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For me music is a huge part of my life, and needless to say my writing. It helps me set a mood and environment for my manuscripts and has the uncanny ability to put me in a cheery mood after a long day.
Recently while working on my Sci-Fi novel my musical tastes have strayed from that of the normal Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald.
Here are a few of the songs that have helped me form the book I am currently working on!
Somebody To Trick by Fossils of Ancient Robots
The electronic beats immediately draw to mind the futuristic setting of the world I am piecing together in my head. The world encased in metal, so many lights that night has been forgotten, humanity being of a slightly different meaning now.
My Friend The Devil by Audra Mae and The Almighty Sound
Did I mention how eclectic my preferences in music are? The throaty voice of Audra Mae symbolizes everything I need to bring to life one of my characters who has a penchant for playing with things she shouldn't and not caring about the consequences that will surely follow.
I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab For Cutie
One of my favorite bands Death Cab For cutie never fails to write slow melodies that relieve any tension from my mind and replacing them with beautiful imagery that takes me to undiscovered worlds and ethereal lands filled with rivers of words, trees of hopes, and the end that is too bittersweet.
Mad World by Gary Jules
I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad that the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had.
The borderline heartbreaking tune managed to attach itself to a part of my soul that appears to be masochistic as I imagine the chaotic depression inside of a child who just can't seem to belong. Which is one of the reasons I love YA so much is because that is what essentially most YA books are about, finding where your own voice and a place to feel special.
Colours by Grouplove
This upbeat song helps find and define the unique voices of all of my characters as they take part in witty and sometimes not so witty banter to ease the tension of the despair of not knowing how everything will turn out just yet.
Well I hope everyone enjoyed these songs I shared today! Maybe one day these songs could be apart of an actual soundtrack to the movie of one of my books. ;)
Goals lofty I myself find having. -- I am watching Star Wars right now and needed to talk like Yoda at least once today.
Thank you all for putting up with my nonsense! Have a lovely Sunday Funday!
--Lexi
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Monday, February 6, 2012
Music Makes the Imaginary World Go Round
I'm a huge, huge fan of music. The majority of my day, whether I'm commuting or while at work, I'm listening to music. It's a vital part of my life, and that also extends to my writing. When I listen while writing, not only does it help inspire me, but it also allows me to immerse myself in the world I'm creating. Like blinders on a horse, plugging my ipod in helps me remove myself from the outside distractions and concentrate on the task at hand.
Speaking of distractions though, I can't just listen to anything while writing. I usually rotate through maybe five different bands and several movie scores that I'm very familiar with. I've tried listening to new stuff, even from some of my favorite bands, and my mind wants to pay attention to the lyrics, and it seriously hampers my writing ability. So when I listen to those old familiar tunes, I guess it acts as sort of a white noise filter, albeit a much catchier one. But I also have to be careful that the music fits the mood of the scene I'm writing. Let's face it, washing the dishes can become an intense and emotionally draining experience if you're listening to this.
And yes, I'm definitely speaking from experience on the subject. While it might bring on an unwanted anxiety attack, a song like that might be perfect for that chase scene you're working on. I've done some author interviews on my blog, and something I usually ask people is if they listen to music while they write. Here are a few of the responses:
Heather Dixon, author of Entwined: I listen to a lot of soundtracks. Lots of Hans Zimmer, Patrick Doyle, Alan Menken, Danny Elfman, John Williams, John Powell, Miklos Rosza, James Newton Howard, Alan Silvestri, Nicholas Hooper…and all those talented fellas.
Jaime Reed, author of Living Violet: I write with music, the louder and faster the better. When I edit, it has to be ABSOLUTE SILENCE. Don’t call me or knock on my door, or else prepare to get cussed out.
Trisha Wolfe, author of Destiny's Fire (and someone with excellent taste in music): I listen to music in every area of my life, except for when I write. I actually find it distracting. I’m a huge music fan, and that means I start jamming out instead of working. I like to make playlists for my books, though. And I listen to those while doing mundane things, and that helps with future scenes as I’m working on a book. For DESTINY’S FIRE, I listened to a lot of Florence and the Machine. Blinding, for me, is Dez’s song. It gives me chills every time I listen to it.
So it's all across the spectrum I guess, from listening not at all to all the time. I know people besides Trisha even create playlists for certain scenes and characters. The other day on Twitter an author posted that she had made character playlists, and one of her characters had horrible taste in music. I thought that was hilarious. As for my own writing, I tend to be on the pretty much all the time side. Like I said before, it helps me zone out of this world and zone into the world that I'm writing. In fact, there's a quote by conductor Sir Thomas Beecham that kind of goes along with this:
I definitely agree with this, as when I'm writing I need to get out of my conscious mind and somewhere that I can get in touch with the story. Some of the bands that help me do that are Social Distortion, The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel, Nick 13, as well as film scores from my favorite two composers, Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer, among others.
So how about you? Do you listen to music when you write? How about during revisions? And who do you listen to? Do you make playlists or just hit shuffle? Maybe you can introduce me to my new favorite writing band.
Speaking of distractions though, I can't just listen to anything while writing. I usually rotate through maybe five different bands and several movie scores that I'm very familiar with. I've tried listening to new stuff, even from some of my favorite bands, and my mind wants to pay attention to the lyrics, and it seriously hampers my writing ability. So when I listen to those old familiar tunes, I guess it acts as sort of a white noise filter, albeit a much catchier one. But I also have to be careful that the music fits the mood of the scene I'm writing. Let's face it, washing the dishes can become an intense and emotionally draining experience if you're listening to this.
And yes, I'm definitely speaking from experience on the subject. While it might bring on an unwanted anxiety attack, a song like that might be perfect for that chase scene you're working on. I've done some author interviews on my blog, and something I usually ask people is if they listen to music while they write. Here are a few of the responses:
Heather Dixon, author of Entwined: I listen to a lot of soundtracks. Lots of Hans Zimmer, Patrick Doyle, Alan Menken, Danny Elfman, John Williams, John Powell, Miklos Rosza, James Newton Howard, Alan Silvestri, Nicholas Hooper…and all those talented fellas.
Jaime Reed, author of Living Violet: I write with music, the louder and faster the better. When I edit, it has to be ABSOLUTE SILENCE. Don’t call me or knock on my door, or else prepare to get cussed out.
Trisha Wolfe, author of Destiny's Fire (and someone with excellent taste in music): I listen to music in every area of my life, except for when I write. I actually find it distracting. I’m a huge music fan, and that means I start jamming out instead of working. I like to make playlists for my books, though. And I listen to those while doing mundane things, and that helps with future scenes as I’m working on a book. For DESTINY’S FIRE, I listened to a lot of Florence and the Machine. Blinding, for me, is Dez’s song. It gives me chills every time I listen to it.
So it's all across the spectrum I guess, from listening not at all to all the time. I know people besides Trisha even create playlists for certain scenes and characters. The other day on Twitter an author posted that she had made character playlists, and one of her characters had horrible taste in music. I thought that was hilarious. As for my own writing, I tend to be on the pretty much all the time side. Like I said before, it helps me zone out of this world and zone into the world that I'm writing. In fact, there's a quote by conductor Sir Thomas Beecham that kind of goes along with this:
I definitely agree with this, as when I'm writing I need to get out of my conscious mind and somewhere that I can get in touch with the story. Some of the bands that help me do that are Social Distortion, The Gaslight Anthem, American Steel, Nick 13, as well as film scores from my favorite two composers, Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer, among others.So how about you? Do you listen to music when you write? How about during revisions? And who do you listen to? Do you make playlists or just hit shuffle? Maybe you can introduce me to my new favorite writing band.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Lyrics That Make Your Heart Bleed
by Jordan Dane
I don’t think I could write a YA book without thinking of music. Lyrics really ground me in a character’s world. They can be powerful. One of my favorite research things to do is discovering music for the book I’m working on. Maybe you can help inspire me for future books by sharing your favorite song and share why you LOVE it.
Sometimes an inspiration is only one song that triggers something in me about a character or feeling. Listening to certain songs can stir my creative juices and entice my characters to come out and play with me. When I know I’ll be writing a scene for a specific character, I often will listen to the song that reminds me of them before I start. That gets me in the mood. I love how lyrics can connect us all. Books are like that too.
I’d actually love to hear from readers when they find good songs with lyrics that make your heart bleed. Yeah, I tip the scales toward Emo when I write.
Two songs played a part in the writing of ON A DARK WING. Abbey Chandler has a crush on a boy she thinks is perfect, Nate Holden. He’s a great guy, but reminds her of all the things she’s not. Abbey doesn’t feel worthy, but that doesn’t stop her from fantasizing about the guy. The lyrics to the song “Not Meant to Be” by Theory of a Deadman became a melancholy reminder to her that she was never going to “get” the guy, but those same lyrics told a different story for another character. Her best friend, Tanner Lange, knew this song reminded Abbey of Nate, but Tanner had his own crush on his BFF, Abbey. Those lyrics worked him over, hard. When he heard that song, which Abbey played often, he knew she was thinking of someone else—someone with two good legs and not in a wheelchair. Here are a few lyrics that inspired me from “Not Meant to Be” by Theory of a Deadman and an excerpt from ON A DARK WING from Tanner.
“Not meant to be” by Theory of a Deadman (Inspiration Lyrics)
“Baby, I’m starting to see
Maybe we’re not meant to be.”
It’s never enough to say I love you.
No, it’s never enough to say I try.
It’s hard to believe,
That there’s no way out for you and me
And it seems to be the story of our lives.”
Excerpt from ON A DARK WING – Tanner
The sun had already gone down by the time Tanner got home from Anchorage. For the last hour, he’d been sitting in his wheelchair, looking out his bedroom window with only one lamp burning. As he listened to the song “Not Meant to Be”, one of Abbey’s favorite songs, he thought about her. The lyrics put him into an epic tailspin, but they seemed to make her happy, so he played the song because it reminded him of her.
He imagined her skulking through the woods on her way to see him. Sometimes she’d come to his front door, but the times he liked best was when she climbed the tree and came through his bedroom window. He knew that wasn’t going to happen tonight, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to see her.
Guess he missed his best friend—and not just a little bit.
Another song that I thought was very haunting for this story is “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles. The lyrics can make anyone long for love, the kind that doesn’t hurt. But in ON A DARK WING, Abbey comes face to face with the grief and guilt she feels for the part she played in her mother’s death and also must come to grips with the reality of her fantasy boy and what love truly is. Here is a beautiful YouTube video of the song with the lyrics and an excerpt from the book—from Abbey.
“Gravity” by Sara Bareilles (Video with Lyrics)
Excerpt from ON A DARK WING – Abbey
By the time my dad got done with his ax, freaking me out like he was Jason on Friday the 13th (so not funny), he came in breathing a little heavy and got a fire going in our stove. I smelled the wood burning and heard the crackling as I shut the door to my room. The place was always real quiet, which drove me crazier than usual. I had to have music in my ears and snag alone time behind closed doors, scarfing on a Kit Kat bar. Lying on my bed, I got completely wrapped in my tunes.
When one of my favorite Sara Bareilles’ songs came on my iPod—“Gravity”—it reminded me of Nate. Listening to her sing about wanting to drown in love and being fragile always made me cry. I imagined Nate looking at me, really seeing me. In my dreams, I looked thin and smelled really good too, like chocolate. Nate’s blue eyes were the color of new denim and they always made it hard for me to breathe. Even in my daydreams, it was the same. I wanted to know what it would be like to touch a boy, for real.
The lyrics made me ache to kiss him…and hold him…and know what it felt like to really be in love. When my throat tightened, tears rolled down my cheeks and my room turned into a major blur, making it easy to cuddle up in Nateworld. I would never even come close to having someone like him and he sure didn’t need me. He had a real life ahead of him. I could totally see him saving lives and doing real stuff, but that didn’t stop me from fantasizing. I closed my eyes and blocked out the cabin to picture him with me now.
That would’ve worked too—except for Dad.
He barged into my bedroom and ruined everything. I jumped off my pillows and wiped a hand over my face as I pulled the music from my ears.
“Come on, Dad. Knock.” I couldn’t look at him or else he’d know I’d been crying.
So for future reference in books to come, please share a song that you LOVE and share the reason it makes your heart bleed. Who knows? You could inspire me to use your name in my upcoming THE HUNTED series with Harlequin Teen. O’Dell Hutchinson of BookTwirps has already earned a character spot in book #1 – INDIGO AWAKENING – by suggesting DOWN by Jason Walker, an amazing song with powerful lyrics. Share a song that you love and you may inspire me to name a character after you.
I don’t think I could write a YA book without thinking of music. Lyrics really ground me in a character’s world. They can be powerful. One of my favorite research things to do is discovering music for the book I’m working on. Maybe you can help inspire me for future books by sharing your favorite song and share why you LOVE it.
Sometimes an inspiration is only one song that triggers something in me about a character or feeling. Listening to certain songs can stir my creative juices and entice my characters to come out and play with me. When I know I’ll be writing a scene for a specific character, I often will listen to the song that reminds me of them before I start. That gets me in the mood. I love how lyrics can connect us all. Books are like that too.
I’d actually love to hear from readers when they find good songs with lyrics that make your heart bleed. Yeah, I tip the scales toward Emo when I write.
Two songs played a part in the writing of ON A DARK WING. Abbey Chandler has a crush on a boy she thinks is perfect, Nate Holden. He’s a great guy, but reminds her of all the things she’s not. Abbey doesn’t feel worthy, but that doesn’t stop her from fantasizing about the guy. The lyrics to the song “Not Meant to Be” by Theory of a Deadman became a melancholy reminder to her that she was never going to “get” the guy, but those same lyrics told a different story for another character. Her best friend, Tanner Lange, knew this song reminded Abbey of Nate, but Tanner had his own crush on his BFF, Abbey. Those lyrics worked him over, hard. When he heard that song, which Abbey played often, he knew she was thinking of someone else—someone with two good legs and not in a wheelchair. Here are a few lyrics that inspired me from “Not Meant to Be” by Theory of a Deadman and an excerpt from ON A DARK WING from Tanner.
“Not meant to be” by Theory of a Deadman (Inspiration Lyrics)
“Baby, I’m starting to see
Maybe we’re not meant to be.”
It’s never enough to say I love you.
No, it’s never enough to say I try.
It’s hard to believe,
That there’s no way out for you and me
And it seems to be the story of our lives.”
Excerpt from ON A DARK WING – Tanner
The sun had already gone down by the time Tanner got home from Anchorage. For the last hour, he’d been sitting in his wheelchair, looking out his bedroom window with only one lamp burning. As he listened to the song “Not Meant to Be”, one of Abbey’s favorite songs, he thought about her. The lyrics put him into an epic tailspin, but they seemed to make her happy, so he played the song because it reminded him of her.
He imagined her skulking through the woods on her way to see him. Sometimes she’d come to his front door, but the times he liked best was when she climbed the tree and came through his bedroom window. He knew that wasn’t going to happen tonight, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to see her.
Guess he missed his best friend—and not just a little bit.
Another song that I thought was very haunting for this story is “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles. The lyrics can make anyone long for love, the kind that doesn’t hurt. But in ON A DARK WING, Abbey comes face to face with the grief and guilt she feels for the part she played in her mother’s death and also must come to grips with the reality of her fantasy boy and what love truly is. Here is a beautiful YouTube video of the song with the lyrics and an excerpt from the book—from Abbey.
“Gravity” by Sara Bareilles (Video with Lyrics)
Excerpt from ON A DARK WING – Abbey
By the time my dad got done with his ax, freaking me out like he was Jason on Friday the 13th (so not funny), he came in breathing a little heavy and got a fire going in our stove. I smelled the wood burning and heard the crackling as I shut the door to my room. The place was always real quiet, which drove me crazier than usual. I had to have music in my ears and snag alone time behind closed doors, scarfing on a Kit Kat bar. Lying on my bed, I got completely wrapped in my tunes.
When one of my favorite Sara Bareilles’ songs came on my iPod—“Gravity”—it reminded me of Nate. Listening to her sing about wanting to drown in love and being fragile always made me cry. I imagined Nate looking at me, really seeing me. In my dreams, I looked thin and smelled really good too, like chocolate. Nate’s blue eyes were the color of new denim and they always made it hard for me to breathe. Even in my daydreams, it was the same. I wanted to know what it would be like to touch a boy, for real.
The lyrics made me ache to kiss him…and hold him…and know what it felt like to really be in love. When my throat tightened, tears rolled down my cheeks and my room turned into a major blur, making it easy to cuddle up in Nateworld. I would never even come close to having someone like him and he sure didn’t need me. He had a real life ahead of him. I could totally see him saving lives and doing real stuff, but that didn’t stop me from fantasizing. I closed my eyes and blocked out the cabin to picture him with me now.
That would’ve worked too—except for Dad.
He barged into my bedroom and ruined everything. I jumped off my pillows and wiped a hand over my face as I pulled the music from my ears.
“Come on, Dad. Knock.” I couldn’t look at him or else he’d know I’d been crying.
So for future reference in books to come, please share a song that you LOVE and share the reason it makes your heart bleed. Who knows? You could inspire me to use your name in my upcoming THE HUNTED series with Harlequin Teen. O’Dell Hutchinson of BookTwirps has already earned a character spot in book #1 – INDIGO AWAKENING – by suggesting DOWN by Jason Walker, an amazing song with powerful lyrics. Share a song that you love and you may inspire me to name a character after you.
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