Favourite Things, and Writing Ways

This is just an occasional blog post to let readers know me on a bit more personal level. I'm not out and about much on the net, mostly because of my writing and home committments, but also because I'm rather shy. I absolutely loathe talking about myself, and the limelight is certaintly nothing I've ever aspired to. Writing for me is something as necessary as breathing. I MUST get these stories and characters down and out of my head. I write books, not for fame but because I must. I think that is the way with most writers. It's a compulsion, and one that must be heeded, or we become miserable and unfocused. Funny, how hearing strange voices, and seeing strange scenes unfold in our mind keep us author's sane!

Lately, I've thinking about story telling, and writing, and I've realized that authors are not the only group of people that make people feel. To make them think, laugh and cry. A good songwriter can do the very same thing. And in fact, I have always responded to music with good lyrics, and a haunting voice in a much more visceral way than iwhile reading. Certainly, many books have touched me and changed me--shaping me, as it were. But when I compare those to music, I realize that music on the whole has inspired me much more. So many times when I'm reaching deeply inside--me--or a character, I can turn to music to get the physical feel. So many readers have asked how I connect to my characters and bring out their feelings until they bleed onto the page. Well, I think the way I do it is to dig deep. To think of some tragic, painful thing in my past and endure the physical manifestations the memory and emotions invoke. And I write them down. To be a character writer you cannot be afraid of what you might find, or what you might write. The same I think must go for songwriters who are writing a song of love, or pain, or longing. They, too must look deep, and face their life experiences to bring forth the words that they will sing. It's almost more intimate, singing those words, I think, then having others read them. For me, there's the connection of voice, and sound, along with the words. YOu can close your eyes and still hear and feel, but when you close your eyes with your book, you're left with only the remants of feelings the writer's words left with you. And let me tell you, this girl will blow your mind with her songwriting ability. She has certainly blown mine!

For a couple of years now I have been a devoted follower of the Brit phenom Adele. Never have I been so profoundly affected by a songer writer's lyrics, emotion, and voice as I have hers. For just being 21yrs of age, Adele packs a lifetime of pain, longing, love and heartache into her songs. This is the type of songwriter who can make people feel. Make them think, and damn it. make them cry.

To me she feels so real, so raw, and she's one of my most 'favourite things' in the world. Someone Like You is the song I go to when I need to dig deep. When I need to connect with a character who is feeling raw and exposed, one who is aching for the other. One listen (usually) has me crying, and feeling, and after I stop the iPod, I can immerse myself in my world--Victorian England, while still feeling part of her world.

So, without further adieu, have a listen to this song (might want to keep a kleenex handy). Watch her performance, her passion, and remember how young she is. She must be an old soul to be able to convey the power of this song so effectively.
Enjoy! And for everyone who celebrates Easter, Happy Easter!