I’ve always wanted to write a country song. I love country music and how artists tell stories with such few words set to beautiful music. Over the years, I’ve put pen to paper and attempted to write a poem that could possibly morph into a song.

There’s just one little problem … I don’t hear music. Can’t play music. And full disclosure, I can’t sing either!

Not to be deterred, I’ve spent hours researching how to write a song and listened to country music artists describe their process. For instance, Morgan Wallen’s song, “Dying Man,” was originally written for his young son. Morgan said having a child changed him and made him want to be a better person. The song eventually became a love song about a woman saving a man from his destructive behavior.

During my research, I came across a nugget that stuck with me … the definition of the word “scritch” in relation to guitarists plucking the strings of their instruments. I love hearing the string noise while enjoying a song, imagining the musician feeling the notes through his fingers. It surprised me to learn that this sound is also called “feedback.”

Intrigued by the definition, I Googled “scratch.” When I’m writing longhand, the scratching noise my pen makes as it moves across the paper, telling whatever story I’m writing, seems to ignite my creative juices. The simple sound opens the floodgates, and the ideas flow as I work on a novel or blog, smiling as the story unfolds in blue ink.

You guessed it, “scratch” also means feedback. One of the definitions of feedback states: as a reaction to a person’s performance of a task. Of course, there are other types of feedback. The clicking of a laptop’s keys as your fingers bang out a story. The agonizing moan of a writer struggling to craft the perfect sentence. The well-earned sigh of accomplishment when the book is finished, and you’ve typed “The End!”

During my endless hours of listening to country music, I also discovered that the stories the songs tell inspire me. An artist’s ability to describe human emotions and reactions to life in short phrases has given me ideas on how to show the same in my characters.

In “Redneck Ranch,” my hero, Wyatt Stone, is the sheriff. I decided to have Wyatt idolize Eric Church, so Wyatt, his brother, and his high school friends formed a band and sang Eric Church songs in local bars. Eric is known to his fans as Chief, a tribute to his grandfather, who was Chief of Police back in the day. Eric is also a standout singer, songwriter, and performer, but he is also a humble, kind person. I loved the idea that my character Wyatt could mirror these same characteristics. And the nickname has provided an element of humor because Wyatt isn’t crazy about the moniker. He even named his horse Chief, hoping his deputies and the townsfolk would stop using the nickname.

Another Morgan Wallen song, “Cover Me Up,” has this line: A heart on the run keeps a hand on a gun, can’t trust anyone. I used these words as a springboard for my heroine, Harley Harper, to question Wyatt’s love for her in “Willow’s Woods.” She’s had her heart broken more than once, and this line summed up how I wanted her to feel. I loved creating a scenario where Harley doesn’t feel her heart has a home. The song is about learning to trust and love again, and well, you can imagine how her and Wyatt’s journey might end in “Willow’s Woods.” I plan to carry this song into the next Stoneybrook Mystery, “Fatal Falls,” and can’t wait to see what insight it provides for Wyatt and Harley.

Another favorite song, “Oklahoma Smokeshow,” by Zach Bryan, is about a man with a woman out of his league. The word “smokeshow” is a slang term used to describe someone extremely attractive. I used the word as a way for Wyatt’s friend Britt to poke fun at Wyatt about being with someone as lovely as Harley.

All genres of music inspire me except for Rap. Knowing I wanted to weave a Christian theme through my Stoneybrook books, I studied gospel songs, too. I know several worship songs, but was thrilled when I found a lovely song called “Cowboy Church,” which was perfect for the outdoor Cowboy Church scene in “Redneck Ranch.”

In “Vanished in Vallarta,” the third book in my Mexico Mayhem series, I weaved in the lyrics (yes, I Googled and had Paty’s help in knowing exactly how one uses lyrics without going to copyright jail) from Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect,” to create a sexy dance scene between my characters, Jade Mendoza and Amado Pena.

If I controlled the hours of my day, I would spend every spare minute writing. Unfortunately, I still work and have a husband who requires a little attention now and then. Not to mention yard work that never seems to end, I console myself with the knowledge that as I clean the house, file the mounds of paper in my office, or pull endless weeds … I can listen to music and be inspired.

I still yearn to write that country song. But until the lyrics scratch across the pages of a legal pad, or I learn to hear the music in the scritch of my imaginary guitar strings, I’ll keep enjoying the feedback I get from telling my stories and writing my books.

Happy Feedback, Ladies of Mystery!!!