• The Musical Imaginings of a Teen

    by
    Rachel Firasek
    Published: January 14th, 2011 02:22 AM
    8 Comments Comments
    On my way to work today, my teen daughter decided to grace me with one of her many wonderful ponderings. The conversation went something like this:

    Teen: "Mom, did you know that music floats all around us?"
    Me: "I'm not sure I follow you?"
    Teen: "You turn the magic knob and voila, there is music!"
    Me: "It doesn't exactly happen like--"
    Teen: "Shhh...don't ruin it for me."
    Now, before you ask if my daughter is really this dense, the answer is no. She was teaching me this morning. The lesson: Sometimes there just needs to be some magic. Adults are bogged down with technical, practical, rational thoughts everyday. Our children are trained to kill imagination and come down from the clouds, but my girl, well, she likes those clouds. And as a fellow cloud drifter, I'm apt to let her keep a few of her musings. It takes a very special soul to hang onto the imagination we harvest in our youngsters. We inspire them to believe in the magic of Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and many more...then, we rip it all away, killing every illusion we build in their gentle minds.

    What does this have to do with writing? Well, should you find one of these young minds not quite touched by the world of adulthood, talk to them, listen to them, learn from them. If you're writing YA, find teens that are willing to speak freely with you. They are out there. On the YA loops, I see requests all the time about slang or phrasing. Why not just find a kid to talk too?

    Our children are open doors to imagination. If you're stuck in a story or suffering from the dreaded "block", find a child. I wouldn't advise snatching one from the streets, but volunteer at your local library, schools, anyplace you can give back while absorbing their open minds.

    And if you're lucky enough to find one like mine, you'll have story inspiration to last a lifetime.

    Bio:

    Rachel Firasek currently resides in the heart of Central Texas with her husband and three children. An office manager by day, and an urban fantasy/paranormal romance author by night, her first release, Passion of the Soul: Piper’s Fury, is due out in the spring of 2011, with Crescent Moon Press.
    http://www.rachelfirasek.com
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    Comments 8 Comments
    1. Christine Ashworth's Avatar
      Lovely, Rachel! Absolutely lovely. I've got boys at home - they're deep into mythos of the various games and books they read. Getting them to talk in those realms is easy! Hugs, honey!
      Reply
    1. Rachel Firasek's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Christine Ashworth View Post
      Lovely, Rachel! Absolutely lovely. I've got boys at home - they're deep into mythos of the various games and books they read. Getting them to talk in those realms is easy! Hugs, honey!
      I love it when I can get her to really speak freely about what is going on in her mind. She's a dark little bird, and I love it when she has these brief moments of light. Hmmm...wonder where she gets that from .
      Reply
    1. Lynn Rush's Avatar
      Fantastic. I love this. Great post, Rachel.
      Reply
    1. Rachel Firasek's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Lynn Rush View Post
      Fantastic. I love this. Great post, Rachel.

      Aww, thanks Lynn. She drives me crazy sometimes, but without her, my inspiration would be harder to find.
      Reply
    1. Kendall Grey's Avatar
      Rachel,

      This is so true! My middle daughter inspires me in the same way. Her deep, insightful take on the world is beautiful in its simplicity. She makes me think and startles me into stunning realizations and revelations like no one else does.

      Aren't we lucky to have such creativity and hope surrounding us every day? Wow, thanks for this reminder. :-)

      Kendall
      Reply
    1. Rachel Firasek's Avatar
      Kendall,

      Enjoy it while it last. I'm sure at one time, I was a bit like her. Miss those days. It's harder to find that simple creativity now with the "man" breathing down my neck. lol.
      Reply
    1. E.W. Gibson's Avatar
      Rachel,
      Wonderful image of you and your daughter having this moment that is so brief but will have a lasting impression on all of us lucky to have read it. Thank you. Can I borrow her...for a year or so?
      Elizabeth
      Reply
    1. Rachel Firasek's Avatar
      Actually, Elizabeth, when I wrote this article, she offered to have a live ya chat one evening...so thoughtful. I warned her that a swarm of YA authors may attack all of that beautiful creativity and leave her a bleeding empty shell. Needless, to say, I got a look (sneer) that clearly told me I'd rained on her moment of stardom. Thank you for your comments.
      Reply
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