Stop! Come back! I promise, I'm not going to talk about my book.
Much.
Oh, stop it. I've locked the door and you can't get away. And I'm not talking about the plot anyway. This post is relevant to the topic of this blog. Cross my heart!
I've never been one to listen to music when writing. I might find that a song triggers an idea, but I've never used music as a writing tool beyond the initial inspiration. Until now. I am inclined to think it's because of doing this blog for the last several months - I've started thinking about books and stories even more when listening to music.Which is why, when I was listening to Follow Me
by Uncle Kracker
a couple of weeks ago, I started analyzing the point of view character. Mesmerically seductive, amoral, egocentric, selfish to the point of being dangerous - and then I realized I was describing Jack, my antagonist. Jack doesn't have a real name that I know of yet; I'm not sure if he even has a "real" name. He's a trickster type, changing shapes and identities with a shrug. He is also very old and very bored. My protagonist, Selah, is dealing with a complicated family situation that couldn't be more suited to entertaining a bored trickster. Jack is really enjoying messing with Selah and her family.And now he has a theme song. It's proving to be very useful. Listening to Follow Me a couple of times helps get me into his head every time. I'm rather enjoying the extra inspiration.
Now I just need to figure out a theme song for Selah. Serious, conscientious, responsible, and a people-pleaser. What's a good song for someone like that?
Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Are you using music as part of your creative process? Leave a comment and let's talk about it!
Music: Follow Me
, Uncle Kracker
5 comments:
So far I don't have any specific songs for my story or characters, but I do use music to keep my brain alert. Yesterday for some reason, I latched onto rock/metal bands like Dragonforce, Billy Idol, Queen, and AC/DC. Aside from a few particular songs, I don't usually listen to that sort of music. But the energy was fantastic and kept me from going bananas with the phone ringing several times in the couple hours I had before work.
Laughed about that "locked door"!
Music for my work is, for obvious reasons, Woody Guthrie.
haha @ very old and very bored. he sounds great! interesting to have theme songs for each character, I've never thought of that before but it's something I'm going to keep in mind now! I usally have a song for a chapter or a story or a scene, but not for characters. eeexxcelent :D
I can usually only listen to classical when I write or I get too distracted.
Congrats on all the writing!
I'm so glad you've taken time off reading to do some story writing!!!!
I'm not doing the Nanomothing, but I'm writing which is good considering the last few months I've been a vegetable. One of the stories I'm working on I started the elusive chapter from a completely different character's view point and voila...the story moves! Hurrah!
As for music? I've been listening to a lot of Kenny Rogers (though his songs technically go with the other story - "I'm your knight in shining armour...and I love you..." Sickly, but appropriate. My sister came up with the best song for the book I've been working on today...Lionel Richie's Hello. It was his songs that led me back to Kenney Rogers, which reminds me...The Gambler sounds like a song that might suit your antagonist! As for the protagonist...I'll have to think about that...someone dependable etc...it's sounds like you need an SJ song. What sort of theme song would an SJ have..."I'm the guardian...ooooh la la..." Maybe not!
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