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Myth of overnight success Print E-mail
Written by Karen Osborne   
05/11/2008

Here we go again. A catchy new song hits the radio. People start requesting it, buying the album or finding the song on the Internet. A month passes and artists like No Doubt, the Plain White T's or Britney Spears become household names.

Disc jockeys often call a band who exhibits such a meteoric rise an "overnight success." But to get on Top 40 lists across the country, a band's music has to tickle the ears of the decision-makers who do the programming, and to get a CD into those hands might take years of touring, hammering out new music, practice and hauling heavy amplifiers in and out of various places.

That overnight pop hit? First, it had to be written, sometimes by an outside songwriter. The band had to practice the song. A studio had to be hired. Hours are spent recording and mastering it. Finally, the song had to be sent to a company to be printed on CDs. Even if that CD is express-mailed straight to Ryan Seacrest, the whole shebang isn't something that happens overnight.

Novelists often laugh at the idea of the overnight success. A novel takes months if not years to write, and for many newly-minted authors the novel that was published wasn't the first one they wrote.

A successful lawyer spends years in school; otherwise the big trial that could make her into a respected prosecutor might end up as one big fumble. A successful ice skater trains for hours a day, or her overnight success gold medal performance might fall short.

The genius violinist that shocks people into stunned appreciative applause at Carnegie Hall at a one-night debut relies upon years and years of musical training.

The myth of the overnight success makes many people think that making it hinges on being in the right place at the right time. Sure, there might be an element of truth to that, but that worldview ignores the raw talent and effort that makes the foundation of any kind of success, overnight or lifelong.

The truth that an overnight success is often five, 10 or 15 years in the making isn't always what we see. What we see is seductive, implying that we can skip the hard work. Skip the tiny stages in ratty bars, the hours of study, the bleary-eyed morning practices. Skip the hard stuff and reap the benefits - money and fame without the dues.

Society does teenagers no good by glossing over the real story of the overnight success, creating an unrealistic portrait of what it means to be good at what you do.

If the overnight success were real, it would be hollow, a confetti-laced homecoming victory parade before the game is even played.

It's a lot sweeter to play the game, experiencing each touchdown and pass and reveling in the real victory, if it comes.

All castles start with a good foundation. All musicians have to learn their chords and scales before they can land those complicated fingerings. Lawyers have to learn the law to use it. An ice skater has to stand upright before he can make that triple lutz.

Working toward that overnight success isn't just an option; it's a requirement.

Yes, luck has a role, but as luck would have it, it's not the starring one.

Karen Osborne is a syndicated columnist for Catholic News Service.

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