Writers and artists tend to be fairly divided over the habit of listening to music while creating art (or "arting" as I love to say!). Some say that silence is the vacuum into which creativity flows, while others believe that music helps to stimulate creativity.
As for myself, I fall firmly into the latter camp. Music doesn't just enhance my creativity--it is the "on" switch that gets me writing.
It's well-known that music can affect your mood. For example, in one study, it was proven that listening to Mozart improved the performance of spatial ability tests. The participants who listened to energetic Mozart music performed much better than those listening to slower, moodier Albinoni music.
I've got a few examples of how specific songs and music styles can affect my writing:
For action scenes -- If I'm writing a fight scene, a very active scene, or a part of the book that is very high-energy, I like to listen to upbeat, fast-tempo music. Songs like Skrillex' Make it Burn Dem or Bangarang makes me more energetic, and thus it makes the action scene more robust and lively.
For emotionally charged scenes -- If I’m writing a scene that is heavily emotional, the haunting violin music of Lindsey Stirling will usually be the "writing aid" I need to get in the mood. Something about the highs and lows of the music makes it brilliant for the ebb and flow of emotions.
For angry scenes -- If I want to get my characters yelling at each other, there are a few songs that work for me. For example, Knock You Out by Bingo Players is perfect for that righteous anger, such as the hero getting angry at the villain for some villainous deed. But if I want spite and the sort of petty anger common among anti-heroes and villains, I'll turn to a song like Shatter Me by Lizzi Hale and Lindsey Stirling. The raw emotion in that song makes it wonderful for getting angry!
For sad scenes -- If I have a character that needs to feel sorrow over a loss, a betrayal, or something sad, Rihanna's What Now is a great song. The lyrics blend with the music to make it a perfect song of "What Ifs" or "If Onlys".
For depressive, moody scenes -- If I need to write a gloomy, moody scene where my characters are depressed or introspective, a song that works brilliantly is Safe and Sound by Capital Cities. It puts me in a melancholy emotional state, helping me to tap into those emotions and infuse them into my writing.
Then, of course, there are songs that just make writing a whole lot of fun! They put a "pep into my step", as it were, helping me to get through the boring, narrative-heavy scenes or less important dialogue. They're the writing equivalent of a "workout mix", with songs like:
Beam Me Up by Cazzette
Break Free by Arianna Grande ft. Zedd
Bad by David Guetta
Albatraoz by AronChupa
Isn't it amazing how these songs--many of them fairly similar in style and genre--can have such a markedly different effects on me?
What songs affect you the most? What songs make you mad, sad, and glad? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts, or send me an email at andy.peloquin@gmail.com and let me know! Perhaps your songs could have a similar effect on me…
Tagline/Elevator Pitch:
A faceless, nameless assassin. A forgotten past. The Hunter of Voramis--a killer devoid of morals, or something else altogether? (Blade of the Destroyer--dark fantasy with a look at the underside of human nature)
Book Blurb:
The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the Destroyer
The Hunter of Voramis is the perfect assassin: ruthless, unrelenting, immortal. Yet he is haunted by lost memories, bonded to a cursed dagger that feeds him power yet denies him peace of mind. Within him rages an unquenchable need for blood and death.
When he accepts a contract to avenge the stolen innocence of a girl, the Hunter becomes the prey. The death of a seemingly random target sends him hurtling toward destruction, yet could his path also lead to the truth of his buried past?
Book Info:
Title: The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the Destroyer
Author: Andy Peloquin
Official Launch Date: August 21st, 2015
Publication Date: July 11th, 2015
Paperback Price: $15.99
Digital Price: $3.99
Pages: 298
ISBN: 1515038955
Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Destroyer-Last-Bucelarii-Book-ebook/dp/B012EI9M4A/
Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Destroyer-Last-Bucelarii-Book/dp/1515038955/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25269614-blade-of-the-destroyer
Book Launch Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1625045874438351/
Bio:
Andy Peloquin: Lover of All Things Dark and Mysterious
Andy Peloquin--a third culture kid to the core--has loved to read since before he could remember. Sherlock Holmes, the Phantom of the Opera, and Father Brown are just a few of the books that ensnared his imagination as a child.
When he discovered science fiction and fantasy through the pages of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, J.R.R Tolkien, and Orson Scott Card, he was immediately hooked and hasn't looked back since.
Andy's first attempt at writing produced In the Days: A Tale of the Forgotten Continent. He has learned from the mistakes he made and used the experience to produce Blade of the Destroyer, a book of which he is very proud.
Reading—and now writing—is his favorite escape, and it provides him an outlet for his innate creativity. He is an artist; words are his palette.
His website (http://www.andypeloquin.com) is a second home for him, a place where he can post his thoughts and feelings--along with reviews of books he finds laying around the internet.
He can also be found on his social media pages, such as:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin
www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/
https://plus.google.com/100885994638914122147/about
https://www.amazon.com/author/andypeloquin
https://www.facebook.com/andrew.peloquin.1
10 Things You Need to Know About Me:
I never forget a face, but rarely remember a name.
I'm a head taller than the average person (I'm 6' 6")
Marvel > DC
I was born in Japan, and lived there until the age of 14.
Selena Gomez and Five Finger Death Punch are both in my playlist.
Aliens are real, but it's self-centered of us to believe that they would come to visit Earth.
Watching sports: suck. Playing sports: EPIC!
I earned a purple belt in Karate/Hapkido/Taekwondo.
I dislike most Christmas music, aside from Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Reviews:
"Creative, gritty, and beautifully dark...fantasy addicts will love it!" -- Peter Story, author of Things Grak Hates -- http://peterjstory.com/
"The fantasy world has a compelling new antihero…the Hunter will terrify and captivate you." - Eve A Floriste, author of Fresh Cut
"From the first words on the page this fantasy holds the reader spellbound even after the book is finished…his character is very well-defined even if his past is a mystery. Root for an assassin? Oh, yes, one must!" -- Carol Conley, for InDTale Magazine
No comments:
Post a Comment