In addition to my playlist

What’s it with writers and music? I don’t really know how to explain, to be honest. But I will try.

 

What’s playing?

 

It’s like every story has its own song. Sometimes the song comes first, and with it the idea to a fantastic plotline. Other times you have a book outlined in your head, and while you write it you come across this awesome song, that just fits the hero or heroine perfectly. There is no real rule for it. It’s a bit like the what-came-first/egg-or-chicken thing.

 

Important about this is, that most writers need music for inspiration. Like me. I’m one of the worse cases, actually. I can’t get anything worth reading on a page without having a good song that drives me. Once I’ve found that piece, I’m listening to it over and over. Most of the time it starts with a complete day doing nothing but listening. And during those relaxed hours, I form a plot in my mind. I picture the characters, let them do certain things at the right parts of the song, like when there is a crescendo, or something. Even their traits and flaws come with the right music.

 

It happened that I had this beautiful idea for an archangel trilogy. But apart from a good first chapter, I couldn’t write it. I sat at my laptop for weeks, months even, forcing myself to spit out the words. But in the end it was all rubbish. And I just knew why. I started looking for the right song to it, but nothing would capture me. It’s very frustrating when you have a story in your head and you can’t get it out because of a simple lack of music.

 

However, it happened only yesterday that I listened to an old song I had saved on a playlist. And there it was. Suddenly. Finally. I could hardly believe it, but I felt like dancing on the table. I’d found Gabriel’s song. And since that moment, I actually wrote two and a half chapters. Impressed? You should be. *winks and laughs*

 

And now go find the right song to motivate you to do whatever you want to do tonight.

 

 

Tagged: writing