Friday, August 3, 2012
Moving Forward
What
a week it’s been upon the Revenge! And last week, with our bosun’s big moment
up on the jumbo-trons at the RITA/Golden Heart Awards.
Monday,
our captain raised the rallying cry to descend upon the city of Atlanta next
year with more of the crew in attendance then the bosun and me, the bartender.
And
the crew answered, huzzah!Scape addressed the things we need to be aware of as we move forward on Wednesday and now it’s my turn…to talk about a song I’ve used to help me reach the climax I needed with the newest of my mss, some months back. Dare Youto Move, by Switchfoot. I believe this came to me from an earlier blog, from P. Kirby, a land bound pirate with a horse.
I
know that songs often communicate different things to individuals and I’ve even
heard this is an ‘inspirational’ song. Which makes me shudder. Yes, I find it
inspirational, but not in the ‘come to jesus’ fashion.
Why
does it work for my scifi romance? Well, the opening line, when my lead is
waking up to the new place she finds herself works quite well…Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?
Now, Ria is the heroine of Almost Human. At the point in this book, she’s on the floor of a therapist’s office, curled into a ball, her entire past with every sad and terribly moment weighing her down.
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift
Yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
I like this line, ‘today never happened before’ because it’s wonderful. The idea that today is brand new, really brand new, is a great one. There is a slight pause before they sing the word before and it so works to add tension to the lyric.
Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Between who you are
And who you could be
Between how it is
And how it should be yeah
Doesn’t this say it all? Ria hears this and realizes the past is done with, if she chooses to go that way.
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift
Yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here
Stories to tell!? HA! Can this get any better? Now, Ria threw herself off the stern of a cruise ship, in a suicide attempt and fell on the bow of an underwater alien ship… I love serendipity with music!
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself
To lift yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before
And the song goes on and it’s good… I found a way to lift Ria off the floor with this song and though she isn’t ‘cured’ of her depression, this is the beginning of her journey back to sanity. Though at this point in the story, a crisis rises and she comes off the floor to help save the hero…
What
about you? Ever found a song at the absolute perfect time that fits the
absolute desperate need you felt with your story and plot? Tell me about it…
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Books by the Crew
32 comments:
I'm not sure if this helps, but this song has been speaking to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQkBeOisNM0
It's Some Nights by Fun.
And though I'm not a real fan of this kind of music, but this song reminds me of my heroine.
Miss Independent by Ne Yo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6M5C-oKw9k
Hmmm. I'm not sure I can completely relate--because your song does seem to tell your story. *LOL*
The closest thing I'd have was with Adam & Eve's story--and the songs were: "She F*cking Hates Me" and "I Hate Everything About You". But haven't finished that story yet.
Since I'm on the western now, I draw more on older songs. I want them to sing at some point of the book--this is a bit of a Roy Rogers story for me, in a sense, I wanted a happy, fun singing cowboy story. However, the songs I picked for them are UTAH CAROL for Brody; and WILDWOOD FLOWER for Nellie. Both of them aren't exactly upbeat songs. *LOL*
But I love getting a song that puts me in the mood I need for the scene I'm writing, whether it's a perfect fit or not for the actual story. I have several mood songs. I keep the Twilight soundtracks--they're good for writing (for me); and I have some women country singers (Miranda Lambert, et al) to put on as alternatives. But the Twilight stuff usually does it. All those songs about eternal love and hopeless longing.
BY the way, Hells, this Some Nights video is all Civil War. Thought you'd be interested....
Wow, Marn...that was a pretty powerful video and there is certainly a story there. That kid has an impressive voice. And such a contrast with the second song. ;-)
I admit, style-wise, I'm more likely to enjoy the first, but I can hear the lyrics of the second and get the connection you're making.
I found a piece of music that spoke to exactly to the scene I needed to write but the Switchback song is also a bit of a rallying call for my life at the moment...and getting back up.
Hellion, I remember when I was taking a voice class and I sang 'Wandering Star'. The teacher talked about the cowboy songs and the rhythms of them...as if walking. It's like most western music, old style, is meant to be sung while walking, horse or feet.
And most of the old style songs tell stories, certainly!
I was lucky and hit this one song just when I needed it. I agree, I love soundtracks for writing and mood music but there is nothing like the magic of suddenly have a song slip into a story and it's like a soundtrack...
Mo - I think that kid has a great voice too. This is their first "real" single and I really like it. :)
And I think we need rallying calls sometimes too. Good stuff. That's how I feel about this Florence and the Machine song....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbN0nX61rIs
Shake it Out!
"It's hard to dance with the devil on your back/
So shake him off."
I love Florence & the Machine!!
Oh, that is nice! I have heard of Florence and the Machine...and have meant to check them out more.
Shake it Out...yeah, that could be a crew musical number!
I love that Fun. song but hadn't seen the video. And that's their second single, but I guess Glee pushed out their first one. Which I love. (Yes, it's on my iPod.)
Adore Ne-Yo. Have that entire CD. On my iPod. (This is a running joke with me and Chance. LOL)
Love that Switchfoot song. And yeah, it's Contemporary Christian Rock. Which makes it even funnier that you love it.
I get scene ideas from songs all the time. The resolution scene in the current WIP comes from a Nickelback song called Trying Not To Love You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK-hXS6lwRs
I need to get Florence & the Machine on my iPod!
Well, I won't hold it against them. I got what I needed from it no matter what they meant to say!
Yeah, Terri has everything on her iPod!
There is a great story there in Trying Not to Love You... I love song that tells a story!
Where did Janga's comment go??
I forgot to say, that picture is just surreal. Almost feels like I imagined all that. Seeing as I'm back to reality and reality is kicking me in the teeth.
Yeah, I'm very glad I took this picture! It does seem like it was months ago!
Hopefully Janga will come back...
Umm. I think I'm the one who recommended the Switchfoot song. I do listen to a fair amount of contemporary Christian music, and what I remembered from the lyrics to "Dare You to Move" seemed to fit what you were asking for that day. They have some great songs. I've used "Burn Out Bright" to spark a couple of scenes.
A spark ignites
In time and space.
Limping through this human race,
You bite and claw your way back home.
But you're running the wrong way.
The future is a question mark
Of kerosene and electric sparks.
There's still fire in you yet;
Yeah there's still fire in you!
I'm with Terri. Songs often give me images that lead to scenes. I wrote a black moment scene last night after trying for three days and getting nowhere. My inspiration was Lady Antebellum's "As You Turn Away."
Nothing more to give,
Nothing left to take.
I keep reaching out for you,
Reaching out for you
As you turn away.
One step my heart is breaking.
One more my hands are shaking.
The door is closing,
And I just can't change it.
Nothing more to say,
Nothing left to break.
Aha! Then thank you, Janga! The list I got from Pat was so huge, took me awhile to get through it...
Burn Out Bright may be something I need to download! I like the lyrics and can see them great for a steampunk story...
I'm gonna go find both of these songs and give them a listen!
Yup, I like that Switchback song...the LA is so sad...wow!
I love Lady A. All their CDs are on my iPod. :)
There was a scene in my first MS when the hero & heroine are dancing in a dark school hallway to Sinatra singing All The Way. When I wrote the scene, I played the song over and over again.
In the current WIP, there will be a scene when they dance to You Don't Know Me as sung by Michael Buble. I'm sure I'll end up playing it on a loop while writing the scene.
And yes, all my characters dance. Other than pets in my books, that's the one constant. Beth and Joe dance to some steel drum music off in the distance. And she's trashed on tequila. That was a fun scene to write.
Miranda Neville is at Romance at Random talking about dance in romance. From Austen to yet-unpublished novels, it plays a significant role.
I've got several songs on the iPod from "Christian," artists. Plumb, Skillet and Flyleaf are three that come to mind. Early Evanescence, including "Fallen" is Christian rock.
Current WIP playist is 89 songs and growing...some recent adds would be:
Vanessa Calton's "I Don't Want to Be a Bride," is so totally my heroine, who doesn't need traditional trapping for a HEA.
I wanna be your girl
And spend this life with you
But I don’t wanna wear white
You know it’s too late for that
But can we keep the ever after?
After hearing, "Bandida" (Audra Mae), I knew that Kelly, having lost her first husband to war, wasn't never going to stay home and pray her guy would come home alive. She would demand to be at his side.
What would I do to keep you?
I'll cloak my face and hide,
I'll veil myself in black and steel
And battle at your side.
Rachel Yamagata's wrenching "The Only Fault" tracks the course of Kelly's conflicted feelings for the Eric.
Eric, escaped convict from another universe, has a ton of angsty songs. I came across Hurricane by 30 Seconds to Mars on a fan video for Loki (Thor/Avengers):
Tell me would you kill to save a life
Tell me would you kill to prove you're right
Do you really want
Do you really want me
Do you really want me dead or alive
To torture for my sins
*Wanders off to iTunes to find more songs.*
I knew Pat would have a list! And dancing! I love having my characters dance and fall in love that way...
I can appreciate at good song as long as I'm not introduced to it with a 'this will save your soul' caveate!
Terri? How big is your iPod? ;-)
Thanks, Janga. Hopping over to read.
I think I have just over 1K songs on the iPod and it's just over half full. Plenty more room!
I never find eclectic stuff like Pat has. Though I get stuff from SYTYCD every season. I do like that "I Don't Want To Be A Bride" song. Was probably you who sent me to that one not long ago, Pat.
Gotta head home to meet the plumber!
Despite my atheist/pantheist ways, I do work for a church, so I'm terribly tolerant of faith. Another song on the playlist is "Hymn for the Missing" by Red, another inspy rock group.
Emmy Lou Harris's "The Pearl," and "Prayer in Open D," faves on the iPod, are both steeped in Christian themes of loss and redemption.
I'm super picky about what goes on "Blue" the iPod, so after five years, my library is only 820 songs.
Mine is almost full because of the complete soundtracks I have on it... But my phone can carry music!
I don't mean to sound anti-inspirational song... As I said, just don't preach at me directly. Hell, I wrote about second chances and redemption, so a lot of these songs work!
Well, I'm vehemently anti-fundamentalist anything, but inspirational in some forms is just fine.
Sorta on or off topic, I did download a couple of songs recently (unrelated to WIP) that you, Ms. Maureen, might like. Since you like Evanescence.
"Storytime" by Nightwish. It's upbeat and about storytelling.
I am the voice of Never-Never-Land
The innocence, the dreams of every man
I am the empty crib of Peter Pan
A silent kite against the blue, blue sky,
Every chimney, every moonlit sight
I am the story that will read you real
Every memory that you hold dear.
The completely instrumental "Imaginaerum," on the same album, is pretty neat. Nightwish is a symphonic rock groups, like Within Temptation, that predates Evanescence. They sometimes do the "growly" thing, but Storytime is growl free.
I am enjoying all of these songs. Enough that I think I definitely need to get an ipod.
I don't usually listen to music when I write. Sometimes I listen to light classical just as background music to drown out everything else.
(It doesn't hurt that my family can't stand it and steer clear of me. LOL!)
Di
I actually don't listen to music while I write, except for that one scene. I use it more for plotting. Mix the music and a long drive and I can get most of the book figured out.
Sometimes I really need that music playing and sometimes I don't. And if Starbucks is full of chatty people talking stuff that makes me want to scream...love my earjacks. Or screaming children... Usually, the gentle chatter of people is no bother...
Thanks, Pat! I'll give it a listen when I'm home again...or if I feel the need to break out the earplugs!
Okay, Pat...listening to Nightwish Storytime... I WANT!
Wow. That's like Abba on steroids.
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