Cat Phoenix's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
Soul-Burning Music
I'm a book addict, and it's very rare that I read without listening to music. The the same is true for when I write, so you could say I'm also a music addict. I figured it'd be cool to share the music I listened to when I wrote Fighting. It's the kind of thing I like to know about my favorite authors, so I thought, eh, why not?
I didn't write a single page of Fighting without listening to music of some sort. A lot of it came from internet radio. Say what you will about it, but internet radio comes in handy when you don't want to abuse a specific album that you love, but you still want that same feel of music. My favorite radio stations range from Right Away Great Captain to Massive Attack to Doo-Wop.
For the songs I wanted to listen on repeat, I bought them and made playlists.
The playlist I listened to the MOST is called Fighting. Appropriate, no?
It's all over the place, but it's safe to assume I listened to the slower, more intense songs during the slower paced, more intense scenes. The fast hitting, pulsing music I saved for the action scenes.
I'm inspired by lyrics, but sometimes I ignore them altogether because I'm so caught up in the music itself. I'm often guilty of being more in tune with moods than I am lyrics. But I'm a writer, so I definitely love the words, too. The words and the music are married together, so I get the best of both worlds. (Oh, God. Did I just make a Hannah Montana reference? Someone kill me.)
If you don't like my music (or if you like Hannah Montana) that's okay. Don't be a dick about it, and we can still be friends!
1. Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap
2. Midnight City by M83
3. Soldier on by The Temper Trap
4. Sorrowing Man by City and Coulour
5. Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear
6. Sparks by Coldplay
7. See You Soon by Coldplay
8. So Long, Lonesome by Explosions in the Sky
9. Breathe Me by Sia
10. Wayfaring Stranger by Ed Sheeran
11. Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran
12. Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran
13. Third Degree by Eric Clapton
14. Bottom of the River by Delta Rae
15. Keep You by Wilde Belle
16. Haunt While I Sleep by Right Away Great Captain
17. Black Milk by Massive Attack
18. Teardrop by Massive Attack
19. Hayling by FC/Kahuna
For the action scenes, I listened to action movie soundtracks that made my pulse race. I also drank a few energy drinks and tried not to twitch around too much. (I spilled a drink near my keyboard once and almost had a stroke. Strokes not conductive to writing.)
Ah, but what about the sexy scenes, you ask. That's what you really want to know. It really depended on the mood I was in. Typically, I like slow, pulsing music, and for those special scenes, it's almost never acoustic guitar. I either abused Massive Attack or Portishead internet radio, or my (short) sexy playlist.
1. Western Eyes by Portishead
2. Only You by Portishead
3. Glory Box by Portishead
4. All Mine by Portishead
(Are you seeing a trend here?)
5. Butterfly by Bassnectar
6. Between Two Points by The Glitch Mob
7. Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran
8. Mood Build on The Bourne Identity Soundtrack
I promise I'm not being a music snob with a collection of tracks that are so underground, I get to scoff when you say you've never heard of them. It's not like that. Like I said, I listened to a lot of Doo-Wop hits that you would have to live under a rock not to recognize (I LOVE Little Bitty Pretty One by Thurston Harris), a lot of One Republic, Imagine Dragons, shit like that that's on the radio and already in my music library that you know and love. But the stuff that really inspired me was a little slower, a little darker and a little more soul-burning. Is that a thing that exists outside of hell? Burning of the soul, but in a good way? It might be heart burn. I do love tacos.
The music I listened to when I wrote the sequel to Fighting (coming soon! Squee!) is similar, but kind of vastly different. I'll make another (rambling) post about that very soon. It's mostly dubstep. Don't laugh at me.
I am eternally grateful for your reviews and ratings! You kind of made my life by reading my book at all.
I didn't write a single page of Fighting without listening to music of some sort. A lot of it came from internet radio. Say what you will about it, but internet radio comes in handy when you don't want to abuse a specific album that you love, but you still want that same feel of music. My favorite radio stations range from Right Away Great Captain to Massive Attack to Doo-Wop.
For the songs I wanted to listen on repeat, I bought them and made playlists.
The playlist I listened to the MOST is called Fighting. Appropriate, no?
It's all over the place, but it's safe to assume I listened to the slower, more intense songs during the slower paced, more intense scenes. The fast hitting, pulsing music I saved for the action scenes.
I'm inspired by lyrics, but sometimes I ignore them altogether because I'm so caught up in the music itself. I'm often guilty of being more in tune with moods than I am lyrics. But I'm a writer, so I definitely love the words, too. The words and the music are married together, so I get the best of both worlds. (Oh, God. Did I just make a Hannah Montana reference? Someone kill me.)
If you don't like my music (or if you like Hannah Montana) that's okay. Don't be a dick about it, and we can still be friends!
1. Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap
2. Midnight City by M83
3. Soldier on by The Temper Trap
4. Sorrowing Man by City and Coulour
5. Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear
6. Sparks by Coldplay
7. See You Soon by Coldplay
8. So Long, Lonesome by Explosions in the Sky
9. Breathe Me by Sia
10. Wayfaring Stranger by Ed Sheeran
11. Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran
12. Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran
13. Third Degree by Eric Clapton
14. Bottom of the River by Delta Rae
15. Keep You by Wilde Belle
16. Haunt While I Sleep by Right Away Great Captain
17. Black Milk by Massive Attack
18. Teardrop by Massive Attack
19. Hayling by FC/Kahuna
For the action scenes, I listened to action movie soundtracks that made my pulse race. I also drank a few energy drinks and tried not to twitch around too much. (I spilled a drink near my keyboard once and almost had a stroke. Strokes not conductive to writing.)
Ah, but what about the sexy scenes, you ask. That's what you really want to know. It really depended on the mood I was in. Typically, I like slow, pulsing music, and for those special scenes, it's almost never acoustic guitar. I either abused Massive Attack or Portishead internet radio, or my (short) sexy playlist.
1. Western Eyes by Portishead
2. Only You by Portishead
3. Glory Box by Portishead
4. All Mine by Portishead
(Are you seeing a trend here?)
5. Butterfly by Bassnectar
6. Between Two Points by The Glitch Mob
7. Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran
8. Mood Build on The Bourne Identity Soundtrack
I promise I'm not being a music snob with a collection of tracks that are so underground, I get to scoff when you say you've never heard of them. It's not like that. Like I said, I listened to a lot of Doo-Wop hits that you would have to live under a rock not to recognize (I LOVE Little Bitty Pretty One by Thurston Harris), a lot of One Republic, Imagine Dragons, shit like that that's on the radio and already in my music library that you know and love. But the stuff that really inspired me was a little slower, a little darker and a little more soul-burning. Is that a thing that exists outside of hell? Burning of the soul, but in a good way? It might be heart burn. I do love tacos.
The music I listened to when I wrote the sequel to Fighting (coming soon! Squee!) is similar, but kind of vastly different. I'll make another (rambling) post about that very soon. It's mostly dubstep. Don't laugh at me.
I am eternally grateful for your reviews and ratings! You kind of made my life by reading my book at all.
