Moodboard and Spotify Playlist for The Monster Within

This week’s blog is going to be short and sweet. I’m at a hotel right now inthe beautiful Shenandoah for a craft fair with my other Feral Writers. So ifyou’re in Warren County, come by the Fairgrounds and say hi.

My day job has been absolutely kicking my ass and interfering with mywriting time. I hope that’s going to end soon. This is also the season of fourpainful anniversaries all within less than three weeks of each other, myhusband’s birthday, the date of his fall and when he went into the hospital forthe last time (which I had mercifully forgotten his year until Facebookreminded me), the date of his death and our wedding anniversary. It would’vebeen twenty-five years this year, though in truth we were a couple far longersince we started in high school. I am grateful that in the other months of theyear; I forget how hard this time is. I’m also grateful for the reminder ofjust how loved my sweet Keir is.

I’m in the process of getting a new tattoo, one to celebrate turning 50 thisyear and starting a new chapter of my life. It’s the Crone, Mother, and Maidenon my calf. I’ll get that finished up on Wednesday, which is our anniversary. Ithink that’s fitting.

So, onto The Monster Within. We are 9 days away from it beingreleased! I’m so excited. Every writer approaches the craft in their own uniqueway. You have your planners and pansters and those who fall in between. Youhave writers that plan by story beats or get lost in a lot of world building,those who are character centric or plot centric. Some make moodboards or playcertain music while they're writing. For me, I fall in between planning andpansting. I can’t outline, because I won’t follow the outline. Invariably, mycharacters or subconscious drives me off the rails. I have to know enough aboutmy story to get started, but I absolutely have to leave wiggle room forimprovisation.

The characters almost always come first, usually in a what if idea. Icollect images as I’m plotting and coming up with ideas. For Monster, I foundimages of the mountains where Michel-Leon confronts the goblins, pictures ofwhat I consider to be his home in both Sangipay and Paris. Pictures of what theswarm consists of, kind of a cross between cicadas and Star Spawn. I don’tnecessarily make a moodboard like many do, but I have that collection, so Idecided to grab some of them and make one for you all.

I also always make a playlist on Spotify. The mood of each one is verydifferent. I can’t listen to music while I’m writing, but this playlist isabsolutely on every time I’m in the car, or cleaning my house, or going for awalk. It helps get me into the mindset of the story and generates ideas. Theone for Monster is an interesting mix of genres, so if you’re interested,here’s the link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2bErhhHENjpPKst9j1z4QE?si=NEsTOfIWTfOVQDp9YkAGmw

I hope you all have a wonderful week!