WRITER….The Musical!

When my kids are being really loud in the car, maybe bickering or just being intentionally obnoxious, I make them listen to my music instead of more kid friendly entertainment I usually suffer through. Sometimes when they have kindled my wrath I just flick on the radio but usually we listen to musicals. For the past few weeks we’ve been listening to WICKED. And because my kids have been particularly ornery recently, we’ve been listening to A LOT of WICKED.

As I’ve listened to this score approximately a bazillion times I realized something—the story of WICKED could easily be rearranged to tell the story of a writer. With just a few title changes and TONS of imagination this classic musical has transformed, in my mind, into a new musical.

Please bear with me as I take you through my new and not really improved (just different) musical: WRITER.

*No One Mourns the Writer (No One Mourns the Wicked)

How does everyone’s writing dreams start? With a love for writing—for creating. But even before you put pen to paper or fingertips to keys, there are always those naysayers who try to tell you that writing is not a good career—that you’ll never make it—that you aren’t good enough. (Yes, I messed with some of the lyrics of these songs)

Yes, goodness knows,

writers’ lives are lonely.

And goodness knows,

Writers cry alone.

Nothing is easy for the writer,

They reap only what they’ve sown.

My Agent and I (The Wizard and I)

At some point, you realized that you might have a talent for writing. This song is about fantasizing about following your dream (and succeeding).

Did that really just happen?

Have I actually understood?

This weird quirk I’ve tried

To suppress or hide

Is a talent that could

Help me get an Agent

If I make good

So I’ll make good

When I get an agent,

Once I prove my worth,

And then I’ll get an agent

What I’ve waited for since,

Since birth!

And with all his agent-y wisdom,

By my looks, he won’t be blinded

Do you think the agent is dumb?

Or, like teenagers, so small-minded?

No!

He’ll say to me,

“I see who you truly are –

A girl on whom I can rely!”

And that’s how we’ll begin

My agent and I:

Once I’m with an agent

My whole life will change

‘Cuz once you’re with an agent

No one thinks you’re strange!

No father is not proud of you,

No sister acts ashamed

Everyone has to love you

When by an agent, you’re acclaimed

And this gift or this curse

I have inside

Maybe at last, I’ll know why

When we are hand in hand –

My agent and I!

Dancing through a Draft (Dancing Through Life)

Writing your first draft– the fun, the euphoria, the overwhelming feeling that you have this whole thing figured out.

Dancing through a draft

Skimming the surface

Gliding where the plot is smooth

The story’s more painless

For the brainless

Why think too hard?

When it’s so soothing

Dancing through a draft

No need to tough it

When you can sluff it off as I do

Nothing matters

But knowing nothing matters

It’s just draft

So keep dancing through…

What Is This Feeling

Reading that first draft and realizing…you just might be a fraud.

What is this feeling,

So sudden and new?

I felt the moment

I laid eyes on you.

My pulse is rushing,

My head is reeling,

My face is flushing.

What is this feeling?

Fervid as a flame,

Does it have a name?

Yes!

Loathing.

Unadulterated loathing.

For your plot,

Your voice,

Your prosing.

Let’s just say – I loathe it all!

Every little error however small

Makes my very flesh begin to crawl

With simple utter loathing.

There’s a strange exhilaration

In such total detestation

It’s so pure, so strong.

Though I do admit it came on fast,

Still I do believe that it can last.

And I will be loathing, loathing you

My whole life long!

Popular

Finding your perfect critique group.

Popular!

You’re gonna be popular!

I’ll teach you the proper ways

To give advice and praise

Little ways to tweak your prose

I’ll show you what websites to visit

How to write your kisses

All my secrets I’ll disclose

To be popular!

I’ll help you be popular!

You’ll hang with the right cohorts

You’ll get lots of support

Know the slang you’ve got to know

So let’s start

‘Cause you’ve got an awfully long way to go…

Don’t be offended by my frank analysis

Think of it as manuscript dialysis

Now that I’ve chosen to become a pal, a sis-

Ter and adviser

There’s nobody wiser

Not when it comes to popular—

I know about popular

And with an assist from me

To be who you’ll be

Instead of dreary who-you-were… or are…

There’s nothing that can stop you

From becoming populer—lar…

Defying Gravity

Deciding it is time—you are going to put yourself out there and query. Can’t change too much in this song. It is perfect as is!

Something has changed within me

Something is not the same

I’m through with playing by the rules

Of someone else’s game

Too late for second-guessing

Too late to go back to sleep

It’s time to trust my instincts

Close my eyes and leap!

It’s time to try

Defying gravity

I think I’ll try

Defying gravity

And you can’t pull me down!

I’m through accepting limits

’cause someone says they’re so

Some things I cannot change

But till I try, I’ll never know!

Too long I’ve been afraid of

Losing love I guess I’ve lost

Well, if that’s love

It comes at much too high a cost!

I’d sooner buy

Defying gravity

Kiss me goodbye

I’m defying gravity

And you can’t pull me down

I’m Not That Girl

REJECTION. It is inevitable. You take that leap and put yourself out there and at some point you will face rejection.

Don’t dream too far

Don’t lose sight of who you are

Don’t remember that rush of joy

He could be that boy

I’m not that girl

Ev’ry so often we long to steal

To the land of what-might-have-been

But that doesn’t soften the ache we feel

When reality sets back in

Don’t wish, don’t start

Wishing only wounds the heart*

I wasn’t born for the rose and the pearl

There’s a girl I know

He loves her so

I’m not that girl…

*Love that line!

One Short Day

Writers’ conference!! It really is a little like taking a trip to the Emerald City.

ONE SHORT DAY

IN A NEW CITY

ONE SHORT DAY

FULL OF SO MUCH TO DO

EV’RY WAY

THAT YOU LOOK IN THIS CITY

THERE’S SOMETHING EXQUISITE

YOU’LL WANT TO VISIT

BEFORE THE DAY’S THROUGH!

THERE ARE AUTHOR THAT YOU’D LOVE TO MEET

LESSONS ON WRITING

FOOD TO EAT

PITCHES

AGENTS

WRITERS- A HUNDRED STRONG …

THERE ARE WONDERS LIKE I’VE NEVER SEEN

IT’S ALL GRAND

AND IT’S ALL KEEN

I THINK WE’VE FOUND THE PLACE WHERE WE BELONG!

Wonderful

Finding someone who believes in you (agent, publisher or readers) and your story and finally reaching the dream of publication.

Wonderful

They called me “Wonderful”

So I said “Wonderful” – if you insist

I will be “Wonderful”

And they said “Wonderful”

Believe me, it’s hard to resist

‘Cause it feels wonderful

They think I’m wonderful

Hey, look who’s wonderful!

Thank Goodness

The surreal feeling when you finally reach your goal, you are published, and then life continues on and you realize that as wonderful as achieving your dreams is—it is not a destination.

That’s why I couldn’t be happier

No, I couldn’t be happier

Though it is, I admit

The tiniest bit

Unlike I anticipated

But I couldn’t be happier

Simply couldn’t be happier

(spoken) Well – not “simply”:

(sung) ‘Cause getting your dreams

It’s strange, but it seems

A little – well – complicated

There’s a kind of a sort of : cost

There’s a couple of things get: lost

There are bridges you cross

You didn’t know you crossed

Until you’ve crossed

And if that joy, that thrill

Doesn’t thrill you like you think it will

Still –

With this perfect finale

The cheers in the valley, who

Who

Wouldn’t be happier?

So I couldn’t be happier

Because happy is what happens

When all your dreams come true

Well, isn’t it?

Happy is what happens

When your dreams come true!

No Good Deed

There are always critics! Even with all the ups there are also downs in this job. Between struggling sales, bad reviews or less than favorable blog posts—sometimes it feels like all your hard work is for nothing.

No good deed goes unpunished

No act of creativity goes unresented

No good deed goes unpunished

That’s my new creed

My road of good intentions

Led where such roads always lead

No good deed

Goes unpunished!

For Good

In the end—it is all worth it. All the hard work, the ups and downs, the wonderful relationships you build through the process of writing a book—it is all For Good.

I’ve heard it said,

That people come into our lives

For a reason

Bringing something we must learn.

And we are led to those

Who help us most to grow if we let them.

And we help them in return.

Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true

But I know I’m who I am today

Because I knew you.

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes a sun,

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood.

Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better

But because I knew you.

I have been changed for good.

So–did you enjoy my new musical? It might not be the next Broadway hit, but I sure had fun thinking through those songs while forcing my kids to listen to my music. Hope you enjoyed it too. Any songs that represent how you feel about writing? Let me know in the comments!