Musical Inspiration

Writers being inspired by music is nothing new.  I have music playing more often than not when I'm writing.  It's a useful tool for setting the mood.  So for today's post, I'd like to share with you a few of the songs that inspired me while I was writing SHARDS OF GLASS.  Music is to me what scents are to others.  In other words, my memories aren't really associated with any scents.  However, there are plenty of songs that take me back to a certain time or place.  You'll see what I mean while reviewing some of the songs on this list.

So here we go:

1. Down the Road, by Kenny Chesney 
This is the song that inspired me the most.  The boy and girl living on the same street forming an immediate relationship.  This is Emily and Nicky.

2. Hit 'Em High, by B Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man
Every time I hear this song, I'm taken back to high school basketball games.  This song was used by our team to warm up before games, so every time I hear it I find myself sitting in the high school gym, waiting for a game to start.  I used this song for what is now the opening scene of SHARDS OF GLASS.  The first draft had the song itself, but I have since edited it out.  It still plays in my head, though.

3. I'm Still Holding On, by Clint Black & Martina McBride
This is the song that inspired me to write the important prom scene where Emily and Nicky have their first kiss.  During the scene, which takes place during Nicky's senior year, Emily is aware of her time with Nicky running out since he'll be leaving for college. 

4. Here Comes Goodbye, by Rascal Flatts
The first draft originally had three parts.  In part three, Emily began dating a guy named Jason.  This particular song helped me write their break up scene.  All of part three has since been removed from the story along with part one.  Jason may get his own story some day, though.  I really enjoyed his character.

5. It Matters to Me, by Faith Hill; Wrong Again, by Martina McBride; You Were Mine, by Dixie Chicks; Have You Ever, by Brandy
These songs get lumped together because they were used for the same thing.  All of these songs were ones that I listened to in high school while crushing on particular boys.  I used these songs to put me back in that "high school girl giddy excitement over a boy" mentality.  They're not exactly happy songs, though.  Not sure what that says about my high school years. :)

I could list more, but these are the main ones.  If you have any particular songs that you used for your inspiration, feel free to share them in the comments. 

I'll end with part of Down the Road, which if one of my characters were singing, it would be Nicky singing about Emily. 

"When I was a boy

Four houses down from me, was a family with an only child
She was the only girl, in this whole world who could make me smile
Down the road"

Finally Taking Action

One of my Christmas presents was the set of LEFT BEHIND books.  Before this weekend, I'd read every book except the last one which is KINGDOM COME.  (Well, I haven't read the three prequels yet, but that's irrelevant at the moment.)  I have loved this series since Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins began writing them in the '90's.  For reasons I can't explain, I am fascinated with "the end times" which is revealed through several prophecies in the Bible.  And I think the aforementioned authors do a great job of using scriptures to create a fictional account of what we can expect in regards to the end of the world.  LaHaye and Jenkins have done more than their fair share of research, and it shows in their writing.  So why am I telling you this?

I've been inspired. 

Surely it's no surprise that I'm passionate about writing.  But I also have a passion for American History and for Revelations, the last book in the Bible.  And over the last year and a half to two years I have felt God leading me to take action.  The phrase "Freedom Fridays" has been bouncing around my mind since I started this blog, and I think it's time for me to answer God's call.  I believe there is a lot of misinformation out there about the Constitution, the idea of separation of church and state, and the authority of the Supreme Court.  So sometime in the not too distant future, I will begin the "Freedom Series."  Posts for the series will be on the same day each week.  I may stick with Fridays, but I may not; I'll have to let you know that at a later time.  And I will continue posting on other days updates about how my book is coming along, how the query process is going, etc., and whatever else I feel like posting about.

Additionally, I am currently writing devotionals for The Olive Branch.  And there, I will begin writing a series about Revelations.  Those posts will be posted once a month, probably on the first Saturday/Sunday of the month, though I have not decided that for sure.

So how is all this related, and why am I inspired? Jesus is coming back some day.  It could be today, tomorrow, next year, or centuries from now.  I don't know; nobody knows except God.  But I want to do my part in making sure people know the truth.  I am aware there are many who will not agree with what I have to say, and that's okay.  And I will encourage any feedback/comments, whether in agreement or not.  These two series will not be about preaching to people.  They will be about reaching people with the truth.  If someone disagrees with what I post, it will be important to discuss that opposing viewpoint.

For my praying friends, I ask that you pray for me.  I have never done anything like this before, and I admit I am way out of my comfort zone.  But this desire has been placed in me, and I cannot ignore it.  God gave me a passion for writing, not for speaking.  And I want to use my that passion for Him.  I hope you'll stay tuned.

Preparing to share...

Last night I was going through my poetry and a few short stories so I could decide what I would like to share with you all.  Sometimes I forget how much poetry I've written.  I kind of miss it, too.  Writing poetry, that is.  Most of the poems I have were written in junior high and high school.  And I don't mind telling you they're pretty simple.  No need to decipher each poem's meaning! In school, I always hated studying poetry mainly because I hated trying to piece it together.  Just tell me what you want to say! That doesn't mean I haven't experimented with my poetry before, though.  But most of mine is pretty straight forward. 

So why don't I write more poetry? I have to be inspired.  That's what it comes down to.  It's really hard for me to sit down and say, "Okay, I'm gonna write a poem now" and do it.  I have to be inspired to write about something specific.  And after reviewing everything I've written in the past, most of my inspiration comes from how I'm feeling at a particular moment.  It could be feelings in general or feelings about a certain event.  In fact, when I sit down and read a poem of mine, I can remember exactly what I was going through at the time I wrote it.  And to be honest, writing poetry was always therapeutic, especially in high school.  Writing poetry was how I coped.

Anyway, I won't bore you with every single poem I've ever written.  Some of them I'd rather keep hidden! But I will share poems from high school and poems I've written since then.  I'm getting ready to post two that I wrote about six or seven years ago.  Enjoy!