Dear Reader Column 05-05-08

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Dear Reader,

I need to read in order to write, but I couldn't write without my music either. So I'm constantly listening for my next great "writing" song. I TIVO Jay Leno every night and even if I don't get around to watching the entire show, I jump to the end and listen to the featured music artist, because they might be singing a writing song. Satellite radio streams into my house and another subscription plays in my car. If I hear a song that makes me start writing in my mind, I jot down the name of it and when I get home, I open up iTunes on my computer, do a search, click and I've added another writing song to my collection.

Music helps me get to the place where I need to be when I'm writing and it helps me find courage when I'm facing a big challenge. Preparing for a big meeting that's kind of scaring me--I put in my ear pods and turn on my music. "Go get 'em Suzanne." It's not so much the words in the song that inspire me, it's how the sound of the music resonates in my soul and that's probably why I can listen to a song over and over again and not get tired of hearing it.

When I was preparing my writing samples to send to a prospective agent, I listened to two songs over and over again for a week. I'm not exaggerating...thank heavens my husband has learned how to tune-out my music, (or by necessity developed the same taste in music). I was scared to death to show my writing to an agent. What if he hated it, or worse, what if he laughed, "What was this woman thinking?" I needed a boost of confidence and I found what I needed in Free Fallin by Stevie Nicks and Galileo by the Indigo Girls. Hour after hour, for seven days straight I listened to those two songs. Listened so much that I never really heard them anymore, but the driving beat had settled into my soul and there was no turning back. Kind of like rooting for the underdog in a movie, the music crescendos and I found myself cheering, "Come on, Suzanne, you can do it!" And soon I hit the SEND key.

And music continues to inspire me. I'm in the middle of reworking the Introduction for my book. What I've written is good, but I think I need to dig a little deeper and the song that's helping me find my way is Eye of the Hurricane by David Wilcox. The first time I heard it, instantly I started reworking the Introduction in my mind and the tears began to flow. And that's right where I need to be to do my best work. Guess what I'm listening to right now?

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

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