Saturday, January 17, 2015

Taylor Swift and Writing from the Heart

Photo taken by Jacqueline Bach
Red Concert, May 2013
Yesterday, the suggestion for the Ultimate Blog Challenge was to post a picture. So, looking through my photos, I couldn't decide one that was worthy of blogging, and then I came across the Taylor Swift Red concert photos. This is a photo I snapped during the concert. I wasn't always a Taylor Swift fan, but after my best friend passed away, a lot of my interests changed (apparently that is normal). While I used to really dislike anything associated with country, I found myself listening to a Taylor Swift song here or there. I actually already had some music of hers....back before she wasn't super popular, she had a discovery download on iTunes Tim McGraw. That was my first Taylor Swift song. I have a very prominent character in my books, her name is Juliet. So when Love Story came out, I loved how the song had her name in it (even if I couldn't stand the song, little did I know it would eventually become one of my favorites, especially with the knowledge that my friend, Michelle Madow, wrote her book, Remembrance, based on that song!)



The Red concert is the only concert I've been to of hers so far (though we're going to see her 1989 tour this summer, YEAH!!!). We had great seats, right in the center, straight back. And, midway through the concert, she came to the back of the set...and we were so close...! That's when we snapped this picture. She really puts on a great show.

Okay, so what does this have to do with writing, you ask? Well, duh, Taylor is a writer. She's a great writer, who writes from the heart, and draws off of her own experiences, and her honesty in her writing has pushed her right to the top of the charts. I don't know how people write songs, it's such an overwhelmingly difficult task, and I really look up to her and the fact that she can write so many songs, and they are all so good, and can be applied to many different situations. Drawing from your own experiences is a terrific way to approach writing.

So, my little tip for the day....

When you don't know what to write, write what you know. 
Because to you, what may seem mundane and boring, to someone else will seem exotic and different. Use emotions you've felt before. Have you experienced love? loss? a traumatic experience? a story worth sharing? Using your own emotions and experiences will pump life into your work. And this is one of the many reasons why Ms. Swift is so very successful. She stays true to herself, her experiences, and her real feelings.

Here's another picture...I just love the colors in it and wanted to share :)

Thanks for reading!

6 comments:

  1. Great post! Great photos! I loved reading it. I'm in a critical thinking and writing class right now. You are spot on about writing what you know. I'm also in the Ultimate Blog Challenge with you. What camera did you use? Inquiring minds would like to know. :)

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    1. It's a Sony Cyber Shot model from a few years ago :) Thank you and best of luck with your class! Curious to hear more about it!

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  2. Cool! I like how you used something in your own life to make the point about WRITING about a personal experience (one from the heart) And yes! Writing from your own experience is vital. Being vulnerable and honest allows people to connect to you. That's what I'm finding with my memoir that came out on October 4th. It is a huge, important lesson. Sometimes it's difficult to show yourself in a poor light, but I've found whatever topic one writes about, that truth will come across and people will trust you and see what you're writing about in relation to something in their own life.

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    1. Thank you! You offer some really great points, and congrats on your memoir!

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  3. Such great pictures and a wonderful story to go with them.You gave me information I didn't have about Taylor Swift and tied it into a very personal part of your story, then you wrapped it up in a big happy writers bow. Great job!

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