Music and I have a joined existence. It’s that way for a lot of writers. Most days, my music is sedate and slow, background tonal and nature sounds that allow my thought-to-finger brain to function at optimal speed.
But when I plot… Oh, when I am in those glorious hours/weeks/months of what-if… That is when the music gets loud, and varied, and is played over and over and over, (as my kids would attest) stimulating a slightly different part of my brain, letting me use the music and lyrics to find not just what my character is doing this exact moment, but also his or her past and future. If any part of this process is magic, this is it, using other artists dreams to fuel my own.
Pouring into my brain through my ears is the soul of the characters, the part that doesn’t always get on the page, but is just as real.
I’d like to share the sound of some of the character’s inner souls with you, but because I like games and diversions, I’m going to give you the list of music, and the list of characters, and let you match them up. (grin)
Every day until we hit all 11 characters, (M-F) I will tell you one character’s soul song (some have more than one) and a little of why that music speaks to me of their path.
The list is on Spotify to make for easy listening, and if you aren’t a member, you can sign up for free as I have. (Your phone is an excellent platform for this.) They don’t ask for anything but name email, and I think birthday to make sure you are over 18, so if the link takes you to a sign-up page first, don’t despair!
If I can find a way to make a public list for you to drop your suggestions in, I will. (suggestions from readers familiar with Spotify how to do this are appreciated!)
So for today, I give you the 22 songs and the 11 characters that are my number-one picks for the soul of the Hollows. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you which two songs are Al’s. One is easy, the other…not so much as it is his deep, blue-butterfly longings.
Characters: Jenks (1), Rachel (3), Ivy (3), Trent (3), Takata (1), Newt (2), Al (2), Pike (1), Kisten (3), Piscary (1), Ceri( 1) … and one for me–my theme song after a hellish couple of years now dumping into one hellish year for everyone.
Music: at Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6qYXtGoaMxjMoravl5Jt21
Lilac Wine: Jeff Buckley
Red Tape: Agent Provocateur
Pearls: Sade
Not Going Away: Ozzy Osbourne
Rockstar: Nickleback
Sympathy for the Devil: Guns and Roses
New Years’s Prayer: Jeff Buckley
DOA: Foo Fighters
Viva La Vida: Coldplay
Filii Neidhardi: Corvus Corax
Only: Nine Inch Nails
Your Own Worst Enemy: Alice Cooper
You & I: Jeff Buckley
Every Day is Exactly the Same: Nine Inch Nails
The American Way: The Crystal Method
Bury Me Face Down: Grandson
Never Say Never: Queens of the Stone Age
Extraordinary Machine: Fiona Apple
The Line Begins to Blur: Nine Inch Nails
Lullaby: A Perfect Circle
Short Skirt, Long Jacket: Cake
Living Dead Girl: Rob Zombie