I wanted to make music, so I started writing.

The disc I burned today was my first draft to a series I've been working on for the past few years. The first draft of book one took the longest to revise since the it was skeletal in it's original form. It's taken many cups of coffee and 8 GB of music to help me structualize my story; define my characters. Paint my picture with words I know and words the thesaurus helped me with.
Right now, I'm listening to the most inspirational music one can listen to for such a victory. The epic sounds of Angels & Airwaves engages my imagination to what my finished book will look like. The manuscript on the literary agents desk in the yes pile. Yes, I will have my novel printed, sold in books stores. Even my book store where I currently work at. I will see in the bestsellers bay. The dust jacket baring my name and the title I feel sums my book up. One word.
Pull
My heart pulls in one direction: Up. I fell I can only go that way because I've been every other way. It feels good to complete this one step. It's one closer to ultimate victory, but I feel I already have that.

"Here I am, here we go, life's waiting to begin."

Original character art by Nami-mi

Character by Nami Mi. Revision by Orihichan.

 

Tom DeLonge sings these words in his song, The Adventure, by his band Angels & Airwaves. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to that one song. The first time I heard it, it brought tears to my eyes. Someone was singing to my heart. I've never experienced that before when  a song that wasn't sung by my mom or my grandma. Tom Delonge was always someone I looked to for answers. His band Blink-182 is my favorite band ever. When I listen to their music it was humorous, anger and touching. It was unlike anything I've hear. Every lyric and strum of his guitar and Mark Hoppus's bass was something meant just for me. At least if felt like it. The music called to me.
Now, Angels and Airwaves confirms a new chapter in my life and Tom's transition from pop punk to epic rock was something I was growing with. I was following the music and the music followed me.
The flow of the songs I listen to activated me in such a way it envelopes my heart and my mind into an expansive world that is invisible to the naked eye. I've always wanted to express myself as creatively as Tom does. I wanted to paint the picture. I wanted people to watch my mind movies. Feel what I feel. Fear what I fear. I wanted to make music, so I started writing.

My grandma's death gave me the emotional build up I need to begin. I started by logging her funeral and expressing my emotions within the pages of an old notebook. From that, I reread my work and found a movie scene complete with music and a heartfelt story.
If I can do this with something real, can I do it with something not so real?
Little did I know what was inside me was very real and so I began the story I've used thousands of times in my head while I listened to music. A story I fantasized since maybe fourteen years-old or so.
Of Course it's a love story.
Every aspect of me is in it.
You will read it one day.

"The stars in your eyes, light up the sky, With all it's light and fire inside." -Love Like Rockets by Angels & Airwaves.