The Intersection of Writing and Music

Tears pricked my eyes as I drove to a neighboring town yesterday. With just three unique notes, my ears—and my heart—recognized the song streaming from the radio. A song that I had liked for years but that held no specific significance until suddenly one day it did.

I can’t remember the events of the day or my state of mind the moment when this particular Crosby, Stills & Nash song took on an incredibly personal meaning. I was in the car that day, too, coasting down the driveway when the 1982 hit “Wasted on the Way” began to play. I parked by the garage, the engine idling, as the lyrics washed over me pulling raw emotions from deep within me and bringing tears that more than pricked my eyes. They flowed unchecked, soon dripping from my chin.

Photo by Ranurte on Unsplash

In the coming days and weeks, “my” song seemed to surround me, cementing the bond I felt with this now dear melody. Had it always played this often? Without my noticing?

I’ve longed to share with followers of my adoption/search/reunion journey how this song has become the theme song for the sentiments surrounding my relationships with my paternal birth family, specifically my half-siblings. How it still brings tears each time its unique lyrics and tune play within my earshot. Unfortunately, the rules governing the use of copyrighted song lyrics prohibit me from a line-by-line explanation, comparison, and unpacking of the profound emotional experience these words stir. Despite a promise that my goings on would most definitely not cast a negative light on this special-to-me song, I am not permitted to quote the lyrics while expounding on their virtues without official permission, garnered via a complicated process.

I hope to creatively share my bond with this tune in a way that adequately conveys the emotional meaning it has for me while causing the familiar lyrics to waft through the minds of readers, all without violating copyright laws. Sounds like a writing challenge, don’t you think?     

All of this has me pondering the relationship between writing and music.  

• Do you listen to music when you write?
• Does music feed your muse OR distract you from the story and characters’ journey?
• How does it impact your daily/hourly word count?
• Do your characters enjoy music?
• Do you intentionally listen to your characters' fav tunes to help you get “inside their head”?
• Does music play a major role in your storyline(s)?

My answers:

• Often yes, in the background
• I tend to like background noise in general, but if it’s too loud, it distracts me. And if the afore mentioned song plays? I allow myself to sit back and let the words and emotions take me away. Then, I get back to work.
• I don’t believe that music can be either blamed or credited where it pertains to my word count.
• They do! A favorite song has special meaning for them. And on one occasion, the song wafting about at just the right moment, impacts the already emotional scene.
• I have on a few occasions brought up a particular tune to help me get into the right mood for a particular scene.
• No

Now it’s your turn. Share in the comments how music intersects with your writing, if it does, OR why it doesn’t. And please, oh please, if you have personal experience with obtaining permission to use song lyrics, send me a message!

NOTE: There's still time to RSVP for our June 25 PITCH PARTY and FIRST PAGE FOLLIES in-person event in Kokomo! Check out all the details HERE. RSVP to acfwindianachapter@gmail.com by JUNE 20.

Beth’s combined experiences teaching the high school Sunday School class, substitute teaching in the public school, and connecting with the teenage staff at the fast-food joint where she claimed a “back booth office” helped inspire her young adult “Choices Matter” fiction series. She's a "cheerleader" for saving sex for marriage and for "renewed waiting" because it's never too late to make wiser choices. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage while her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life.
 As a genetic genealogy enthusiast and "search angel," she writes and speaks about her experiences as a "foundling" who located her birth parents. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in the blog series “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers.” She also serves on the executive board of the National Association of Adoptees and Parents. All of her writing endeavors can be found on her website, https://bethsteury.com.