Lamb of God's Randy Blythe had quite a life-changing experience when he was arrested and spent time in a Czech prison before being found not guilty. It was the subject of his first memoir, Dark Days: A Memoir. Now, Blythe is gearing up to write a follow-up.
On his Instagram page, Blythe posted a photo of the book The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. He also revealed he has 2,296 words written, presumably for a new book. He captioned the photos with "It’s been six years since my 1st book, Dark Days, came out. I’ve been kinda busy but I can’t screw around any longer- it’s finally time to write a new one. The proposal is done, the publishers accepted it, & the contract is hammered out & in the mail.
"Shit- that means I actually have to write this thing! All I’ll say is: A) it’s another non-fiction book, & B) I just spent over two weeks utterly consumed by writing the freaking introduction. 2,296 words in 15 days- that not a lot, but I want it to be RIGHT. Plus, I’m just stretching the old muscles, getting back in shape for the brutal long haul that lies ahead. The sustained creative heavy lifting required to write a book makes writing the lyrics for an album look like preschool finger painting. Plus, if what you’re doing is turning out shitty, you can’t just blame the rest of your band. (sorry dudes ???)
"Most books on writing are bullshit, collections of pointless “exercises” from people who haven’t sold any other books of their own (I should know, I’ve bought most of them.) No book on earth is gonna turn you into a good writer. There is no magic pill. Just like playing music, shooting photos, or pursuing any other creative endeavor- the ONLY way to find out if you’re any good is to DO IT. You gotta write, & the hardest part of writing is sitting your ass down to do it, & then repeating that process day after day after day. There IS a book that can help you start to do that though- “The War of Art” by @steven_pressfield. This book (& his other books) got me through writing my last book, & it will get me through this one, goddammit. As my friend the writer Brian Pulido said when he gave me a copy “It’s like a fireman’s hatchet when you’re stuck in a house burning down around you.” I can’t even remember how many times I’ve already read this book. I’m reading it again now.
"If you want to try to be a writer (or pursue any sort of art) but you’re too intimidated to start, BUY THIS BOOK. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Read it. Do what it says. Then sit your ass down in the chair and write- you’ll find out eventually if you’re any good.
"Cheers to all the writers out there- I’m rooting for y’all!"
Lamb of God hit the road this summer with Megadeth, Trivium, In Flames. Here are the dates:
Aug. 24 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center [Tickets]
Aug. 25 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater [Tickets]
Aug. 27 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena [Tickets]
Aug. 29 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Federal Theatre [Tickets]
Aug. 31 – Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center [Tickets]
Sep. 01 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre [Tickets]
Sep. 02 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion [Tickets]
Sep. 04 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center [Tickets]
Sep. 05 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre [Tickets]
Sep. 09 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago [Tickets]
Sep. 11 – Danville, VA @ Blue Ridge Festival* [Tickets]
Sep. 12 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater [Tickets]
Sep. 13 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion [Tickets]
Sep. 15 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion [Tickets]
Sep. 16 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center [Tickets]
Sep. 18 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center [Tickets]
Sep. 19 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre [Tickets]
Sep. 20 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion [Tickets]
Sep. 22 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP [Tickets]
Sep. 24 – Mount Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino Amphitheatre [Tickets]
Sep. 26 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis [Tickets]
Sep. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Armory [Tickets]
Sep. 30 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage [Tickets]
Oct. 01 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell [Tickets]
Oct. 02 – Quebec City, QC @ Centre Videotron [Tickets]
*Festival date featuring all four bands.
