Saturday Story Building - Music as a muse

Last week I wrote about how a picture is worth a thousand words, and Megan left me this comment:

"I think the concept extends to a piece of music, a dance performance, or other artistic expressions which can inspire as well. There are certain universal truths (joy, love, pain, fear, etc.) which cannot be expressed in regular words. It takes an artistic form to convey them. 

When one artist is able to capture that truth, other artists feel compelled to join in. Not in competition but in harmony of expression. This is why music compels us to dance."

Music doesn't just compel us to dance. It can compel us to write. As Megan says, we feel compelled by our connection to music to reach out and speak the words that it inspires in us. I think that's why so many of us have playlists or radio stations that we listen to as we write. The music we hear brings us the mood we want to set.

I don't have a set playlist for any of my stories. I listen to types of music. When I want to write something intense I listen to gothic/symphonic metal like Within Temptation, Delain, and Krypteria. When I'm writing something quieter, I listen to classical music from Bach, Mozart, and Pachelbel. When I'm writing something lively, I listen to folk music like Faun or Blackmore's Night. Each sound inspires something different in me and that inspiration bleeds down into my writing.

Sometimes I write in silence, needing to be alone with my thoughts. Other times I'll have something like a movie or anime playing in the background as I write. But mostly I play music. I get my music from Pandora or IHeartRadio, and the stations that I've created work very well for me (for the most part).

What about you? What music do you listen to as you write? Do you have a specific playlist you use for each character or story? Do you have specific songs that you equate to certain characters? Or do you not listen to anything at all?

I is for Imagination & Inspiration

Imagination and inspiration go hand in hand for me.  There is no inspiration without a touch of imagination.  Imagination is triggered by some inspiring force - be it a daydream, a flower seen on a walk, or a snippet of overheard conversation.  Both are needed if you're going to write a novel.

I'm sure there are going to be those people who say you don't need inspiration to write a novel.  But you really do.  Something has to inspire you to tell the story.  It may not be as grand as the typical fantasy about muses whispering into your ear.  It may just be a desire to tell a story that you came up with.  This is inspiration.

What inspires your imagination?  What do you use to make that ever-so-important part of your consciousness work for you and create your stories?