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Thursday, December 20, 2007
Rockin' the Boat!
I enjoy music, but I wouldn’t consider myself the type of person who needs to be inundated with music all day long. You definitely wouldn't see me going about my life's business, an IPod headphone perpetually in my ear like all the teenagers. (Boy, I sound old). To date myself further, I don't even own an IPod. I listen in the car, I listen if I need some auditory stimulation, but besides that, I can take it or leave it.
However, as I’m plotting out my new contemporary, I find that it is more musically charged than the Regency I’ve lost interest in (for now). Different plot aspects get me humming some song or another and making thematic parallels to music.
I find this a little disconcerting because it did NOT happen while I was working on my last WIP. And I’m wondering if that isn’t why my last WIP started feeling so stiff and dead as I worked into the dreaded middle of it. It lacked that emotion, the feeling that I know, from my experience as a reader, that other readers want.
It isn’t just any song that I think of when I’m working my new WIP. I realized my earlier statement sounded like every time I opened the lid on my computer that I was swallowed into the Sound of Music or something. No, that isn’t it. Instead, there are a few songs that I think of when I’m writing. I think of them as the soundtrack of this book.
So far, there are three songs clanking around in my brain when I work on this novel: “Forgive” by Rebecca Lynn Howard, “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon, and “I Apologize” by One Republic. Amazingly, anytime I find myself stuck for an idea, I just have to listen to one of these songs and I’m immediately back into my WIP, full of the emotions I want to encapsulate, and ready to get to work again.
Does your work have a soundtrack? And if so, what songs can you find on it? Does music play a role in your writing and if so, what role?
As an aside, I attempted to load a couple of those songs in here, but I'm video upload incompetent. Apologies. But, they're all on YouTube, if you're interested.
However, as I’m plotting out my new contemporary, I find that it is more musically charged than the Regency I’ve lost interest in (for now). Different plot aspects get me humming some song or another and making thematic parallels to music.
I find this a little disconcerting because it did NOT happen while I was working on my last WIP. And I’m wondering if that isn’t why my last WIP started feeling so stiff and dead as I worked into the dreaded middle of it. It lacked that emotion, the feeling that I know, from my experience as a reader, that other readers want.
It isn’t just any song that I think of when I’m working my new WIP. I realized my earlier statement sounded like every time I opened the lid on my computer that I was swallowed into the Sound of Music or something. No, that isn’t it. Instead, there are a few songs that I think of when I’m writing. I think of them as the soundtrack of this book.
So far, there are three songs clanking around in my brain when I work on this novel: “Forgive” by Rebecca Lynn Howard, “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon, and “I Apologize” by One Republic. Amazingly, anytime I find myself stuck for an idea, I just have to listen to one of these songs and I’m immediately back into my WIP, full of the emotions I want to encapsulate, and ready to get to work again.
Does your work have a soundtrack? And if so, what songs can you find on it? Does music play a role in your writing and if so, what role?
As an aside, I attempted to load a couple of those songs in here, but I'm video upload incompetent. Apologies. But, they're all on YouTube, if you're interested.
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47 comments:
Yup, all my work has music. It helps get me in the mood to write, too. I always have my little ishuffle or itunes playing. It helps me tune everything else out and focus on the story and characters.
But this could be because of my musical background. I just can't function without it. It's funny that I can do this, but as soon as the TV is on, I am easily distracted from writing and focused on what happens on the tv (this is why I try writing in my room sans tv)
And marnee... I listen to classical when I'm writing my historicals sometimes I pick and choose...When I was trying to figure out Claudia I knew she played the cello - not likely for a young miss, but it's my story, and I played a lot of Bach's suites.
I usually write w/o sound, although a few summers ago I listened to Tim McGraw as I wrote a historical. Doesn't make sense, but anyway...maybe music is just what I need.
Tiff - it's cool that classical gets you going. I enjoy classical music, actually most music except that stuff where they yell and I can't understand the words, but I haven't used classical to write yet. What kind of musical background do you have?
Maggie - I have never used music to write either, but it just feels right this time. I have so far been a write w/o sound kinda gal too. Give it a go, it's helping me out a lot!
This is a great topic. And where it gets weird for me. Music is a MAJOR part of my life and I've been addicted to it for as long as I can remember. When I was little, if my mother couldn't find me, she knew to look whereever there was a radio in the house and there I'd be.
As a former DJ, you'd think I'd have a slew of songs for my WIP. But no. I don't have any songs.
I write better when there's no sound. Not sure why. But I think I might try to create a soundtrack. I love those songs you pick and they give me a pretty good idea about your story. Would it be an accurate guess that your hero acts like an ass somewhere along the line? LOL!
Now I feel like this is a challenge. I want a soundtrack, damn it.
I studied classical for a long time... still going at it... Clarinet is my first instrument (Bb. Eb. Bass), but I've delved into flute, trombone and now piano. I can pretty much play any instrument I pick up. :D except the stringed ones for some reason.
That is weird you don't have a soundtrack, Ter. You are one person I would think would have one. Music is an important part of your life, as long as it's not coming from my iPod :D
I admit I cringed when you mentioned your iPod in the first comment. *g*
Marnee - Years ago when I read Henry James' Portrait of a Lady, I could only read it with classical music playing in the background. I'm not sure why but if I didn't have the music playing, I would read and not absorb a word of it. I'm sure you have a public radio station in your area. Try turning that on and reading the last couple chapters of your historical. I bet that would get the juices flowing again.
Not that I want you to leave behind the contemp...*g*
Tiff, that's so cool. Where do you play?
Ter - I might have to try that with my historical. I just kinda got sick of messing with it and I felt like it was so stiff, so boring. I think I need a break from it and then to attempt to come back, so I can see what's the matter with it. I thought I'd go back after the holidays, so I'm messing with this one now. :)
And what's the matter with Tiff's IPod?
hahaha... I rarely play these days marnee...just piano and in my room--my children will be educated in music, by me, then later on by instruction -- it's always been an important part of my life. And for myself. Maybe when life settles down a bit, I'll pursue music on a more serious basis but I'm afraid I'm back to square one, I could probably pass all theory and trascribing examinations but none of the playing since I'm so out of practice... but the clarinet (Which I played for 15 years) Is tucked away waiting for someone to love her again...
You mean after your babies are older, maybe you'll have time? (Maybe I just projected my life into yours... Sorry if so. LOL!!)
I really want my kids to be involved in music too. I've read, and as a teacher experienced first hand, that kids who play are generally better students.
That's great about planning to go back to the clarinet. I've been harrassing DH about wanting to buy a piano. He's not into it though, we have a smallish house and way too much furniture. I think we'd have to do some major rearranging. And well, they're pricey items. I guess we'll see. :)
My Wee One will start playing an instrument next year. They have a wonderful strings program at her school so she'll be *adopting* (her word) a violin next year. I can't tell you how excited I am about that.
I wanted to play piano when I was little but we couldn't afford the instrument. I ended up playing drums in HS band which led to playing the Xylophone. Loved that!
Captain can tell you about the iPod. She expresses it better than I ever could. LOL!
The violin, ah... what a beautiful instrument. My mom plays it, along with the piano, trombone, clarinet, sax, and flute. Though, she's out of practice with everything as well, except the piano.
Marnee, do we share an invisible cord at our brains. I swear to God I was going to blog about movie soundtracks...and the soundtrack I created for my WIP.
Actually the songs build over the course of my writing the story, and at the end, I sort of have a whole soundtrack once I've figured out that "yes, this is where this book needs to go and do..."
AND I was thinking how different it would be to write historicals--what music would you use! Teresa Medeiros uses Trans-Siberian Beethoven's Last Night as one of her "soundtracks", for one of her books at least. I thought maybe for medievals to use Celtic music or something, some Loreena (Lord what's her last name?)--the one who sings the mummer song.
And I know at some point I'm going to write a book with a soundtrack of nothing but Johnny Horton songs.
Tiff, you're cracking me up about the iPod. Of course, I'm a lot more mellow about the whole situation now...now that I'm 1000s of miles away from your iPod. But you did have a lot of classical music on it, and I can see that influencing your writing.
Marnee, I can't tell you how awful 99% of the music on that machine was. At one point, out of cranky exhaustion, I was curled up in the back of the SUV, Tiff was fiddling with the iPod, and Terri disappeared to "take care of some business" leaving us alone in the car with Tiff's iPod--and she started playing this guy--it had the worst lyric line EVER--something about he'd crawl over 50 juicy p*ssies to get to one boy's a**hole...and Terri returned to the car to greet a screaming match between her guests, me trying to wrestle it from Tiff and stomp on it.
But Tiff is quick and strong. She's a lot harder to wrestle than you think.
Tiff, did you have any Pachobel on your iPod? God, I love that Canon in D....
So, I'm a cheeky gunner again. Sorry Cap'n.
Yeah, trying to figure out songs for my historical was hard. I think JQ said she has soundtracks to her writing too. I'll see if I can find them....
Loreena McKennitt (I just googled her). Boy, I like that song.
P.S. I've always wanted to learn to play the piano...I've always thought people who could play that are sexy and cool. Esp guys. *grins*
My Dad plays the fiddle by ear...he used to entertain us kids when I had sleepovers. My favorite song he does is "Bully of the Town" and "8th of January".
Sometimes I think the Captain was raised in another century...
And you harrass me about my fixation on musicians?! Mine never played piano. Guitar and bass maybe, but never piano.
You know, I bet he'd be really good with his han...nevermind.
Amazing how you remember that line Hellion! LOL.. yes that is a line in that song... it's from his 'murder ballads' fitting name, really. And that would be Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds...
I do have a lot of classical, I remember you asking me about the Rachmaninov, It was the third piano concerto we were listening to. And no pachelbel on my shuffle...But I do have is Canon in many variations.
I make fun of your musician fixation because I suffer (rather gladly) from it as well. Gary Allan holding a guitar...*swoons*
One of my friends from college used to say that all it would take for me to consent to sex would be a guy playing a bass guitar...I'd have my clothes off in under a minute. It's sad really.
And I'm sure it's the hand thing...along with the VOICE thing. Voices are important.
Marnee, you're always going to be my cheeky gunner. *LOL* But don't doubt I'm still going to blog about it. People are just going to have to suffer.
Amazing, Tiff? It's burned into my brain like a tattoo that refuses to be removed. *LOL* It's sad...and it's probably out of "context" but it's so horrifying by itself I can't bring myself to care about the rest of the song.
Terri, I think I was raised in a different century too. Why do you think I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder so?
Rachmaninov--yes, that was a really pretty song (of course it helped it FOLLOWED the Bad Seed guy--the contrast was astonishing. *LOL*)--but Terri unfortunately kept falling into a coma as she drove with it on...so it didn't work.
*LOL* I collect Canon quite a bit too. I could listen to it in pretty much in any variation.
PS, Hellion, it's scary to be linked to my brain. You may want to avoid.
Tiff, good heavens, what is that song? Wow, I have to hear that now. :)
This is a very interesting concept. I'm huge into music. I associate music with so much of my life. It would seem obvious to put a soundtrack to my story.
My taste in music is pretty varied. I've absorbed a lot of my brothers and sisters tastes (The Beatles, Beach Boys, Elton John, Neil Young), along with my parents (Big Band, Sinatra, Bennett, Dean Martin, Glenn Miller, etc.). I didn't get into classical until I started reading historicals. I love Pachobel, Hellion. Walked down the aisle at my wedding to it!
Thanks to my kids I've been introduced to Fall Out Boy, Nickelback, Hoobastank, Macy Gray, The Fray, Taylor Swift, Rascall Flatts, Keith Urban - the list goes on and on.
Sorry, I was typing, then got distracted before posting. My post was slow.
Then Little Pirate made me post the same post twice. He's a little wild today.
Hellion, sometimes I feel like I was raised in a different century also. You should see me try to decipher all the music these kids are listening to and filter out all the crap!
The DH keeps telling me to settle down and they really aren't hearing the lyrics as much as the music. That just seems so irresponsible of me.
We were driving in the car last month and my DD's ipod was playing a song by Pink. I almost gasped at the lyrics as my two little angels sat in the back singing along completely oblivious to the meaning!
I apologize for my sleep induction via classical music. I LOVE classical. Just can't drive and listen to it.
I can attest to that bass player thing. You-know-who played bass. *w* I always tell girlfriends who are about to watch Keith Urban for the first time the same line. While he is playing you will have a strong wish that you could be a guitar for just an hour. *sigh* Seriously, it's O inducing...
And if nothing else the two of you were highly entertaining. *g*
Irish - you just described my entire CD collection. LOL!
I know the bit about them not understanding the lyrics as much is a pretty good point. I know when I was in 6th grade our assignment was to pick a current song and write a few paragraphs about it and draw a picture. Extremely naive, and completely clueless, Irish picked The Four Season's December 1963. Let's just say my teacher probably had a great chuckle at my interpretation of that song!
I agree with your husband. The beat of the music actually means more than the lyrics when I was younger. Hell, it's sometimes that way now. I'll be so into the beat of the music, and I'll be screaming the lyrics (I'll have mysteriously picked up) and then go, "What the hell did I just shout? Did I say he had a big c*ck?" and then I'll have to rethink just how much I like the song after that. *LOL*
My father had a coronary when I was a teenager--he found my George Michael cassette (as if George was a threat to my virginity--what a laugh)--and the "I want your sex" was the one giving him a heart attack. But the song I listened to was: "One More Try" because it was so damned angsty! I still don't even like "I want your sex" as a song.
What, Ter, my kid's selections or my siblings? I'm thinking it's my kids!
I have to admit they're turning me on to some great music. In fact, a lot of it I was already listening to I just never bothered to find out the name of the artists. I'm not into the music scene as much as I was 20 years ago! The one genre they introduced me to that I NEVER listened to before is country. I'm liking that a whole lot more than I thought I would.
Great blog Marnee.
I have heard songs that have inspired stories, but I have a one faceted mind when it comes to writing. I can't listen to music and write at the same time. The words in my head run together with the words of the song and I get all confused. I was that way in high schooland college. I couldn't study with a group that listened to music while studying. I had to do it solo:)
Last song to inspire me was Gavin Degraw's I'm Going to Love you More than Anyone.
Yeah, Hellion, I know I have absolutely no room to talk when it comes to the music I listened to when I was younger. And the DH has even less room. His tastes are pretty eclectic but he still listened to a lot of metal and punk - Not my thing!
I keep trying to tell him, though, I don't think there is another human being alive as clueless as I was when I was younger (or even way into my 20's, I'll sadly admit!). These kids nowadays are lot brighter and pick up things quicker.
Back to the point. Sorry I tangentized (?) so much, Marnee!
I think I could listen to classical to write, but I may have a hard time sticking to the story if I tried to write while singing along to a song with lyrics. I find while I'm driving and plotting I have to turn the stereo off so I can think and stop singing along with the radio.
Actually, Irish, it was your kids and your parents music. I don't have that siblings stuff. LOL!
i remember when the walkman was cutting edge technology tat everyone had to have *sigh*
Don't worry, M. I still miss my portable 8-track player and my record player. We're all in this old boat together...
Irish - The ship rides the current; we go where the sea takes us. Besides, I always like our tangents and I'm happy that we all feel comfy enough to tangent.
Tiff - murder ballads? Sounds interesting. LOL!!
M - the walkman, now that was quality stuff. Mine, I couldn't get any radio stations (grew up in the mountains) and the cassette part didn't work.
Hellion - I always hated I want your sex too. That song doesn't even make sense to me. Here I thought sex was something two people did, not something one person had and needed to give it to someone else. *confused*
Don't get me started on pathetic sex song lyrics. Some of Conway Twitty's lyrics send me into hysterics, thinking if any man said that to me, the mood would die a violent death when I laughed in his face.
Strange though, I like his "Lay you down and softly whisper song"--but the "I can tell you haven't been this far before" makes me lose it. I think it's the line that says, "You don't know that I'll respect you even more in the morning..."--okay, sure you will. Dork.
LOL! That's hysterical. I wonder if he'd plied the object of his affection in that song full of enough alcohol to make her believe that. :)
Here it is in full. It's not that bad, technically, but he's SO serious when he sings it...and I'm sorry, my unfortunate dating life is what I have to measure this by--and it just sends me into hysterical laughing when I listen to the lyrics.
i can almost hear the stillness
as it yields to the sound of your heart beaating
and i can almost hear the echo
of the thoughts that i know you must be thinking
and i can feel your body tremble
as you wonder what this moment holds in store
and as i put my arms around you
i can tell you've never been this far before
i don't know what i'm saying
as my trembling fingers touch forbidden places
i only know that i have waited
for so long for the chance that we are taking
i don't know and i don't care
what made you tell him you don't love him anymore
and as i taste your tender kisses
i can tell you've never been this far before
and as i take the love you're giveing
a can feel the tension building in your mind
and you're wondering if tomorrow
i'll still love you like i'm loving you tonight
you have no way of knowing
but tonight will only make me love you more
and i hope that you'll believe me
'cause i know you've never been this far before
Hey, Conway is the exception to the rule. He's classic! You have to hear him say those words in that low voice. LOL! Kind of like the country Barry White. I can't listen to his songs without cracking up. Hell, I still giggle when I hear Sexual Healing.
I was a George Michael fan and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Yeah, I should have known from those short shorts and those silly dance moves he was gay but I was young and innocent. What can I say?
And I do know Barry White did not sing Sexual Healing. I was typing and thinking at the same time. LOL!
Hey, I love George Michael. I just didn't like THAT song...and we know me and gay men, so let's not go there.
I even love Michael Bolton songs...
And I do the snorting/hysterical laughing when CONWAY is singing them! I'm sorry, I can't take them seriously. They're bad, they're just bad.
I mean, Lay You Down sounds kind of Alpha Male so I like it--but this one is so unbelievable corny and cheesy, I just die laughing.
Well, any man that can sing the words "You can't call him a cowboy until you've seen him ride" gets my vote. LOL!
You like Michael Bolten songs? Seriously? I'm pretty sure you just did some serious damage to your ball busting, Pirate Captain reputation...LOL!
Now, give me some Michael Buble and I'm in heaven...
Michael Bolton is from my teenage days, when I was still a card-carrying romantic. Nostalgia. I do enjoy Michael Buble...that's a voice.
I'm late! I'm so very late to this incredible blog that I would've loved to been in! ARGH! Christmas is killing me.
Alright, I adore music. I listen to music the entire time I write. My playlist includes: Apcoloyptica, Lacuna Coil, Evanescence, HIM, 10 Years, Evans Blue; for just writing. If I'm writing an action or club scene I normally turn on the Hip-Hop music and get into the groove.
Tiff, if you haven't heard Apcoloyptica, they are a metal cello group. Very good music. No lyrics. It's dark.
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