Robin Woods's Blog, page 96
February 6, 2012
There have been several more questions about music. Here is one...
There have been several more questions about music. Here is one of the playlists I listened to obsessively. Admittedly, I did add "Precious Stone" during the editing process over a year and a half after completing the first draft.
Some specifics…
Track 1—"Vampyre": I directly quoted lyrics from this song (with permission) in chapter 11 when she first arrives at the warehouse.
Track 2—"Lose You": I think of this song being the theme music when Ali is trying to make her decision in the warehouse.
Track 3—"On Your Side": I associate this with Chapter 4, entitled "Joshua". No matter what, Ali is on Joshua's side. Always.
More playlists to come, if you have specific questions, feel free to ask!
February 5, 2012
This is Miranda from The Tempest by John William Waterhouse. ...
This is Miranda from The Tempest by John William Waterhouse. Anyone that has read my first novel knows why I am posting this pic. One of my favorite painters and one of my favorite Shakespearean plays. Love.
February 3, 2012
Do I listen to music when I write?
I have had this question asked repeatedly. And my answer: YES!!!
I think fireworks should rocket into the air, butterflies should whirl around me, and a chorus a tap dancers do…something cool. Almost every moment of my writing is underscored by some sort of music.
Sometimes, I will literally have a song on repeat for a half hour while I work out the kinks on a scene. Music helps me keep the emotional tone of a scene consistent when writing. Plus, I am kind of an obsessed nerd about music anyway.
The title of this post is a link to a song I listened to a bazillion times last weekend while writing a short chapter. It is "To Build a Home" by Cinematic Orchestra—Enjoy!
January 31, 2012
"Teaser Tuesday"
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Hopefully, you don't feel this is cheating. :) Here is the Epigraph for book two:
"Prefer et obdura: dolor hic tibi proderit olim."
—Ovid
Be patient and strong; some day this pain will be useful to you.
Signed Book Giveaway!!
Didn't win the last giveaway? Want another chance? Well lucky you! I'm doing another giveaway on Good Reads. Click on the title above to enter.
Winners of the last giveaway—Books are in the mail. You should receive them on Friday or Saturday.
January 26, 2012
Congrats!
Congratulations to Lori and Molly for winning the giveaway. Your signed copies of the book will go out on Saturday. :)
I loved every second of your book! What was your inspiration for it? Were any of the characters based on people you know?
Thank you! (I blush). I essentially answered the first question in my post yesterday, you can read that answer here: http://robinwoodsfiction.tumblr.com/post/16452694052/i-was-wondering-when-you-got-the-idea-for-your-book-and
As to, were any of the characters based on people I know? The answer would be: yes. Sometimes it is simply a quality in someone that I admire. Many of the characters are an amalgam of a few people together. Joshua and Peter are both based on four people each. Bowen on two (Yes, I dated someone that beautiful, sigh. Oops, sorry honey). But many of the characters are purely fictional, based on inspiration I drew from mythology and other sources.
In book two, I had a student beg me almost every day to be in my book. I finally obliged…his character lasted three whole pages before I killed him off (evil grin). He loved it, it was very dramatic and gut-wrenching as it should.
January 24, 2012
I was wondering when you got the idea for your book and how long you've been working on it? :)
Ha! Not so easily answered. I would love to say that it came to me through some sort of divine inspiration, but alas it did not. I went through a hard time in 1996 and consequently I struggled through a horrible streak of insomnia. During that time, I wrote several scenes that appeared in similar form in the novel. They were a method to escape and were inspired by many sources. Some as simple as a trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (one of my favorite places on the planet).
Which ones did I write all those years ago? The apartment, dancing at THE Lane, the love confession, and the blinking argument. There were a couple of other ones that I eliminated, and no, I don't plan on showing them to anyone. Sorry.
Cut to 2009, I managed to find myself unable to sleep again. I decided instead of letting time tick by in front of the television, to dust of the scenes I had written. I wrote the novel almost in its entirely from 11PM to 3AM of March through May of 2009. I took a break and wrote the epilogue a year later. It took about a year to work through many, many drafts before finally publishing.
So there it is in a nutshell. J
"Teaser Tuesday"
- I tried to cover up the terror I was feeling inside by joking, but it came out too forced, "Note to self—don't let them drink my blood. So is that a general rule for all evil vampires?"
January 21, 2012
Future Writer?
A conversation with my almost five-year-old son:
Me: "Sweetie, where's your water bottle? It's almost time to eat lunch."
Him: "Ummmm I don't know. I think…" He looks around the room. "I think a bird took it. Yeah. A bird."
Me: "Really?" I raise an eyebrow.
Him: "Yes, it smashed through the glass of the window and flew it away. I think we need to get a new one."
