The Noise of Inspiration

          So, I have been asked by several people how I come with the things that I write.  I usually just shrug and say it just comes to me, it just pops in my head and I write it down.  They look at me like I'm lying, but I'm telling the truth.  I know that as a writer I should be in better touch with what inspires me, but a lot of the time, I simply don't know. 
         
          After a few times of people asking me this I started to wonder: what really does inspire me.  I'm forced to admit, I had a very hard time answering the question.  Some of my favorite stuff came to me when I was just cleaning.  Not too much inspirational about that, at least to me anyway. 

          Finally, an answer of sorts came to me, music.  Not just any song though, a select few songs that I have discovered over the years that speak to me.  These are songs that I can turn on, close my eyes, and lose myself in the melody and lyrics.  For me, those songs are few and far in between, but some of my best stuff, though not always my favorite, came to me this way.

          You may ask, what particular kind of music gets my attention?  To be honest almost any, if it reaches me the right way.  I am a huge Staind fan, and a lot of their songs rank high on my list, one in particular, but there are other songs besides those from Staind, from all genres, that I feel more than hear.  There is country, metal, rock, pop there is even a few orchestra or classical style songs that I love. 

          I have noticed one thing that many of these songs have in common.  They often have unhappy, or depressive themes, though not all.  I guess those types of songs fit my personality and writing style better than happy and upbeat tunes.  Of course, if you have read any of my work, it's pretty obvious I tend to stray to the darker side of things (no star wars pun intended). 

          No matter what the mood of the song, if it speaks to me then I am in love with it.  I can honestly say without shame, that I have been close to tears because of a song striking just that right chord within me.  I have lost hours upon hours just sitting in the dark listening to music and getting lost in what I'm hearing.  I can see the places that are being described or feel the emotion of a song.  For me that is a powerful experience that cannot be equaled.  Many songs I own, I have kept simply because of a special memory or attachment they have for me.

          So, having said that I have decided that I am going to do a little review series about my favorite songs from various genres.  If I did them all at once the post would be so long, I wouldn't want read it myself, much less ask you to.  The first one is coming soon, when it is out I will let everyone know.  Just click on the "A Scribes Reviews" tab at the top of the page and it will take you right there.

          To end this I will tell you my absolute two favorite songs right now.  The reason should be pretty self-explanatory. 

          1. Zoe Jane by Staind
          2. My Little Girl by Tim McGraw

I didn't make this pic.  I found it online, but I love it.

I'm Still Here

Well, it has been a really, really long time since I have posted anything on my blog, done a review, or even taken a deep breath.  I'm not going to bore you with the details of my life, but I will say that my life has kind of thrown me around lately.  I have been dealing with that, and basically forgotten about everything else. 

Fortunately, things are slowing down for me, at least some, so I am hoping to get back to work for all of you soon.  I discovered that I can use my Kindle to make editing notes recently, so that has put me back on track with my latest anthology book. 

I must admit I can't wait until this thing is done.  It's not that the book itself has been aggravation, in truth I had fun writing it; editing not so much.  Anyway, everything that could have happened to slow the process down, or sometimes stop it completely has happened.  Thank goodness I didn't put out a release date, or I would have become a big fat liar and there would have been many people po'ed at me.

Suffice it to say, it has been slow going, but I am working steadily.  Thanks to all who have to supported me, and I also want to thank those that haven't.  Why?  Well it's simple, I want to shove your faces in it when I get it out there!

I don't see any book reviews coming any time soon, but I do have a couple to read, so hopefully I will get back on the ball with that too.

Thanks to all, be they supporter or nay-sayer.  To the supporters I say thank you, to the nay-sayers I say @#$%&.

I have managed to at least stay up to date on my social empire, so you can join me there.  The links are on the right.  Everyone is always welcome!

I'll leave you with a pic I have that makes me smile.  Later all!

I Wanted to Sceam...Pure and Simple

This was me!

            After the last week and a half, all I want to do is scream.  It has been the most stressful few days that I have endured in two years.  To put it simply my job was on the line.  I may be an Indie Author, but I have to pay the bills, and I have to be honest, I'm not going to do it selling my books, at least not yet.  I, like, almost five thousand of my co-workers lived with this same stress.

           I walked around with little sleep, almost in haze like I was drunk.  I would go from being nauseated to having chest pains, and at one point I was near panic.  My mood ranged from being almost giddy from lack of sleep to being mean and hateful for no real reason.  The worst part was the feeling of helplessness, and the fact that my fate, and my family's was being decided behind a closed door, and I had no say in it at all.  It's quite frustrating to say the least.

            At first all we heard was a few rumors here and there, then you start to hear more and more. I must admit I don't put a lot of faith in rumors, but at the same time I have been through this before.  The facility I worked in before my current job closed.  Fortunately I was able to get a new job before the facility closed, but then, like now I heard rumors too.  What's more this was not the first time there had been layoffs at my current job, the last time was, you guessed it, two years ago.

            For the longest time I did not believe the rumors at my first job, that the place was closing, but at some point it occurred to me that the rumors must be coming from somewhere, so I decided to jump ship the first chance I got.  It was the right thing to do.  The case was the same this time too, but this time, for some reason I believed most of the rumors that I had heard.  I knew, in my heart, that they were true.  Once again, unfortunately, I was right. 

            Everything came to a head on Thursday, May 31.  Many people lost their jobs, including a close friend, but I managed to make it through unscathed.  Once I returned home that night and was finally able to calm down after being wound up like a spring for over a week, I started to think more and more about what had happened, and I thought back to a conversation that I had with several co-workers on Wednesday. 

            Many said that if they kept their jobs and their friends did not, which was likely, that they would feel guilty.  I looked at them honestly, and said I would not.  I would feel bad for them of course, but I'm forced to think about my family first.  In this instance I was wrong.  Though I was thankful I was still working, I did feel a tremendous guilt and humility that I was spared and others were not.  I must be honest I do not feel secure right now, but at least the moment of crisis has past, and I can breathe a little, but it is only prudent to be making plans and exploring other options in case it does happen to me.  I made it through this sort of thing three times now, the fourth time I might not be so lucky.

            I finished the day with a single post on Twitter, that summed up the entire last ten days:  "Bad day.  Thankful saddened and humbled.  That is all."  It could not have been more appropriate.

            At first I thought about writing a short story about this, but I decided against it, though I don't know why.  I think it was because I had no right because I was spared and so many others were not especially my friend.

            Obviously I have gotten nothing done, nor have I even tried to get anything done, on any of my projects for quite a while.  I hope to start back up soon. 

"Bad day.  Thankful saddened and humbled.  That is all."