So, the BMI assignments for 10-minute musical partners came out. And two of our composers have had to leave this year. So, we’re two lyricists heavy. And I get to be one of the lyricists who works alone!
I’ve been thinking and thinking about what my 10-minute musical will be about, and I have oh so many ideas, of course.
At first, I wanted to avoid domestic violence (or sexual assault) because it’s like, “Oh my gosh, that’s all I’ve blathered about for the past two or so years. What, am I gonna be the “assault girl”?
But then, last night, I came up with an idea (that has to do with domestic violence) that I currently like better than any of my other ideas for a 10-minute musical. And it’s like, “You know what? I think I’m gonna write it!”
That doesn’t mean every. single. thing. I ever write is gonna be about DV. I got commissioned to write a song over the Christmas break that was about someone really hoping to be friends with somebody else (had absolutely nothing to do with domestic violence).
So, I’m not exclusively the “DV writer.” But I don’t think I mind if that becomes something I write about a lot. I mean, when you look back at everything I wrote when I was like 11 through many of my teenage years, a LOT of it is about domestic violence. And I never thought back then, “Oh no! Am I gonna be the DV girl?!” I just wrote what spoke to me.
[Granted, back then, I really did just want to write what spoke to me. And I wasn’t worried about how to grow a career and such. Of course I wanted a career, but I don’t think I thought about it in all same ways I do now. Aaaaaanyway…]
Throughout my life, I’ve written what speaks to me. If you look at the folders of stuff I was working on for a few years after I got out of the hospital, a lot of it revolved around health issues. That’s what I knew. That’s what I was working through, and that’s what I was writing about.
So, I’m more than happy to let my mind wander to other things. And anytime someone wants to work with me on something they’re passionate about that’s not DV, I’ll happily consider it! But. If the 10-minute musical idea that feels the most right to me is about domestic violence, I’m no longer gonna run away from that.
I hope to get my blog out of that soon enough, because this is supposed to be about my whole life – which I hope to be more than about domestic violence/assault. But a far as my creative writing endeavors go, I’m gonna take advice from 11-year old me and write what pours out of my heart, and just hope it resonates with someone else (preferably many people).
We’ll see!