” So true. In fact, it is a long way to the top of any field, because there are many diversions and challenges along the way. So, what do you do? You slowly persevere and keep your focus. I know for myself that writing is rewarding, so I try to keep this in mind as I tackle applications that are works in progress.

Remember: Never give up on your dreams. Keep on practicing. Practice makes perfect