When the idea for Speak No Evil came to me, the very first thing I knew was how important music would be in the context of the book. Music has been an integral part of Melody Fisher’s life, from birth onward. Gifted with a talent for singing, Melody first performed in front of her snake-handling church with Mama and Daddy providing the accompaniment.

In the seventeenth century, English dramatist William Congreve wrote, “Music has charms to soothe the savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” It has the power to distract our mind, calm our rhythms, pump us up, and alter our mood. As a writer I have always used music when writing and editing.

Confession: I am easily distracted until I get fully into the story. Without music I would never hit my writing zone. Once I reach my zone, the wall behind me could fall and I wouldn’t notice … but until I’m there, my mind hares off after every little unexpected sound. So I learned early on that my best method was to put music on that I knew extremely well to occupy the part of my brain that would distract me with other things and it creates an environment where I can sink into the world of my characters and “hear” them without problems.

For Melody, music has become the only thing she feels she can rely on. After suffering several traumas in her life, Melody stops speaking. While physically capable of doing so, she is unable to express her thoughts and feelings, a condition called selective mutism. When the book opens, she hasn’t spoken, or communicated in any fashion, to anyone for more than two years. But now she’s in a situation where she must find her voice, and her therapist, Dr. Kane, uses music to help her find her way.

I recently ran across the below Ted Talk put on by Esha Alwani, who suffers from Tourette’s, about how she uses music to regain control over her symptoms. I found it fascinating and what she has to say rang so true with me in how I use music to help in my writing process. It’s well worth a listen.

Pre-order Speak No Evil in Hardcover or Paperback.

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Warning—what follows may be a bit of a ramble
I ain’t gonna lie—this week has been a rough one. Starting off with the touch of depression which was ripped apart by knee pain, which then morphed into overall body pain, followed up with an eye infection… and that was just the physical part. Even worse was the work week where each day had another bomb to deliver. Fire-fighting all week leaves me feeling unaccomplished and wrung out. But today was Friday and I woke up with my pain levels well under control. I should be glad, right?

Wrong. I had one of those rare mornings where every little thing irritated me. Things that I normally take in my stride caused my inner Oscar-the-Grouch to start throwing slimy banana peels all over the place. Fortunately, being alone with the pups allowed me to vent without hurting anyone’s feelings. The girls are used to my talking to myself all the time anyway, so they just let me grumble without comment. And the most irritating thing?? Knowing I was being cranky about things—picky, itty-bitty, not really all that important things—things that weren’t worth the upset.

So you’d think the work week would want to lighten up on Friday … not a chance. Things kept going along the same tail-spin they’d been in all week. Which means I didn’t get to something I need to have done before Tuesday. Hopefully Monday will be a kinder day. The deadline is because I start my next chemo cycle on Tuesday and I need to put together instructions for someone who is not familiar with the things I’ve built on what to do if they don’t function properly because my colleague who would normally be holding down the fort has been summoned for jury duty. I’m actually hoping everything decided to blow a gasket this week, so next week will be smooth—but I know better.

Then early afternoon, I received a message from a friend sending good thoughts and virtual hugs and it helped turn my sour day right-side up again. Work finally finished for the week, I still felt wiped out, but no longer cranky. Putting in my headphones, I listened to some music to help me unwind, and finally feel a bit more centered. Music is my creative fuel.

So while listening, unwinding, and trying to decide whether it is more reading or whether words on the page were finally going to happen, I saw a link to the below video on Facebook. I am so glad I took out my headphones long enough to listen to what this 13-year-old boy has to say. Kids like this give me so much hope for the future. What he has to say applies not only to kids and education, but to life and we can all learn from it.

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