McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
What's Your Ritual?
RobJN:
I'm another writer that can't write in that "silence" that people seem to keep talking about. I need the music to tune out the other noises: TV, radio, lawnmowers, the 'clackity-clack' of the wife's keyboard on the other side of the room....
I've got playlists put together for the various pieces I'm working on, ranging from soundtrack, to classical, solo piano, acoustic guitar... to some symphonic rock, bit of alternative, a dash of techno... Whatever I can find that either fills the mood for a section, or serves to sum up a character. Other times, I need something to put the mind into that fat, sloppy delta-wave and let the ideas come a-rollin' on through...
Lately, the ritual has been starting the playlist with a character piece, or the story theme, and then letting it shuffle out and see where the tunes take me.
Kali:
--- Quote from: RobJN on October 12, 2009, 08:03:39 PM ---Lately, the ritual has been starting the playlist with a character piece, or the story theme, and then letting it shuffle out and see where the tunes take me.
--- End quote ---
That's exactly what I do. Sometimes it backfires...
I was writing a Star Wars Old Republic fic. I'm deep into a moody section of the piece. The Jedi Knight, having accomplished a prison transfer to a relatively new prison world, is following a faint hint of Dark Side energy. She's known since she arrived that something was wrong, because no one wanted to let her inside the main facility. She finds the source, has the door opened, walks down a dark hallway toward a distant reddish glow. At the end, she finds a cell made completely of energy, and inside that cell, a kneeling and manacled Sith Lord. His black skin is etched with silver tattoos that are tinged blood-red from the energy. He slowly opens his eyes, his lips part in a feral grin...
And "Play That Funky Music, White Boy" spins up on Rhapsody.
Mood shot. Stop for the night. Go lie down with a cold washcloth over my eyes.
RobJN:
--- Quote from: Kali on October 13, 2009, 12:39:25 AM ---That's exactly what I do. Sometimes it backfires...
I was writing a Star Wars Old Republic fic. ...
And "Play That Funky Music, White Boy" spins up on Rhapsody.
--- End quote ---
That's going to rank right up there with M.C. Vader and the Sith version of "Thriller"
Starbeam:
That's why I put together playlists for specific moods, just so that doesn't happen. Cause it would be quite counterproductive to be writing something like a nice emotional romantic scene, listening to something like one of the love themes from Star Wars and then have it change to Slipknot or Disturbed or the like.
Course, I've reripped all my music, so now all the playlists are blank, and that kinda thing is more likely to happen.
Kid Longshot:
Hm, I've never actually tried putting together playlists for writing moods. Sounds like it would be cool to help you get in the mood to write. Like, hard guitar for fights, easy ballads for romantic scenes, epic overtures for dramatic, plot-twisting goodness. :) You guys make me so hyped up to write.
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