Looking For Inspiration . . .
I know, I know . . . I promised a post about plot braiding and To Kill a Mockingbird. You'll get it, I swear . . . I'm just still trying to get my mind wrapped around the intricacies of that book and what I want to share.
Instead, I thought I would share this week about one of my surefire places to find inspiration -- music.
I love music, all kinds. I don't make soundtracks to listen to while writing, as some writers do, but I do tend to have songs that trigger scenes or emotions or even whole books. While writing Hold On to Me, which will release sometime late next year, I must have listened to Gary Allan's "Songs About Rain" a million times. Throughout Truth and Consequences, I allude to the songs of Johnny Cash, which link thematically to the hero's situation. Many of my book titles come directly from songs that are linked to the ideas behind the stories -- Hold On to Me, What Mattered Most, His Ordinary Life, Anything But Mine, Memories of Us.
My latest play list for inspiration?
1) "Before He Cheats" -- Carrie Underwood
2) "Baby, You Save Me" -- Kenny Chesney
3) "On Again Tonight" -- Trent Willmon
4) "Crash Here Tonight" -- Toby Keith
5) "Best I Ever Had" -- Gary Allan (okay, ANYTHING by Gary Allan . . .)
I have an entire idea that I don't have time to write right now spinning off "Before He Cheats" and "Baby, You Save Me." I am making notes, though.
Does music work as a form of inspiration for you, or leave you cold? What songs lead you to story or scene ideas?
Instead, I thought I would share this week about one of my surefire places to find inspiration -- music.
I love music, all kinds. I don't make soundtracks to listen to while writing, as some writers do, but I do tend to have songs that trigger scenes or emotions or even whole books. While writing Hold On to Me, which will release sometime late next year, I must have listened to Gary Allan's "Songs About Rain" a million times. Throughout Truth and Consequences, I allude to the songs of Johnny Cash, which link thematically to the hero's situation. Many of my book titles come directly from songs that are linked to the ideas behind the stories -- Hold On to Me, What Mattered Most, His Ordinary Life, Anything But Mine, Memories of Us.
My latest play list for inspiration?
1) "Before He Cheats" -- Carrie Underwood
2) "Baby, You Save Me" -- Kenny Chesney
3) "On Again Tonight" -- Trent Willmon
4) "Crash Here Tonight" -- Toby Keith
5) "Best I Ever Had" -- Gary Allan (okay, ANYTHING by Gary Allan . . .)
I have an entire idea that I don't have time to write right now spinning off "Before He Cheats" and "Baby, You Save Me." I am making notes, though.
Does music work as a form of inspiration for you, or leave you cold? What songs lead you to story or scene ideas?
posted by Linda Winfree at 4:53 PM
3Comments:
I was thinking about this just the other day.
I love music, too. And it does inspire stories, scenes, characters in my head.
I often listen to my ipod while walking...that works best because it blocks everything else out and my mind can't wander.
The other day I was listening to a song and a previous story that had stalled for me sprung to life again. Snippits of scenes unfolded and played out in my head, characters showed deeper, richer parts of themselves.
Music is something I want to explore further...when I get the time. (Ha!)
We think alike. ;)
Baby You Save Me is cycling through my player while I work on this wip. Other songs I'm listening to now are Because of You (Kelly Clarkson), Yours (Blues Traveler) and Here Without You (3 Doors Down.)
I like music too. It inspires me. I have a whole plot that came to fruition because of There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney. Haven't had a chance to write that one yet though. When I think about it, every book I've written has had at least one "theme song" that inspired it or kept me focused.
Music definitely inspires -- but for every book it's different. For the last ms it was 80s pop (thank God for Sirius), George Strait was the inspiration for a contemporary set in Nebraska a couple years ago...for the current wip, it's a mixture: Leave the Pieces, Crash Here Tonight and a few others...
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