Tami Winbush - Writes

Music has a powerful effect on our emotions and is able to trigger memories, certain moods, and an array of feelings. As writers, we can use this to our advantage when crafting scenes and creating characters. But we also need to be aware that music can be a distraction and can interfere with our writing process. I remember lying in bed one night, many years ago, and this sexy R&B song came on the radio (I’m worse than a kid when it comes to bedtime rituals). I was working on an early rendition of my contemporary romance Sometimes Love Just Isn’t Enough . The song was perfect for a seduction scene I was contemplating putting in there. The wife, at this point, had decided that she was tired of waiting for him to start something with her. She wanted to have another baby, but he didn’t want the responsibility. So here I am thinking lusty thoughts (OK, I’m a smut slut), and great scenes, and... I fall asleep. Yes, I fell asleep. When I woke in the morning, I forgot everything. I was mad...

  Why do we write? _______________________________ Or: what do you get when you cross a sociopath and a cockroach?      Some people say that writers write for immortality, so that some part of them can be left behind when they are gone, so that they will never be forgotten. However, that cannot be entirely true for all writers, or else why would Franz Kafka have asked his friend in his will to burn what would become his two most popular novels, The Trial and The Castle , after himself burning nearly all of his own writing during his lifetime? Others say that we write to change the world, to communicate our ideas to one another, and thereby, hopefully, leave them changed. Indeed, none will deny the effect that written works have had on the course of human history. Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Cervantes, Dante, Dumas, the great religious texts, and countless other written works have shaped the world we live in and our perception of it in a very real, completely ...

“I’d like to write about writing,” I wrote in the email. As soon as I sent it, I half winced to myself and sucked in a quick breath. Is this a thing? Will readers and writers alike be interested in my inner monologue as I sort through the writing challenges? Do you want to know the self-doubt that reflects off the sunny window onto my blank screen? Well, here goes!  Writing about writing is beyond difficult. There’s a fine line between metacognitive thinking and a stream of consciousness, and I fear the latter. I picture the words as they tumble out of my brain and bounce onto the paper, not really sticking to anything, but merely lying on the surface, waiting to sink in. What if they don’t sink in? I imagine the letters joining together and scattering off the page when I’m not looking, acutely aware that they may never make any profound impact. Or will they? The words ebb and flow, and so I keep trying. Is writing just blissful ignorance? If so, may I never stop.  We’ve all b...

Music has always been intertwined with the concept of romance . The art of music is a powerful tool used to set the mood for love, express emotions, and evoke feelings that can be difficult to put into words. From classical compositions to contemporary pop hits, music has captured the essence of love and used it to create timeless masterpieces. Historically, music has been used to express love and romance. The earliest examples of this are in ancient Greece, where poets and musicians sang about love and passion. Romantic themes in music continued to develop throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, with composers such as Bach and Mozart using music to express the joys and sorrows of love. Music has also played a significant role in popular culture, especially in movies and television. Romantic ballads such as “ I Will Always Love You ” by Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard - now I want to watch it again - just loved this movie - HBOMax here I come) and “ My Heart Will Go On ” by Ce...