Pure Energy

To quote myself: "That was freakin' awesome!"

Yeah, that's the kind of week I had. Didn't get much writing done, but I'm not bothered by that. It was a week to recharge my batteries and add true inspiration to this endeavor. It was the kind of week that can't be categorized, so I'm calling it "Pure Energy."

First, work was a good time. Most people don't/won't say that, but I will. I enjoy what I do for a living and especially like the times when special projects come my way. I also LOVE that I can write while working. My boss totally supports me, which helps. I haven't told you what I do and where I work because it's too ubercool to share in this forum.

Second, I spent Friday at LDStorymakers in Provo, Utah. Pure, fanatical, geek loving joy. I couldn't imagine a better day of writing energy. I reconnected with a lot of writerly friends and met a bunch of new ones. It was fun to mingle with "famous" writers and a couple editors who I've met before. Since I have self-published, there wasn't any pressure to try to "sell" my book to anyone, which made a big difference in my attitude. Filled with phenomenal classes, StoryMakers is a set date on my schedule every year.

Third, my 12 year old son participated in a harp festival at BYU. This kid blows my mind. He's only been playing for a couple months and he's getting really good. Since I'm not musically inclined, I'm always impressed at the talent of my children. Great music.

Fourth, and this wasn't even the best part, I met some friends from StoryMakers and saw the Avengers in IMAX 3D. "Freakin' Awesome!" Go see it. Go see it. Go see it!

Fifth, I took a nap on Sunday afternoon to recover from my late night at the movies. (No, the nap isn't the best part.) When I woke, however, I had an amazing new book idea pop into my mind. It's so amazing that I don't feel qualified to write it. Really. I need to study some things and develop some new skills to write it. It's not anything that I read or know about, but the book idea sounds groundbreaking. I bounced the idea off my wife and children and luckily they agreed, which means additional support for yet another project. This last point is a big deal to me because I've always felt that taking a break or stepping away is the best way to inspire creativity. After more than three years invested in the Stone Portals series, and knowing that there's another few years before I finish it, the weight of it all is bearing down on me. Sunday's inspiration reminded me why I started this adventure.

Yeah, it's been that kind of week.

I held a giveaway about a week and a half ago. Since there were only two entries (inserts sad face), I decided to award a signed copy of ON FALLEN WINGS to both participants. Angela and Esther, congratulations! Send me the address you'd like your book sent to and I'll mail it right away. onfallenwings @ gmail . com

I also decided to join Pinterest. It's a great place for me to visually explain who I am. I've created a board specifically for ON FALLEN WINGS, so if you'd like another peek inside my mind, check it out. I'll add more photos as I find them. Jamie McHenry on Pinterest.

Have a great week. Happy reading!

~ Jamie

Music and Writing

Take a deep, slow breath.

Exhale. Look down at your chest. You’re bleeding; there’s no time to find out why. Ahead of you, bound by the enemy, someone you love is about to die. You step forward to save them. The music plays your theme while the action commences.

Writing with emotion is tough.

You dig deep to discover what your heart feels, capture that, and then offer it to the world with carefully chosen words. That’s not easy to do and it’s often a painful process; however, reaching the best that’s in you, and revealing it through the emotional journeys of your characters is necessary for great writing

Music is my method for revealing emotions.

Nearly every strong memory I have is connected with a song. There were times when I heard a particular song while the event happened; other times, a song on the radio registered a memory inside of me, and an emotion attached to that memory. Whichever the case, when I hear the song again, the memory and emotion returns.

Many authors create a play list for their characters prior to writing their first words.

Some look for songs that their main character might listen to, while others look for themes in the music they choose—songs with words to match the story they’re about create. I look for emotional ties. When I’m writing an important scene with intense emotion or action, the most effective prompt I go to is music. I select the music to match my need and listen to it while plotting a scene. Fortunately, I have a long commute to work every day. That time becomes valuable while I concentrate on the emotion for the coming night’s writing and collect the mental motivation to transfer to my characters. I try to pick songs to draw the strongest emotion that I want to share.

Whatever the use and whenever the need, writing needs music. I think it’s a universal stimulus that evokes the deepest parts of us all.

Back to the description listed at the beginning of this post. Imagine Promontory from the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack. If you’ve seen the movie, then you know the song (perhaps even the scene), even if you can’t name it. It’s an all-time classic motivator for me. Thinking of that song pulled images and emotions from the movie, which I listed briefly above. When I need a reminder of what’s at stake and the courage to face it, that song does it every time.

Does music help you write, create, imagine?