30 Days of Writing: Day 7

Challenge #7: Do you listen to music while you write? What kind? Are there any songs you like to relate/apply to your characters?

Thus, the floodgates are opened.

Music is a big part of my writing. Whether it’s put on for the purpose of inspiring a mood, or a phrase or tune inexplicably sparks an epiphany, music plays a huge role in all my projects. Over the years (and recent months) I’ve developed a list of go-to artists that never let me down when my muse needs coaxing.

• Instrumental

…may be an obvious choice, but from period film soundtracks (Sense and Sensibility, Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea, Emma) to classical masters (Yiruma, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Wagner, Handel…etc.) or anything really with romantic strings and/or piano, I can write to. Most of my focus is in the relationship, emotional conflict, and character dynamics, so instrumental pieces that reflect those are well used.

• Sara Bareilles

…I love because her songs are pretty, subtle, and leave room for interpretation. Because they’re not all written out in strictly black and white terms I can associate them with several stories at once. Hold My Heart, Gravity, and The Light I can not only listen to all the blithering time, but they put me in the right mood for a story.

• Josh Groban

…His voice speaks sings for itself. It makes my heart soar away on a fluffy sunlit cloud to stores of dark rich chocolate that melt upon me as butter on hot toast. Then, when I’ve floated back down, it helps me write. Unless I’ve swooned into a happy oblivion. That happens sometimes.

• Taylor Swift

…don’t judge. Every single one of her songs puts vivid pictures of stories in my head. Sometimes the story or scene I write has nothing to do with the actual song, but rather a third or fourth bunny trail that branched off from the scene that began in the song. There’s something about her music that helps the words flow. Probably for the very reason that her songs are stories. They get me imagining places and people outside of where I am at the time, making me explore new scenarios. From there it all just… takes off.

• Jon McLaughlin

…is similar to Taylor Swift in that his songs evoke a sense of story. Plus, he plays the piano. There are a lot of wonderful piano solos in his songs that equal loveliness. Also, like Josh Groban, he writes songs that give perspective on the male romantic. And I do love to write my men in love.

For particular songs, more often than not I’ll be so absorbed in a story that everything I hear reminds me of it. But there are songs that have an essence I believe captures specific characters, plot twisters, emotions, etc., in ways that forever link them in my mind.

To my chagrin, most of them are not mine.

Yep, that’s right. I spent most of last night skimming through my playlists (1,393 songs, equaling 91.2 hours) and was surprised to discover I have very few songs to associate with specific stories–of mine. As I stated, whatever I’m working on follows me like a vengeful ghost. The same song might inspire me to write four different stories that have next to nothing in common besides their creator.

Never fear, though! I managed to dig up a few!

By the way, most images people pick for the music are dreadful. Just shut your eyes while you listen and imagine epicness. =P

~Story: Wind Blessed~
Song: The Light -Sara Bareilles
Without saying too much about the plot (which I’ve been very secretive about thus far*) I must express the perfection of this song for Brisella. Now, instead of doing a rotten job of trying to summarize the story I’m going to ask you to listen to that song and tell me what you think it’s about. There are many right answers. Hint: This is a fantasy world with Tolkein and Goodkind influences.

Other “Wind Blessed” Songs
Windancer
Game of Thrones

~Story: Red~
Song: Home Sweet Home -Detektivbyrån
Red is my take on the tale of ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’ It’s about memories, finding your way home, and the sacrifices we make for love. (I’m trying really hard not to sound like a Hallmark film with my descriptions. I’m failing, aren’t I? ) The beginning is the end, so the reader will be wandering with Red as she puts together the pieces from her past and figures out who she is and where on earth she’s headed. This music is spot on. Whimsical, wintry, and with an eerie beauty. I will definitely be listening to this band when I write the rest of Red.

Other “Red” Songs
No One Knows Who I Am
Waking Dream
Romantic Flight

~Story: Tierelyss~
Song: I Brought This On Myself – Jon McLaughlin
Hehehe. Perhaps an odd song choice for a medieval fantasy, but mine involves a young king who wears his heart on his sleeve and has trouble understanding his new and aloof bride. I hear Torin in this song. The words don’t exactly express his point of view, but it’s the right irate, eye-rolling, exasperated groaning, stalking off in a huff sort of feel.

Other “Tierelyss” Songs
Coronation
Feel

~Story: Brides of Plunder (Continuing story of Mandor in the Water)~
Song: Fog Bound – Pirates of the Caribbean
I really wish this wasn’t so recognizable, because I have a feeling everyone else just hears pirates. Despite the title of my story, it has nothing to do with pirates. The story I hear goes like this:
0:29 – 1:05: waiting in the water
1:05 – 1:40: stalking forward, rising out of the river, loooming over her
1:40 – 2:19 – a hinting of their future as she agrees to go with him

Other “Brides” Songs
Dulaman
Viking Tones Icelandic Lullaby
När som jag var på mitt adertonde år
My Skin

~Story: The Baffling Case of Miss Emma Browne~
Song: Never Saw Blue – Hayley Westenra
This song particularly enhanced the part where the doctor takes Emma up on a hill and they have a pleasant afternoon picnic discussing books and learning how to dance. It’s one of the turning points to prove Emma’s growth into a refined young woman. Plus, I just adore this song on its own so it plays a lot when I write.

Other “Emma Browne” Songs
Princess Waltz
Serenade to Spring
Archery

~Story: The Lady of Winterlocke [title tentative]~
Song: Skamgreppet – Hedningarna
I’m challenging myself to write this story entirely in a notebook before I start transferring it to a Word document. Set in a medievalesque fantasy… village…? I suppose you’d call it, the story centers on a newlywed couple who are married as complete strangers. The young bride was raised by cloistered spinsters in a fortress, so it’s a culture shock for her to be brought to a place so remote and wild where the people are not very nice. One scene in my head has her observing a moonlight dance by other women in the village. Cue this song.

Other “Winterlocke” Songs
Heila (True Love)
Cursum Perficio
Love Never Dies (I should apologize for even listening to this song, but it’s pretty, and… it works for this story. A STORY WHICH IS NOT PHANTOM!!)

And for those times when I can’t get my head on straight and am stuck in a writing rut, there’s always Helicopter. I’d feel much better, I’m sure, if I had a helicopter.

As a little bonus, here are some songs I’ve always wanted to write a story to but have not had the time nor the courage to try.

Sonny -Hayley Westenra
I want to make it poignant but not to the extreme the song implies. Something more happy-ending-ish. I haven’t figured it out, though. Mostly it’s there as vague, fleeting images in my head.

Back to December -Taylor Swift
Again, I want to turn this song into a story that ends happily. I have a much clearer idea of how I’d go about it; more miscommunication, less indignant cold-shouldering that leads to regret. But I feel to write it now would be cheating on my other stories that need me. Someday! Some cold, rainy December I’ll sit and write this.

Love Only Knows – Josh Groban
One word: Spies. That’s all I got.

*This has nothing to do with the fact that I’ve barely written anything past the first chapter. I have plans for this story. Big plans. THESE PLANS ARE EPIC AND GRAND!

Featured Snippet

“…The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you want to take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.”

-A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

If anyone advises you (like a little voice from deep inside the reasonable corners of your mind) not to start two very large epic fantasy series at once… don’t. listen. Don’t listen if they’re The Sword of Truth and A Song of Ice and Fire series. I’m reading both sets and it’s so much fun! I’m not even getting characters mixed up, which is surprising!

Featured Image

Ned Stark’s Daughters on troll.me

BA DUM TSH! Yes, this proves my laziness tonight, but I have been working on this post diligently for days and I think I deserve to get away with some small effort funny. For those of you not in on the joke, Arya is the name of Ned Stark’s younger, less ladylike daughter. Now you understand why it’s funny. Although it’s too late and the moment’s passed, so go weep for your ignorance!

101 Things To Do…

A year or so back I bought a funzie book called 101 Things To Do Before You‘re Old and Boring. (Italics intentional.)

Tonight I whipped it out and started filling in the things I’ve already done while making mental notes of things I want to come back to.

It’s sort of comforting to see how many things I’ve already knocked off the list! Although I think the target audience was originally high school students because there’s a whole lot of “have your parents sign here” and “get your school involved for this” going on.

Nevertheless, I’m having a fantastic time filling out this crazy book and feeling quite accomplished in the meantime–silly as that may be.

One of the things to accomplish according to this book was “Write a Song.”

Now, I didn’t write my own song; I’m a lyricist, not a songwriter!–that should be a quote–but I dug up a collection of songs I parodied! This was during a “husband” phase when everything I did had to do with a fictional husband. Wait, that was like… yesterday. No wait. I’m still not over that phase.

Never mind. Suffice to say I wrote them a while ago, and I thought you, my lovely readers, might get a kick out of couple.

I did dress up in costumes and film myself singing some of the songs… horribly… to really bad karaoke music… but I don’t think those will come out of the archives just yet. I have a modicum of pride left to me and I will cling to it.

Original: Hey There Delilah
Parody: Hey There Fiyero

Hey there Fiyero,
What’s it like in Emerald City?
I’m a yellow road away,
But boy, I wrote for you this ditty,
It’s not grand,
Didn’t even have a munchkin band,
To give me a hand.

Hey there Fiyero,
Don’t you worry about Galinda,
Two more months and she’ll be over you,
And dating some pretender,
Boy, be wise,
Look past the wizard’s false disguise,
Don’t buy his lies.

Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
What you do to me

Hey there Fiyero,
I know times are getting hard,
But just believe me, boy,
Someday I’ll find the spell to make you well,
I know I can,
With no more straw in your brainpan,
You’ll be a man.

Hey there Fiyero
Though I’m green and kind of homely,
You and I will show the world
That we don’t have to live life lonley,
Here in Oz,
We’ll be together just because,
That’s what love does.

Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me

This yellow road goes on and on,
I’ve been so sad since you’ve been gone,
I’d fly by broom to bring you back to stay,
The munchkins will poke fun at us,
But you and I won’t make a fuss,
We’ll only care for what our hearts will say.
Fiyero I can promise you,
That by the time that we get through,
Sweet Oz will never ever be the same,
And you’re to blame.

Hey there Fiyero,
Don’t you lose your drifting mind,
I’ll send you notes by flying monkeys,
And I’ll try to make them rhyme like I do
We’ll live our life just dancing through,
We can do whatever we want to,
Hey there Fiyero, here’s to you,
This one’s for you.

Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
Oh it’s what you do to me
What you do to me.

Original: Ode to a Superhero
(Yes, I parodied a parody. I couldn’t be any further from originality if I tried.)
Parody of a Parody: Ode to a Dragon Rider

Poor farmboy Eragon was pitiful,
He couldn’t get any lamer,
And Paolini’s book was shrunk to half it’s size,
To make the tale a lot tamer.

La li la, li de da,
La la, li le la da dum.

But then Eragon went out to catch some dinner,
Found a blue shiny rock instead,
Oh and now Eragon feels like he’s a big winner,
Though Durza sure wants the boy dead.

Save us from doom, you’re the Rider now,
Save us from Urgals and Shades,
‘Cause Galbatorix’s lines are just sissy-like whines,
But power still thrives in his blade.

Now Murty the shamed is a friend of his,
And so is the red-headed girl.
To the fans great surprise, Arya’s ears were resized,
And the dwarves don’t exist anymore.

Oh, la la la, di de da,
La la, di di da da dom.

The kid wants you to know, he’s all seventeen years,
Though Brom’s huge mistake’s a wrong guess,
Still boy and man bond and as Eragon fears,
Brom takes one for him in the chest.

Ajihad’s a sight in his armor there,
As he sends Morzan’s son to the cage,
But Murtagh’s got feelings and bravely he dares,
To love Nasuada… anyway.

In the sky, Durza’s made a big black dragon beast,
I guess Rider’s aren’t really that great,
‘Cause just anyone can conjure a dragon from smoke,
Poor Eragon’s facing defeat.

Oh la la la, di de da,
La la, di di, da da dum,

Save us from doom, you’re the rider now,
Save us from sad Mary-Sues
‘Cause you’re strong with the E branded into your palm,
And Galby will soon get his dues.

It’s a lousy excuse of a battle scene,
There’s no gems to break in the sky,
And the pain from the flame we can hear in the screams,
Of the underpaid falling stunt guys.

Oh, and Arya’s all hot for the Rider boy,
She flirts like a girl in fourth grade,
But fans don’t you cry, I don’t think that they’ll try,
To get the sequel made.

Save us from doom, you’re the rider now,
Save us at once from the pain,
Of bad movies that last little more than an hour,
How will Fox carry on with the shame?

Original: The Wizard and I
Parody: The Hobbit and I

When I meet the Hobbit,
Once I find the Shire,
And then I meet the Hobbit,
I’ll have all that I desire.
And with all his Hobbit shortness,
By my height, he won’t be blinded,
Can’t you see the way that we’re blessed,
Although small, we’re clever minded, so,
He’ll say to me, “I see who you truly are,
A girl with whom one can feel right,”
And that’s how we’ll begin,
The Hobbit and I.

Once I’m with the Hobbit,
My whole life will change,
Cause once you’re with a Hobbit,
No one thinks you’re strange.
No high elves would look down on you,
No wizard feel ashamed,
And middle earth has to love you,
When by a Hobbit it’s been saved.
And this genetic curse of my height,
Maybe at last I’ll know why,
When we are side by side,
The Hobbit and I.

And one day he’ll say to me, “Bethany,
A girl who is so endeared to me,
Shouldn’t a girl who’s so overstressed,
Grow a foot, or two or three,
And since folks here to an absurd degree,
Seem fixated on your littleness,
Would it be alright by you,
If Treebeard could tallify you?“
And of course that’s not important to me…
“Alright, why not?!”
I’ll reply, oh what a pair we’ll be,
The Hobbit and I…
Yes, what a pair we’ll be, the Hobbit and…

Unlimited!
My reach will be,
Unlimited!
And I’ll do away with platform shoes that hurt my feet,
I’ll be, just the perfect size,
To marry any Middle Earth guy,
And I swear someday they’ll be,
Wedding bells in Rivendell,
For one of them and me!

And I’ll stand there with the Hobbits,
Feeling things I’ve only dreamed,
And though I’d never show it,
I’d be so happy I could SCREAM!
And I will stand tall for the rest of my life,
And I’ll want nothing else ’till I die,
Always holding my head high,
With the Hobbit by and by,
Knowing we both love our size,
The Hobbit and I!

In similar news, I ordered this book for myself and I can hardly contain my excitement!!!!!!!! <-Exclamation marks; a sure sign of hardly contained excitement.

Honestly, every time I look at it I squeal and/or bounce in my seat, and/or repeat to myself how much I want it. I have a really odd obsession with question books and games. The proof is there in my half a dozen quiz-based posts and the way I check every receipt I ever get in the hopes that the company has a survey for me to take.

Let It Be Known I Am Versatile

The ever colorful and quirky Elana has bestowed upon me this splendiferous blogging award!

The Versatile Blogger Award

Dah dah dah duuuum!

It’s rather funny, but the other bloggers who earned this prestigious title seem to question their eligibility. Well. I may be infrequent, unkempt, and disorganized with my blogging, but I’ll never doubt my versatility. I’ll write about anything on my mind and more besides.

Honestly, I’m not sure how I can write about something not on my mind… maybe that’s what happens when I’m partly watching a movie and partly scribbling notes?

Wee, I love to ramble!

Alright, since the requirements for this award was to be found guilty of being versatile and then to award 15 other persons of like-crime-mindedness, I award anyone who desires to be known as versatile! If you think your blog spans subjects beyond the confines of a dark, dank Gollum cave, then snatch this little icon and plaster it on your post with pride! You may link back to me or you may not. I’m being supremely lazy and making this a free-f0r-all since last time I barely managed to come up with three favourites to link to. Hurrah, free award!!!! <-green like money.

Oh yes. Now the part where I talk about myself.

In Which I Talk About Myself

1. Yesterday I made banana cupcakes with molasses frosting. I got so full on the batter I didn’t eat any once baked.

2. I’m making a list of movies I watched this whole year. So far Tangled and The Slipper and the Rose are ahead in repeat viewings. I’ve watched them three or four times each already.

3. I’m always writing story scenes in my notebooks and they turn out really well, but when I need to copy the scene chronologically into the story document I can’t find the notes! That’s happening right now. They turn up at some point… usually after I’ve finished the chapter without them. *sigh*

4. When it comes to love I’m afraid of time. And timing. I hate romances in which time is an obstacle that turns out impossible for the two intended lovers to be together. In fact, I don’t know why I started watching Doctor Who when I knew from the start time had doomed him. Okay, I do know. I’m too much of a geek.

Movies on my black list for just this time obstacle reason: Dear John, Captain America, Tuck Everlasting, Atonement, West Side Story, Tristan and Isolde, any version of Romeo & Juliet.

Movies that scared me, but ended up being favourites because they didn’t make me angry at the ending: Prince of Persia, The Lake House, The Holiday, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Kate & Leopold.

That was basically a super-list of chick flicks.

5. Sometimes I fantasize that a man with legal authorization to carry a firearm for his profession will drive up to Panera in an armored jeep during lunch rush and compel me with said firearm to drive his jeep while he shoots at his pursuers who are tied up in a complicated and despicable political plot. You know, like in the movies. And we’d have some after-the-fact cliche conversation I would initiate with, “Why did you choose me?” and he’d say something slightly less cliche and we’d return home as heroes and my managers wouldn’t even mind that I left in the middle of a lunch rush and my parents wouldn’t be upset that I was driving a killer jeep with a strange man in it because it would be a matter of national defense wherein thousands of innocent lives were saved due to our instinctual bravery and he’d marry me in gratitude and buy me a castle (or a cottage) in Scotland where we’d raise fifteen bairns and a few sheep.

The details vary, but the main plot is always the same.

6. I did not get enough sleep last night.

7. I very rarely have solid favourites, but rather phases. (Excepting a handful of books, songs, and movies.) I have a favourite song for a day, or a month, or a favourite project to be working on at the moment only. I’m giving y’all more info than is strictly necessary, but here’s a list of my current “phase” favourites.

Song: Unworthy of Your Love – from (originally) “Assassins” but also (in a far less creepy context*) “Putting it Together: A Musical Revue”
Video: HISHE: Captain America – pure. unadulterated. brilliance. Exactly why I hated that blasted ending!
Book: The Phantom of the Opera – Lowell Bair translation
Project: Finding my missing story notes so that I can continue a project.
Word: expulsion

————-x————-

*At first I thought a musical called “Assassins” featuring a song like that must be awesome. But after sifting through hours and hours of Wikipedia bunny trails, I have to confess it sounds outright creepy. And if you know me at all, I’m not one to use the term lightly. Basically, it’s about a bunch of historical figures who either attempted to or succeeded in assassinating U.S. presidents, and the original context of the song involves John Hinkley and “Squeaky” Fromme, singing separately in their perverse delusion. (The actual historical context is even creepier than any fictional story I’ve yet to encounter. Honestly.) But in the clip featured, it’s a really nice love song between relatively normal human beings. As far as I can tell.

Dear Blank

Letter Challenge Day Twenty-Five–Someone you know that is going through the worst of times

Do excuse my lack of actual wordage in this post.

This may not be an entirely accurate response to the letter challenge because the person I’m doing this for… towards? I am no longer speaking with… to? at? So I couldn’t say whether he/she is going through the worst of times or best of times or simply going-on-with-life times.

I’m not even writing a letter to (or at) that person because I thought it best for both parties to end communication completely. No contact. On my end, it’s been quite nice. =) I hope it’s been as pleasant for this other person, but I dare not ask lest another can of worms be unleashed.

I digress.

Jon McLaughlin, a singer/songwriter we both hold in high esteem recently came out with a song that in my mind perfectly sums up our relationship and why I finally ended it. So enough of my paltry words. Allow Jon McLaughlin to say it best by singing…

7 Songs I Hate but Love To Sing

There can be nothing offensive about this image because it's from School House Rock. Which is a kids' show.

Tell me I’m not the only one with a list like this.

I have no great love of most modern music. Most songs are absolutely ridiculously eye-rolling-ly obnoxious. However… they’re also super catchy. And somehow when you sing them really loud to annoy other people, or head-bang to them in the car to freak out the driver next to you, they become almost… likable.

What can I say? Mockery makes the heart grow fonder.

7. My Life Would Suck – Kelly Clarkson

It’s 7th on the list because it doesn’t annoy me and I don’t hate it. It’s just fun to sing really loud to your best friend when she’s not paying enough attention to you.

6. Hot n Cold – Katy Perry

Again, this song isn’t really loathed by me. It is what it is. A song to make fun of guys with. And to sing anytime temperatures at work are questioned.

5. Pocket Full of Sunshine -Natasha Bedingfeld

It’s so annoying. As said in Easy A: “Worst song ever.” And yet it begs to be sung! Like this, mostly. And at work. I’ve heard it both ways.*

4. Apologize – One Republic

I would never listen to this song and enjoy it as… music. I would, and do, however, frequently sing it whenever it’s “too late” for anything, or someone apologizes.

3. Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne

I can’t count the amount of times I’ve sung this to my brother. For no reason whatsoever. (Excluding the “I could be your girlfriend” part. There are limits to my creepiness. I know that shocks you.)

2. 7 Things – Miley Cyrus

Who can resist getting super uncomfortably close to a person and going, “Sha! Sha! Sha!” I know I can’t! This song is absurd. Horrible, even. But it’s so much fun to sing. Ugh.

1. Friday – Rebecca Black

I will spare you the details. The title/artist is self explanatory.

*Quote alert!!