by Janet Lane
These are the times that try writer’s souls. Are your writer’s dreams getting battered in the maelstrom of the current publishing world?
I have experienced the many frustrations of writing fiction, and I understand my fellow RMFW members’ struggles with rejections, disappointing sales, the daunting task of getting reviews or an editor or agent’s attention. It’s easy to become overwhelmed in a market that demands more and more from us.
We turn to each other for support, and our friendships with fellow writers, gifted people who share our dreams, help us right ourselves after our personal defeats and challenges. And many find solace in music. My dear friend, Robin Owens, shared some of the music that she uses for inspiration during her writing sessions, and I’ve found it beautiful and helpful.
This weekend, I got a boost of inspiration and hope from music in an unexpected place.
My daughter and her significant other gave us tickets to one of the nine Garth Brooks concerts! We’ve enjoyed his unique brand of country/crossover pop music over the years, but I would have never gone without the special enticement. At the concert, Brooks sang a song I didn’t remember ever hearing. How could I have missed this gem? It was released in April, 1992, and I was busy with my toddling daughters. I hadn’t started writing fiction then, and likely my world was too busy to hear it.
But it’s never too late! The song is “The River.” It’s about precious dreams, and our commitments to them.
I was far from alone in admiring this song. The Pepsi Center’s 20,000 fans roared with delight, then quieted to hear the beautiful lyrics. The Denver Post’s “Home” columnist, Francie Swidler, was there. Not a Garth Brooks fan, she was surprised to enjoy the songs and wished that she, like most of the happy fans, knew all the words. She had never heard “The River,” and to her surprise, when Garth sang it, she cried. Yes, it’s that good. She heard the heart and soul of the song.
At the time it was written (co-written by Garth and Victoria Shaw), Garth hadn’t yet found success. In fact, he worked as a bouncer in a bar to support his dream. He was seeking a new song, but the heart of the idea was just out of his reach. To get inspired, he and Victoria played some James Taylor songs. (We do this as writers when we re-charge our batteries by reading other’s novels, not to copy, but to gain inspiration). The idea came to him, and he said, “You know, a dream is like a river…”
The song is four minutes long, too long for a single release, and even after recording it, it didn’t make it on his next album. In an interview, Victoria Shaw said that might have been a good thing, because that album (minus “The River”) sold very well, and “he was so huge that people gave him the courtesy of listening. It was over four minutes. It was so different, and had it been any other artist, they would have thrown that song out.” They listened, and they loved it.
From the song ….
I’ll never reach my destination if I never try
So I will sail my vessel ‘til the river runs dry
If you’ve never heard it, you’re in for an inspirational treat, a gentle shot right to your writer’s heart. If you’ve heard it and forgotten it, listen again. It is, to this writer’s soul, heavenly.
Youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuO3FhA3PWc
..and another great version with the beautiful lyrics on screen…
I hope you listen, and I hope it nourishes your dream like it did mine.
Even if you don’t have time for it, consider the story behind this song. The lyrics speak of dreams–you never know where they will take you. Because you dare to follow your dream, you will find many days a constant battle. We’ll never reach our destination if we never try. Letting the waters (of time) slip away jeopardizes our chances of achieving our dreams. Sometimes timing is everything. Garth has sold more than 100 million albums, and he was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2011. But back when he wrote this song, he had a choice: stand aside and let the waters slip away – or follow the dream. Had Garth not kept pursuing his dream, we would never have been able to enjoy the messages in his songs–especially this one.
Sail your vessel ‘till the river runs dry.
Where do you get inspiration? Does music play a part in charging your creative batteries?
This post was really good for me, Janet, especially because I’m a big Garth Brooks fan and would love to see him in concert someday. I’m now reading Claire Cook’s “Your Roadmap to Reinvention,” a book for all ages (but especially for women) and she reminds readers that we need to be open to inspiration and motivation because it can come from any direction. Songs like “The River” and Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” are great examples.
That sounds like a book I would enjoy, Pat. And, yes, I love, “I Hope You Dance,” too. “Inspired” is a wonderful place to be. 🙂
I have been writing of rivers and seas, lakes and streams for many years and always find inspiration and recharged batteries when I spend time on/with the water. I often write with music from Hearts of Space online radio (www.hos.com) for my background music. A lovely post. Thanks, Janet.
So glad you enjoyed it, Dean. I grew up in the midwest, but always found myself swimming and boating in lakes, and on the Missouri River. I competed in the first Missouri River Raft Regatta, a 100-mile trip down the river from Sioux City to Omaha. My partner and I didn’t place, but we were the first female-powered raft to cross the finish line! Hm, I hadn’t thought of that in years. Is your water-based writing fiction, or non-fiction?
Hi Janet. Awesome Regatta experience, I am sure. Congrats. I’m sure there’s a story or two in there. To answer, both. Personal essays and poetry are filled with ocean, river, water references and settings (one of my guest posts for Patricia Stoltey included.) Also, my first novel (most likely split in to two books) contains a river, fly fishing, ancient Native Americans on the river and a few ghosts.
A ghost on the river and ancient Native Americans … the visuals those words evoke are brilliant. Happy writing, Dean!
Thanks, Janet. Same to you.