Tag Archives: music

Technique

Nano inspiration: Music

Music is another great way to recapture some of the initial inspiration behind your story. It does more than just soothe the savage beast! (Which is a misquote anyway.)

Music is a great way to get yourself in the mood to write a specific scene. I know, I know, that sounds like I mean you should be listening to “Let’s Get It On” when you’re writing love scenes. That’s not quite what I mean (but if that works for you, great)—or, rather, it’s not just what I mean. There are songs about other things, you know. Sort of.

For a long time, my favorite music for just about anything was classical. Even now, when I need to be creative on demand, I’ll pop in my James Galway (flute) album (Serenade). Sometimes, I have a perfect popular song or soundtrack I listen to on repeat while writing, either because it relates thematically, is directly mentioned in the story, or the beat is just good. A song with a driving beat is a great for a high-tension scene—or for a high-tension writer.

Need music without words? I hear you, and I’ve found something that I love: movie soundtracks. Think of a movie in your genre that you like, and pull up the soundtrack for it. The various songs are already designed to be the backdrop to the different types of scenes you might be writing.

You might already have a good site for listening to music, or maybe you actually spring for your tracks on iTunes or Amazon, but if not, I’ve found Grooveshark is pretty nice for individual songs and playlists. I’m still devoted to Pandora for building a radio station around a song or two (yes even with the ads). Apparently I’m flirting with growing up because I also (gasp) buy tracks off Amazon. I guess iTunes would work, too, but I don’t have an iPod, so . . . no thanks.

So what’s in my playlist? Last year, “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin, the soundtrack to Indiana Jones and Queen headlined. This year, my new songs include:

  • “Adrienne” – The Calling—it’s about betrayal, and my MC’s name is Adrienne. Plus it takes me back to high school, which is where you kinda want to be while writing YA, right?
  • “Redrum” – Ugress feat. Christine Litle—discovered this when making the trailer for my book. Driving beat, evil lyrics. I almost feel like this set the tone for her voice. Also, free download from the band’s website.
  • “Little Talks” – Of Monsters and Men—heard it on the radio (again) 4 days before starting. Sometimes that’s all it takes.

Plus some old drafting favorites (Zep, Queen) and anything that seemed appropriate that I already had on my computer.

What songs do you write to?

Photo by Colleen Lane and unknown

Is your writing any good? Join my writers' email group to find out how you can get a free edit & skill assessment!

 
Technique

NaNo inspiration: music

2 Comments
This entry is part 7 of 16 in the series NaNoWriMo success and inspiration

Images are one great way to recapture some of the initial inspiration behind your story, and music is another. It does more than just soothe the savage beast! (Which is a misquote anyway.)

Music is a great way to get yourself in the mood to write a specific scene. I know, I know, that sounds like I mean you should be listening to “Let’s Get It On” when you’re writing love scenes. That’s not quite what I mean (but if that works for you, great)—or, rather, it’s not just what I mean. There are songs about other things, you know. Sort of.

For a long time, my favorite music for just about anything was classical. Still, when I need to be creative on demand, I’ll pop in my James Galway (flute) album (Serenade). This is a big help still because I often have trouble writing to music with words without singing along. Okay, I have trouble grocery shopping to music with words without singing along. Audibly. (I’m just lucky my kids aren’t old enough to be embarrassed. Tired of listening, yes. Embarrassed, not yet.)

But sometimes, I have a perfect popular song or soundtrack I listen to on repeat while writing. I wrote a novel with a bunch of oblique references in the text to current songs—but it was set in 1974. So I listened to those songs on repeat. In another novel, I wrote a car chase chapter listening to “Life in the Fast Lane” on repeat. (No endorsement for the content or even musical quality. I just like it.) A song with a driving beat is a great for a high-tension scene—or for a high-tension writer.

Need music without words? I hear you, and I’ve found something that I love: movie soundtracks. Think of a movie in your genre that you like, and pull up the soundtrack for it. The various songs are already designed to be the backdrop to the different types of scenes you might be writing.

You might already have a good site for listening to music, or maybe you actually spring for your tracks on iTunes or Amazon, but if not, I’ve found Grooveshark is pretty nice for individual songs and playlists. I’m still devoted to Pandora for building a radio station around a song or two (yes even with the ads).

So what’s in my playlist this time around? “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin and the soundtrack to Indiana Jones. Also, Queen. They have nothing to do with my story. I just like them. I’ve really shattered your illusions of me now, haven’t I? John Williams, Eagles, Zeppelin and Queen, and yes, I’m under 30. You just don’t know what to make of me, do you?

What songs do you write to?

Photo by Colleen Lane and unknown

Is your writing any good? Join my writers' email group to find out how you can get a free edit & skill assessment!

 
Uncategorized

What else do you dream?

5 Comments

Presumably, most people reading this blog are dreaming about publishing their writing. Hey, me too. But this week, I was thinking about one of my writing friends whose bio talks about her many dreams. Her dreams of publishing are coming true now, but her other dreams—which have also come true!—included such disparate things as becoming an opera singer and dancing ballet. Yep.

Publishing is one of my dreams, and the one I’m working hardest to pursue right now. (You know, outside of my family life and the battle against the mess.) But I have other dreams, too.

One of my dreams isn’t really a secret, but I don’t think the people I’ve shared it with realize that I’m actually serious. I want to be in a band. Really. I don’t want to storm the charts and sell gold records. My dream doesn’t even require recording or writing original songs. A cover band is great: I would love to perform my favorite songs from my favorite artists.

This dream isn’t that far fetched. I’ve played the piano for 20 years and have a decent singing voice. Virtually my entire family is musically talented. I even know what venues we’d play and how to get in. In fact, the biggest problems are that 1.) we don’t have a drummer and 2.) we live thousands of miles apart.

But if we do get to live closer to one another, I have every intention of doing this. I’m even working on our set list. You know, whenever I think of it (3-4 times a year).

I think I would be remiss here if I didn’t mention my family as one of my dreams. While I’m already living that dream, and it’s definitely not easy all the time, it’s probably the more important and more valuable than all my other dreams combined.

I have smaller dreams, too—more like goals, really. Things like not killing every plant in my garden one year, having a lovely home, and designing a few pieces of knitwear (I have the ideas and knitting ability, but not the design skill yet). Things I’ll all (probably) do—someday, one thing at a time.

And then there are the more fleeting, flitting, wouldn’t-it-be-nice-if ones: becoming an FBI agent (yeah, because that’s something you undertake lightly, uh huh), getting back into Irish dance, recording a few original arrangements with my family, becoming a fantastically awesome quilt artist (never having made a quilt myself, or even seen an art quilt up close, LOL). These are more of the things I think “that would be so coooool!!” about, but realistically probably won’t make a priority any time soon.

So, what are your other dreams? Are they attainable? Are you going to pursue them, or do you just enjoy the idea?

Photo by Jake Bellucci

Is your writing any good? Join my writers' email group to find out how you can get a free edit & skill assessment!