I have always been a music lover. There are a few genres I don't care for, but for the most part, music speaks to my soul. I am listening to music whenever possible - at work, in the car, working in the yard, and especially when I'm writing.
In fact, music is always playing while I'm writing, no exception. Now sometimes I plan ahead, selecting specific music to augment my mood or intensify a certain style or timeframe I want to capture with my writing.
For the most part, movie soundtracks will be my preference. I have over 300 soundtracks on CD, with 25 still on cassette, because I can't find them on CD. They're wearing out, which is sad.
My office is arranged in such a way to help music help my writing. I have a great chair (alas, it is old and squeaks a lot and the seat is wearing thin), and excellent lighting (though my eyes are failing me after all these years) and speakers strategically placed to enhance listening. The receiver and CD player are within easy reach, though I do have to get up to select a different CD (if it isn't in the convenient tower of 20 on my left). The tray holds 6 CD's, so that's a lot of music to play, before I need to change the selection, which is rare, because I often have certain favorite tracks on endless repeat. I will play something over and over, for hours on end, until I suddenly realize that I've heard it 2 million times. This often happens when I'm in the "groove", a place writers love to find themselves in, for the words just flow.
I do try to select music that has some correlation to what I'm writing. Since I'm a historical fiction author, I tend to lean to action and adventure movies, because their soundtracks have powerful themes. Currently I'm writing a young adult novel that takes place during the American Civil War, so I'm listening to Glory, Gettysburg, The Horse Soldiers, and How The West Was Won.
I'm also working on an adult action/adventure novel, where the music covers a broader range of emotions and themes, so the musical selection varies widely. In this case I'm listening to Matrix Reloaded, Transformers, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, The Day After Tomorrow, The DaVinci Code & Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
As a rule, I prefer soundtracks composed by Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Ron Goodwin, Alan Silvestri, Basil Poledouris, Elmer Bernstein, James Horner, Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard, to name a few. I don't necessarily have to like the movie, to enjoy the soundtrack. Case in point, the most recent War of the Worlds. The movie was horrible, but the music was great.
This habit extends to my research modes as well. I have found that music helps me concentrate on the subject I am delving into, whether that's reading books and articles, composing email to hsitorians, writers, or everyday people, or surfing the Internet. I make every attempt to match the music with whatever era I'm working with.
I'm tempted to tell readers what music to listen to when they're reading my books. I have gone as far as burning myself a mini-soundtrack to listen again and again as I'm editing my final draft for the 7th time. It makes the tedious nitpicking seem less irritating and more productive. Music evokes a sensory element in me that heightens the experience and helps me transform words into images. Yes, sometimes classical rock will sneak into the lineup, but that's either because I just want to listen to Eddie Money or David Bowie. That also means that Scottish bagpipes, Celtic, Latin, and Native American music will find its way to my ears as well. It all depends on my mood and what I'm currenlty writing.
If you're interested, you can email me and ask what music I was listening to when I wrote a certain novel. I kept track of it all, so I'd be happy to share the music with you!
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Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Ron Goodwin, Alan Silvestri, Basil Poledouris, Elmer Bernstein, James Horner, Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Matrix Reloaded, Transformers, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, The Day After Tomorrow, The DaVinci Code, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Glory, Gettysburg, The Horse Soldiers, How The West Was Won
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2 comments:
Hmmmm - interesting - Might I suggest some Richard Marx???
Do you still listen to Robert Palmer?
Alice
I do listen to Richard Marx, but only when I want to be sad and depressed.
Yes, Robert Palmer is a favorite. I still remember all his cool videos, especially the ones with the women dressed in black and pretending they were playing guitar. It's hard to believe he's gone.
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