I just finished a couple of novella projects and I’m getting ready to go full swing ahead on some single title projects. One is a revision and the other is a paranormal/urban fantasy wip. I like to get all organized before I really dive into something, so the past couple of days I’ve been typing up plot notes, writing synos, and trying to catch up on other little stuff like, oh email.
The final step in my ‘getting organized to write’ list is setting up a playlist. My books all have a playlist. Bound By Love was oldies, mostly Jay and the Americans. The werewolf books were a combination of 80’s rock and pop. Invasion Earth and Fireworks were a lot of new country.
The idea of working on Until Death and The Exorcist Chronicles at the same time has me scratching my head though. Until Death is finished so it has a soundtrack, lots of cool old country and Honky Tonk. Think Hank Sr and Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash. The Exorcist Chronicles is completely different. Lots of alternate rock, some rap, some 80s metal. (The Exorcist Chronicles playlist is on my blog sidebar if anyone wants to see it.)
Actually I’m not sure how switching back and forth between these two is going to work. I usually work on two projects at a time, usually listening to similar music because it sets the mood. I can’t write without it. I wonder if I’ll have some of the mood from one book bleed into the other and vice versa? It’s a new experiment in the making lol.
How many of you associate music and writing as closely as I do? Do you listen to music as you write? Will any music do or do you find your stories require a certain soundtrack?
August 31st, 2006 at 3:07 pm
Oddly having a certain music has very little to do with my writing. I can pretty much have any music playing. However sometimes I realize I can’t get focused until I hit play on my music. Like the music signals it’s time to start. My playlist is just every song on my computer, lol. But it always starts with Alison Krauss ‘Lucky One’ So the music is just a habit, but I don’t change it with the books lately.
Wait! I lied. I forgot. There was one book where my hero was a cowboy, so I listened to country the entire time I wrote it. That’s how I fell in love with country music.
August 31st, 2006 at 3:10 pm
I’m not one that listens to music on a regular basis while I write. If I’m writing something that brings out a lot of emotion or poetry I somtimes listen to soft music but thats about it.
September 1st, 2006 at 2:04 am
I don’t listen to music when I write either. I do think about music my hero/heroine might listen to though.