All writers want to make a statement of some sort. It may not be something that seems to be very important; it could be as simple as making someone happy. A writer might not even know what message they wish to send until they find that special story or poem to write.
I have just recently, after fourteen years of writing, discovered the story that I want to tell, which has led to me finally knowing the message I wish to send to readers.
My newest story, which is still being written, was the result of two years of planning and research and a yet unknown duration of writing. "Dreams" is a story that originated from my love of music, particularly that from the 1970s. It is dramatically different than anything I've written before. I have been a self-published romance novelist for about three years, and I have published four novels in the genre since that time. While there are certainly romantic elements in "Dreams," it is not the main focus of the novel.
"Dreams" is the story of Steve Clayburgh, a legendary music producer who proves to be the only lead journalist Lauren Brockway has for her story on Chrissy Matthews, a member of the 1970s supergroup Mystique, who seemingly disappeared thirty years ago. What Lauren does not anticipate is the incredible life journey that she hears in her accounts from Steve, from record-making to partying, drug abuse, and finding love.
Although I initially planned to simply be penning a cultural reflection of what I think is one of the most fascinating periods in pop culture, as I began to delve deeper into the research, I realized just how important my story was. Because it is set in the music industry, I have recognized that there are so many people within it that simply do not get the credit they deserve. So many of the recording artists from that period lived in near poverty so they could secure a record contract, with many of them writing and recording brilliant work that is still revered today. What I have also discovered is that many from younger generations are unaware, and they therefore do not appreciate these individuals.
In an ironic twist, Eagles founder Glenn Frey, one of my musical and character inspirations for "Dreams," passed away earlier this year as I was writing the novel. It was a devastating loss, far more important to me than some of the passings that the media has chosen to oversaturate us with this year. He was larger than life, one of the many reasons I wanted "Dreams" to be as incredible as it was in my imagination. So, the most fitting tribute I could compose was to continue writing, as well as dedicate the novel to Frey and his legacy.
The "Dreams" experience has been more than just about finding my voice as a writer, though. My immersion in the research process has allowed me to discover so much about the music industry, various recording artists that I hadn't explored in-depth before, and a better understanding of culture in the 1970s and beyond. I only hope that it is enough to convey what I can only hope is an honest but nostalgic nod to a decade often written off but so full of genius.
A quote that has struck me several times as I write "Dreams" is one that guitarist Joe Walsh said in "History of the Eagles:"
"I hope that's remembered like the Roaring Twenties, you know? Our generation and what we did."
My goal with "Dreams" is to make that wish come true for Mr. Walsh and his counterparts in that generation, a time that seems to have been forgotten despite all of the incredible music it spawned.
