Although I've already touched on writing soundtracks, I've been exploring the topic enough to warrant an update. I never had a big tendency to pick out songs based on what I was actually writing, but now I've started being more careful with my soundtracks.
My iPod has plenty of songs of every emotion, but when I go out of my way to tint my soundtrack, it's not with my iPod. After all, I listen to those songs all of the time; they're just a general soundtrack, not strongly associated with anything for me. Video game soundtracks, however, are more strongly linked to emotions, moods, and certain types of scenes in my head; the only time I hear them much is in the appropriate scenes.
The 30-minute extended soundtracks put up by BrawlBRSTMs3 on YouTube are my go-to. Not only is it a great compilation of themes from Ace Attorney and Ghost Trick, the main video games with which I concern myself, the length of the videos allows me to continue writing with the same tune without much fussing on my part.
So what song goes with what scenes? Well, the bloodbath chapter of Tributes and Tribulations was written under the influence of TRAUMA. I used the first Epilogue tune from Phoenix Wright while writing the epilogue of Along the Winding Road. I've gone with video game soundtracks while editing as well; the last chapter of Along the Winding Road was done to the tune of the Turnabout Sisters theme, which may evoke the strongest emotions in my case.
What does your writing soundtrack look like? Do you incorporate soundtracks from video games or other entertainment sources? What music affects your mood the most, and what effect does it have on your writing?
P.S. Due to time constraints, there will be no posts during the month of September. Updates will continue starting October 1.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Friday, August 29, 2014
Sunday, July 20, 2014
A Story-Making Game
This requires some technology, so not everyone may be able to do it easily, but...
Start up your method for listening to music. Put it on shuffle. Play (or at least start and write down) the next two songs it gives you.
Make a story out of them.
The story must get elements from both songs, but it doesn't matter what part of which song—the chorus, the title, the music video, even just the feel of the tune. The story can be as simple or as detailed as you feel the need to write down.
Of course, I can't demand you do something I haven't myself done, so here's a few from me.
1. "Youth Gone Wild" and "Don't Stop Believing"
A small-town girl gets more than she had bargained for when her aimless train ride is hijacked by a group of punks. But when she manages to escape into the heart of the dreary, superficially bustling city, she finds herself drawn back to the car. Between one of the young men who might not be as dastardly as he seems and the hope of negotiating the train to greener pastures, she might stay awhile.
2. "In the Air Tonight" and "Still They Ride"
Before The Generic Momentous Event, the town had been calm and Jesse a good man. But with the streets in shambles, half the population dead, and pyrokinetic gangs seizing power, quiet safety is impossible. The former nurse would have left altogether had it not been for one other man—an influential fire-thrower who killed Jesse's son in the chaos. Jesse wants his revenge before he dares flee the boundaries of the town, even if he has to team up with some unsavory characters to do so.
3. "Share the Land" and "Juke Box Hero"
The manager of a rising rock star struggles to keep up with her job and the world around her while hiding her drug addiction, which is only worsened by her occasional visions of her loving but deceased fiancé.
4. "Dead or Alive" and "Psycho Killer"
A charming professional spy with a lot of kills in his résumé has to secure information from a young woman. It seems simple enough until he finds that she is unwilling to communicate with a human like him, and her own history of killings spells its own kind of trouble.
Fun enough, right? Tell me if you come up with anything interesting. Maybe you can even pair your results with a character from an earlier little game and get a fuller story.
Start up your method for listening to music. Put it on shuffle. Play (or at least start and write down) the next two songs it gives you.
Make a story out of them.
The story must get elements from both songs, but it doesn't matter what part of which song—the chorus, the title, the music video, even just the feel of the tune. The story can be as simple or as detailed as you feel the need to write down.
Of course, I can't demand you do something I haven't myself done, so here's a few from me.
1. "Youth Gone Wild" and "Don't Stop Believing"
A small-town girl gets more than she had bargained for when her aimless train ride is hijacked by a group of punks. But when she manages to escape into the heart of the dreary, superficially bustling city, she finds herself drawn back to the car. Between one of the young men who might not be as dastardly as he seems and the hope of negotiating the train to greener pastures, she might stay awhile.
2. "In the Air Tonight" and "Still They Ride"
Before The Generic Momentous Event, the town had been calm and Jesse a good man. But with the streets in shambles, half the population dead, and pyrokinetic gangs seizing power, quiet safety is impossible. The former nurse would have left altogether had it not been for one other man—an influential fire-thrower who killed Jesse's son in the chaos. Jesse wants his revenge before he dares flee the boundaries of the town, even if he has to team up with some unsavory characters to do so.
3. "Share the Land" and "Juke Box Hero"
The manager of a rising rock star struggles to keep up with her job and the world around her while hiding her drug addiction, which is only worsened by her occasional visions of her loving but deceased fiancé.
4. "Dead or Alive" and "Psycho Killer"
A charming professional spy with a lot of kills in his résumé has to secure information from a young woman. It seems simple enough until he finds that she is unwilling to communicate with a human like him, and her own history of killings spells its own kind of trouble.
Fun enough, right? Tell me if you come up with anything interesting. Maybe you can even pair your results with a character from an earlier little game and get a fuller story.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Art!
Because true creative minds cannot be tied to one medium alone!
...That doesn't necessarily mean we're good at all of them, but still.
...That doesn't necessarily mean we're good at all of them, but still.
Some of you may be aware I have a deviantArt page, although I don't post much. I'm always more inspired to put things into words than pictures. Occasionally, though, a single moment or idea presents itself, and it cannot be hacked out on a computer keyboard. That, or it's something that really doesn't interest me that much, such as fluffy romantic pictures for certain Hetalia characters, so I'd rather sketch it out than try to construct a whole story of any length. And then sometimes I just feel more like drawing than writing.
I've already done a few posts on how connected music is to writing, but it is, of course, its own art form. I've humoured the idea of becoming a classical composer (or rock star, let's not lie), but I'm never really inspired to make music. I'll sing along to Fleetwood Mac or play "Crazy Train" on oboe, sure, and I'll often find myself humming a random, classical-style tune that I find catchy (usually this happens when I start adjusting a tune to something annoying that's stuck in my head and go way off on a tangent), but it's not the same as creating a story. It sounds pretty, and it can tell stories in some sense, but there are less specifics, more hinting, and less time to get through it all. It's kind of hard to describe my view on music because it's so many things to me—a background to writing, an inspiration to writing, a way to shift my focus away from a stressful situation, a means of worship, and sometimes just a means of amusement.
All I can say is, these mediums are different, as they should be, and can't serve quite the same purpose for the same person. Of course, they can be mixed, but that's another story altogether.
To conclude, here are a few random ideas that I want to draw but haven't yet. I may start posting these like I do Fragments, although they have little to do with writing and might not belong here.
I've already done a few posts on how connected music is to writing, but it is, of course, its own art form. I've humoured the idea of becoming a classical composer (or rock star, let's not lie), but I'm never really inspired to make music. I'll sing along to Fleetwood Mac or play "Crazy Train" on oboe, sure, and I'll often find myself humming a random, classical-style tune that I find catchy (usually this happens when I start adjusting a tune to something annoying that's stuck in my head and go way off on a tangent), but it's not the same as creating a story. It sounds pretty, and it can tell stories in some sense, but there are less specifics, more hinting, and less time to get through it all. It's kind of hard to describe my view on music because it's so many things to me—a background to writing, an inspiration to writing, a way to shift my focus away from a stressful situation, a means of worship, and sometimes just a means of amusement.
All I can say is, these mediums are different, as they should be, and can't serve quite the same purpose for the same person. Of course, they can be mixed, but that's another story altogether.
To conclude, here are a few random ideas that I want to draw but haven't yet. I may start posting these like I do Fragments, although they have little to do with writing and might not belong here.
- A collage of anatomical sketches (e.g., nephrons, neurons, stratified squamous epithelial cells) overlaid with the text "I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE"
- [fan art] A shipping picture featuring Russia and (OC) Antarctica with the title "To the Ends of the Earth"
- Personifications of Mississippi and Alabama standing back-to-back
- [fan art] A shot of a really, really battered WWII England with an almost crazed look of tenacity, the background being a particularly bad bombing of London
- An American flag made by snippets of red, white, and blue portions of other nations' flags (with a few other colors so the other flags can still be identified)
- Pairs of characters from The Long and Winding Road, including Emile brushing Monique's hair, Charlotte and Arthur back to back shooting down monsters, Jordan trying to teach Silas violin, and Martin joshing around with Manfred
- Not exactly a drawing, but I'd love to make some chaotic war/battle scene with no sound but "Scarborough Fair"
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Writing from Music
As opposed to just writing to music.
At an orchestra concert a while ago, I had been innocently listening to the music when Luke (sitting next to me) asked what kind of head-story I had formed from the music. I, of course, had done no such thing, but I gave it a shot for the next piece and ended up with some short concerning a werewolf and a fleeing female (no relation to Dynblaidd).
That was the last song of the night, and my little story wasn't interesting enough to flesh out, but I thought I might give it another try. I've already toyed with an idea concerning "Just a Job to Do" by Genesis (which somehow came on shuffle as I was writing this, just like the original post...), but I think I might check out some more classical-type music. Being without lyrics, it'd be a lot more challenging, but it's worth a shot. If I come up with anything interesting, I'll put up a New Fiction Idea and give credit to the song; if I fail several times, I may just post a sequel to this with the fragments I got from the songs.
Have you ever sought inspiration from music without lyrics? Do you have any songs you'd like to recommend?
At an orchestra concert a while ago, I had been innocently listening to the music when Luke (sitting next to me) asked what kind of head-story I had formed from the music. I, of course, had done no such thing, but I gave it a shot for the next piece and ended up with some short concerning a werewolf and a fleeing female (no relation to Dynblaidd).
That was the last song of the night, and my little story wasn't interesting enough to flesh out, but I thought I might give it another try. I've already toyed with an idea concerning "Just a Job to Do" by Genesis (which somehow came on shuffle as I was writing this, just like the original post...), but I think I might check out some more classical-type music. Being without lyrics, it'd be a lot more challenging, but it's worth a shot. If I come up with anything interesting, I'll put up a New Fiction Idea and give credit to the song; if I fail several times, I may just post a sequel to this with the fragments I got from the songs.
Have you ever sought inspiration from music without lyrics? Do you have any songs you'd like to recommend?
Monday, June 10, 2013
New Fiction Idea #22
Inspired by a Genesis song that somehow against all odds (/slightly off pun) came on my iPod on shuffle as I typed this up. 'Tis destiny.
Working Title: A Job to Do
Genre: Suspense/Action
Protagonist: Danielle, a twenty-three-year-old woman with fair skin and dark brown hair, which she keeps mid-back length and only ties up for jobs. She is an assassin who prefers to use handguns but is proficient with sniper rifles as well. She takes her job seriously and unemotionally, though she's spent her entire life in this system and wants to settle down with a family eventually.
Other Main Character: Lennon, a twenty-two-year old man with short, black hair but bangs that are as long as possible without getting in his eyes. He's well-built and "ruggedly handsome," beard stubble and all, but he has yet to take a relationship seriously. He's also a trained killer, though not from the same organisation as Danielle, and specialises in faux suicide operations.
Antagonist: Lennon and some others in his organisation.
Setting: A few slightly futuristic Earth cities, possibly extending to some parts of the countryside. There's little gang activity, but, due to the high-class, high-profit nature of the city and its buildings, a lot of important people end up there (although they're not usually executed on-site, because that would be a tad too suspicious). Assassins make good money and are often trained from a young age after being sold (usually for drugs or such) or, on rare occasions, stolen. Only two assassination organisations are dominant in the main city of the story, and they have a bit of an underground rivalry.
Plot: Danielle carries out her many heart-thumping missions and, in the process, meets Lennon. They're both easily convinced the other works at some other office in the city, and they strike up a bit of a relationship. Unfortunately Danielle then succeeds in offing someone the rival organisation did not want her organisation to get, and Lennon is then assigned to take care of her. Unswayed by the small amount of time they had spent with each other, Lennon pursues his goal but, since she lives a dangerous life and could be killed by others of his organisation at any time anyway, decides to make it a cat-and-mouse game, toying with her but cutting closer every time.
Point of View: Third-person limited, alternating between Danielle and Lennon.
Honestly, it sounds a bit more like a movie to me, but I barely even consider it possible to do a script long enough for a short film, so that's not happening. And, I mean, you know how action novels never get made into movies, anyway.
It's definitely just in its first stages and needs more original elements, but hey. If I had everything worked out, I would be writing it now.
Working Title: A Job to Do
Genre: Suspense/Action
Protagonist: Danielle, a twenty-three-year-old woman with fair skin and dark brown hair, which she keeps mid-back length and only ties up for jobs. She is an assassin who prefers to use handguns but is proficient with sniper rifles as well. She takes her job seriously and unemotionally, though she's spent her entire life in this system and wants to settle down with a family eventually.
Other Main Character: Lennon, a twenty-two-year old man with short, black hair but bangs that are as long as possible without getting in his eyes. He's well-built and "ruggedly handsome," beard stubble and all, but he has yet to take a relationship seriously. He's also a trained killer, though not from the same organisation as Danielle, and specialises in faux suicide operations.
Antagonist: Lennon and some others in his organisation.
Setting: A few slightly futuristic Earth cities, possibly extending to some parts of the countryside. There's little gang activity, but, due to the high-class, high-profit nature of the city and its buildings, a lot of important people end up there (although they're not usually executed on-site, because that would be a tad too suspicious). Assassins make good money and are often trained from a young age after being sold (usually for drugs or such) or, on rare occasions, stolen. Only two assassination organisations are dominant in the main city of the story, and they have a bit of an underground rivalry.
Plot: Danielle carries out her many heart-thumping missions and, in the process, meets Lennon. They're both easily convinced the other works at some other office in the city, and they strike up a bit of a relationship. Unfortunately Danielle then succeeds in offing someone the rival organisation did not want her organisation to get, and Lennon is then assigned to take care of her. Unswayed by the small amount of time they had spent with each other, Lennon pursues his goal but, since she lives a dangerous life and could be killed by others of his organisation at any time anyway, decides to make it a cat-and-mouse game, toying with her but cutting closer every time.
Point of View: Third-person limited, alternating between Danielle and Lennon.
Honestly, it sounds a bit more like a movie to me, but I barely even consider it possible to do a script long enough for a short film, so that's not happening. And, I mean, you know how action novels never get made into movies, anyway.
It's definitely just in its first stages and needs more original elements, but hey. If I had everything worked out, I would be writing it now.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Writing Music
I very much have a habit of needing to listen to music as I write. I've carefully calculated the proper volumes for both my radio (4) and my computer (3 bars, with iTunes on half volume)—loud enough I don't have to figure out what song it is, but soft enough I can focus on the story.
I sort of wonder if I do better writing when listening to particular song styles, etc., but I haven't looked into it. I've heard others sharing their types of novelling music but haven't looked much into that, either. What kind of music (or silence, or perhaps a television program) do you like in the background when you write?
Incidentally, I recently got a Steve Perry CD, a Scorpions CD, and an A Flock of Seagulls CD. I'm currently in love with "Wishing" and various other songs on said CDs whose titles I cannot recall at the moment. They're not bad for novelling, either.
"Dirty Laundry" is inherently distracting somehow. I think it's the beat.
"Troubled Child" and "Edge of the Blade" are the best to have on repeat, especially with the kinds of stories I write. I haven't tried much else on repeat, though.
Also, how about listening to music while reading? I know I've done Recommended Listenings for everything in the Brutal series, but seeing as I don't read my own work, I haven't read it while listening to the listenings. I've done some casual reading with music on, but I always just end up ignoring one or the other. Any thoughts?
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