Manuscript Soundtracks

I've been thinking a lot about a WIP that is next up (after the one I'm currently working on) and as a result I've been pretty much listening to the Hunger Games soundtrack and Rob Dougan non-stop. And oooo does that music make me want to work on this book! :D It just fits my book so well - I can see the scenes playing out in my head with those songs as background music. I just want to close my eyes and watch :)

I don't always have particular songs for my books. And I very rarely listen to the music while actually writing (it's usually more of a mood setter). But I do have a couple books that have surprised me with my need to listen to something while writing them.

I have a feeling this next WIP (which I did cave and started a bit :D ) will be one of them. Another is a novella I finished recently. Rob Dougan was on repeat while I was writing - totally out of my usual comfort zone for writing. But with this book, I actually had a hard time writing if the awesome Mr.Dougan wasn't playing in the background.

With my soon-to-be released novel Treasured Lies, I couldn't listen to music at all while writing. Noise of any kind made it very hard to concentrate. And with yet another WIP, I sometimes listen to the soundtracks channel on Pandora (no lyrics, just instrumental tunes).

Do you create "soundtracks" for your manuscripts? Do you listen while writing or just to set the mood? And what do you listen to?

Blog Chain - Getting in the "Write" Frame of Mind

Today is my turn on the blog chain. The topic for this round was chosen by the lovely Margie who wanted to know:

How do you get in the mindset of your genre? Do you research people or facts? Do you just reach into the recesses of your mind for events that would make a good story? Something else?” 

I love this question :D

My answer has sort of changed over the years. I write historicals. When I very first started, I had a hard time staying in that "historical" frame of mind, and a lot of modern terms and phrases would slip into my writing. My first book was set in Victorian England, so any time I needed help to get in the right frame of mind, I would watch An Ideal Husband. It would help ingrain the language and mannerisms before I started writing.

Since I write historicals, I do a lot of research, of course, but for the most part, I need something visual or audible to get in the right mindset. Movies help me with the language aspects of writing historicals, but for the emotional part, I'll come up with a short playlist of songs that strike the right nerve.

For the most part, I can just sit down and write. I'll go back a few pages and read and that is usually sufficient to suck me back into my storyworld, but if I need that extra help, I find a movie in the right time period or a couple of good songs :D

I'm the last link on this chain, but be sure to check out Eric's response from yesterday. And head over to Margie's blog if you'd like to follow this chain from the beginning :)

How do you get in the "write" frame of mind?

Creative Writing Short - Music Inspiration

A few months ago, some friends and I decided to do a monthly creative writing short - someone would pick a theme and we'd all write on it. The first theme was flowers, started by Elana. June's theme was waves, started by Christine. And this month, Kate chose our theme. She wanted us to write something inspired by a piece of music. So.....the song I chose was Decode by Paramore - and my short piece is written below. You can listen to the song as you read or before or after or whatever suits you :) I couldn't get it to embed anything but a 30 second preview, but if you click the link that says "play full song here" it will take you to the site so you can hear the song.

Decode (Twilight Soundtrack Version) - Hayley Williams

I was going to lose him. I knew it, could feel it with every breath I took. He was slipping away from me. No. That wasn’t strictly true. Because you couldn’t lose what you never had. And he had never been mine, not really. Every word that oozed from his lie-ridden mouth had been false, meant to keep me around for as long as he needed me. Keep me coming back for more while he was off finding the “true” love of his life.

But then, he still needed me around, right? Of course. He needed me because he couldn’t very well go around mauling HER, the future mother of his children. He would never think of blowing into a room, grabbing her hand and half dragging her back to his bedroom with barely a glance at her. He would never paw her and kiss her and treat her like a little toy, to be used and tossed aside as soon as his lust had been slacked. Oh no. Whoever she was would be his wife someday. She deserved respect. But me, now I could be treated that way. Why not. I was nothing to him……….

I reread his letters dozens of times. No, I hadn’t just been deluding myself. Over and over in the letters he had told me how much he loved me, how he longed for me, ached to hold me. But he was home now. Surrounded by familiar friends and faces. He didn’t need me anymore. And suddenly his all consuming passion for me dissipated, leaving him with a problem he needed to get rid of. And why did I care anyways? Did I really want to spend the rest of my life with a man who freaked out because his dog was watching him eat?! Who stressed over the tiniest aspects of normal every day life? NO!!! But still.............

It hurt so badly. I couldn’t figure out why. Logically, I wanted nothing to do with him, had already moved on. But my heart still cried out for him. Even now, when he had hurt me so cruelly. While I stood staring at my wedding dress, hanging unused in my closet, holding his wedding invitation in my hand. Perhaps the worst pain of all came, not because I still loved him, but because I realized that he no longer loved me, perhaps never did. That…that was more than I could bear.

My Music Muse

Quote of the Day:

Music is what feelings sound like. ~Anonymous

Music has always inspired me, always brought incredible scenes to my mind, kicked my creative muse into gear. I'm one of those people that will sit and listen to a beautiful song with tears running down my face (while non-musical hubby looks on in confusion and disdain), or will listen to a song over and over and over just because I don't want to stop feeling the way it's making me feel.

I suppose it makes sense then that I'd be the type of writer that makes playlists for my projects. And it got me curious as to how many other writers do this. So this is what I want to know - do you listen to music while you write? Before you write? Do you have actual playlists or just a specific song on repeat?

For my current book, I've been listening to a lot of E.S. Posthumus, specifically the songs Nala and Nineveh (which I liked so much, I'm naming a character after the title of the song) - and a song called River Flows in You by Yiruma that is so beautiful I bought the piano music (though my sorry version doesn't sound anything as wonderful as the original) :)

Apocalyptica (especially their songs, Bittersweet and Romance) and Evanescence are always major players on my soundtracks. And the Twilight soundtrack is almost on constant repeat - it's just got some great songs! Rob Dougan is another favorite of mine (wow, that man's voice makes my toes curl!) And for the more upbeat, funny scenes, I listen to just about anything...well, upbeat :) Lady Gaga is a current favorite (fun to dance to), Sweet Home Alabama is a favorite song, as well as Everybody Got Their Something by Nikka Costa.

How about you? What songs are on your lists?