Sound and the Creative Process

We write from the creative side of our brain. We edit from the logical side. It can be very easy to flip into editor or critic mode when you're working, but forcing yourself into the creative side of your brain can sometimes be a struggle. These points where I can't make the logical side be quiet and therefore can't focus and get words on the page is what I think of as writer's block. Many people have studied writer's block in great detail, grappling with how to overcome it. For me I've discovered that there are certain things I can do to force myself to switch on the creative side of the brain. It usually means engaging with something else on a creative level. Let me give some examples. I bought a piece of art at a garage sale a few years back for three bucks. It's this massive thing that I've lugged now to several different homes. The frame is falling apart, the matting is a mess. The artist's signature can't be deciphered. But the picture is that of a sailing ship being tossed in a turbulent sea. It's a close up. You're looking down on the ship from about three quarters of the way to its back. The ship is about to capsize and the ocean actually looks angry. Everytime I look at that picture it elicits an emotional response from me and makes me think of: fear, romance, adventure, courage, etc. It tells a story that moves me. Every time I go on the Haunted Mansion ride at any of the Disney parks I feel the creepiness of the atmosphere seep into me, making me want to connect with it, making me want to write something scary and haunting. I can stand with my toes in the sand and stare out at the ocean and smell the salt water and it relaxes me, fills my mind with thoughts of beauty. My sense of sight, my sense of smell, even my senses of taste and touch can help snap me quickly and almost effortlessly into the proper mindset to write. But the one I use most often is my sense of hearing.

I can and do write in silence. But, if I'm struggling to get or stay in the creative part of my mind, I often resort to using some sort of sound. The sound of rain, especially a good thunder storm, gets me there instantly. That's why I have an app for my iPod and several CDs with those sounds on them when nature isn't conspiring with me. If I'm looking for something a little more specific, that's when I go to my playlists. I create a playlist for every book. The songs I choose are songs that evoke the emotions or tones I want to use in the story. Occasionally the lyrics are the important part, but often it's just the sound of the music. This is how I end up with country, hard rock, Christian pop, and music spanning six decades in a single playlist. Some songs get chosen often. For example, The Magic of the Wizard's Dream by Rhapsody of Fire featuring Christopher Lee ends up on every playlist where I want the book to have an epic feel of great struggle and sacrifice. Other songs I've only used once so far such as The Show Must Go On by Queen which I used on my Wolf Springs Chronicles: Unleashed playlist when I wanted something that showcased courage in the face of death and despair and hopelessness.

Now, it's time I get back to writing. I'm working on the third Crusade book. And it's raining this morning. There's thunder and lightning and it's supposed to be this way all day. A perfect day to write.