I was recently explaining in a magazine interview my writing process and I got to thinking it would be great to learn if music helps or hinders both writers and readers in visualising characters and scenes.
Music certainly inspires me as I write. I usually take a germ of an idea and begin to play about with it in my mind when out walking my dog. I muse over, what if this? Perhaps if I added that, etc. At this stage I won’t write anything down, just consider the plot, settings and any facts if applicable. Always I'm listening to music and lyrics to create a mood.
Then I begin to search for visuals of the characters, either someone I know, have known or perhaps an actor I could see playing the part, if the book were a film. I then find it quite easy to develop their personalities. I’ve still not yet written a word down, instead, I’m only imagining key events as a film. In creating the character of Mary in my new book, for example, I simply one day stumbled across the music of Kristina Train and loved her voice. That, in turn, led me to view her website and hey! Suddenly I had my Mary. That’s how quirky it can be – a girl from Georgia, USA becoming my vision of an Irish nurse in England, 1912.
Music certainly inspires me as I write. I usually take a germ of an idea and begin to play about with it in my mind when out walking my dog. I muse over, what if this? Perhaps if I added that, etc. At this stage I won’t write anything down, just consider the plot, settings and any facts if applicable. Always I'm listening to music and lyrics to create a mood.
Then I begin to search for visuals of the characters, either someone I know, have known or perhaps an actor I could see playing the part, if the book were a film. I then find it quite easy to develop their personalities. I’ve still not yet written a word down, instead, I’m only imagining key events as a film. In creating the character of Mary in my new book, for example, I simply one day stumbled across the music of Kristina Train and loved her voice. That, in turn, led me to view her website and hey! Suddenly I had my Mary. That’s how quirky it can be – a girl from Georgia, USA becoming my vision of an Irish nurse in England, 1912.
Love to hear some views!
Chris Brookes
Author of