Getting famous is all about who you know...

One final note about my call with Janet Goldstein on developing killer ideas. I asked her just how many ‘new’ ideas really are floating around out there. Personally, I can’t believe there are. My mind jumps back to that old document by Socrates(?) about how there are only 9 possible plots to any play, for instance.

But the truth is that every era has new demands, new forces of change, new sets of needs - so these are the sculptors of new ideas. Remember, necessity is the mother of invention! And that makes me think that in every era there are new ideas, they just get reshaped and repeated from generation to generation.

For instance, my daughter, a guitar player, wants to take the silver posts off of the fretboard of one of her guitars and play it in a whole new way. She got this idea from a class mate at her music conservatory who’s unconventional technique now has him touring with a star this summer. I mentioned the idea just last night to a friend who’s made some unconventional guitars. He declared that just that very thing had been done by a jazz guitarist in the 60’s to great acclaim.

See, no new ideas!

BUT, says Janet Goldstein, my friend in ideas … the best thing to major publishers and the marketplace in general are ideas that are ‘10 percent new.’ They are familiar enough to be proven, but new enough to be refreshing. ENTIRELY new ideas take work and time none of us have, right?

Keep this in mind as you scout out what’s new out there … what do you think?

A last reminder: Janet and I will lead an upcoming three part teleclass in August, Coming Up With the Killer Idea. There are now only about 10 seats available - don’t hesitate … join us!