Life Of Music

Ever since I was little, music was a big part of my life. I didn't grow up learning the piano, but I was in the school choir from the time I was in 4th grade to when I transferred schools, along with the clarinet in fifth grade. I played the flute in junior high and high school, learned the guitar in high school, and was also part of my high school's handbell choir. That love of music moved with me into writing and other things in my life.

I issued the challenge because I was curious as to how music and writing affected my co-bloggers.

My music in relation to what I'm writing is in two parts. I have this odd kind of story, where it's being told through one character's point of view, while there's a diary involved that tells the story of another character. It's extremely different to what I've written in the past and I happen to like how it's going.

The first song I'm going to talk about has to do with my main character, who I admit I had to go through my iTunes and find a song to match with her. She's thrown into a world that's not her own just like most fantasy stories, right? But she's one of those girls who believes in science more than fantasy. That is why I picked It's Not Fantasy by Kari Kimmel.

My second character whose story is told is my main character's older sister. This story is told through diary entries that Marissa happens to love. This one has to do with something that has not been revealed in the story and only one person knows. The song I chose for her is Somewhere Only We Know by Keane sung by the Warblers.

My last relevant song that sets the whole tone of the story. I am going to be a nerd and choose Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid, sung by Darren Criss. I just love the idea of wanting to be someone else and being told no. Isn't that always part of life?



As you can see, my music ranges and I love Darren Criss just a little bit. I've got 80's rock, a lot of 90's music, and some current artists. I just hit shuffle on iTunes and skip around until I've got a good song I like.

Finally, just because I'm a nerd and thought this was hilarious as I was writing out this blog entry. I'm done after this, I swear.

Words

So last week my fellow blog sisters and I were issued a challenge by the lovely Mandy. Well Mandy, all I have to say is

What music I listen to depends on my mood. If I am angry or frustrated I turn to Jimmy Eat World. When I just want to chill I pop in a Snow Patrol cd. If I'm in a southern, nostalgic, where-my-roots-are mood the country music comes one. Feeling kinda "bleh" I just put my itunes on shuffle and let it decide what I'm feeling. But, my go-to band has and will probably always be Train. Yes, I listen to Train all the time. Their cds are constantly in my car, their songs on my ipod, their melodies stuck in my head, and their lyrics written all over my school notes. So, of course, when I am told to pick a song for something I usually immediately start running through Train songs. They have some amazing where-did-that-come-from kind of lyrics. They thrown in lines you never expected and I love how creative and (do I have enough swag to use this language) fresh they keep their songs. They don't stick to the conventional lyrics, and that is one of my favorite things about them.

But which song do I pick? I needed to relate it to writing. I thought about it for a while before I had that Homer Simpson "doh" moment. *facepalm* Why not use the song that is entitled after something that writing needs? Words. I thought it was appropriate. But, how to twist it into inspiration for writing? I began to look at the lyrics that moved away from the normal "I love this person so much I'd do anything for them" style. I began to relate them not to a person but to my so-called novel. It began to click. No, I will not give up on my novel! No, I will not say goodbye and stop writing!! I will roll with whatever changes my characters are going through and I will stand by their side no matter what.

Well...its beginning to sound good.

But , what about the chorus? At this point I began to think about J.K. Rowling. Yes, everything seems to come back to her doesn't it. That is what the dictionary calls true inspiration. Anyway, JKR never wrote about what she thought people wanted to hear, she wrote about what she wanted to write about. She was told that writing children's books would get her nowhere. She was told that no one would want to read a book about a British boy wizard. But she wrote that story anyway. She didn't let others talk her out of her dream.

Another way I look at the chorus is relating it to writer's block. Sometimes you just can't find the right words or you just get lost in the path of them. But, when that happens don't let it get you down. Take advantage of it to maybe research a little more about a character or a setting. Maybe work on your vocabulary by searching a thesaurus for the word you are missing. Whatever you need to do to break down that brick wall you just hit, light a fire under it and go. Make something explode (literally or figuratively). Shake up your story with some unexpected fuel and watch it burn out to where your story needs to be. Whatever it takes to move your story forward, however long it takes, just don't give up.

Your words can be your saving grace or your weapons. Let them burn in a way that that either lights your path or shows your wrath.

Let them burn.

Let them burn.

Author: H.P. Lovecraft