Music and Writing
Music is a big part of my writing process. I create a playlist/soundtrack for every current WIP (Work In Progress) I’m working on. I find that each story has a special vibe and flow. Sometimes this process takes a bit of time to curate the perfect sounds for my characters and their journeys.
The way I choose music is by envisioning my MCs (main characters) dancing with each other. If I can see them grooving to the music in my mind then that song makes it on the list. I also find music that fits each character. For instance, in The Beast of Stornoway, Amani’s theme song is Fiction by Martin Jamar and Kelly Ingabire. Van’s theme song is Find Someone Else by Luca Deboniare and Kiki Doll. These songs perfectly capture their mood and personality. So when I’m writing their specific chapters I usually start out listening to their theme song to get me into their head space.
The other songs that make the list help move the story along, the beat may help me envision a scene or capture the mood of the moment. In Mercatija, This is What You Came For by Brooklyn Duo, helped set the scene for Jazmine’s walk into the forest in the beginning of the novel. The orchestral cover of Rhianna’s song fit the mood of the scene so perfectly. A lot of Mercatija’s soundtrack is based on orchestral music because it fits the theme of Jazmine’s sisters being professional violinists.
Music for fight scenes is a must for me. I have to have the right music to get me in the mood to write those deadly scenes and see it clearly in my head. I struggle to write these epic descriptions so having a song to see me through it is necessary for those moments to unfold. The fight scene between Lucian and Thane in Kova + Rey was inspiried by Thinking About You by Calippo. I envisioned their fight scene when I listened to the tune and wrote the scene before I knew where it was going to go in the story!
I find that a lot of writers use music to help their creative flow, so I hope this tip helps you if you’re struggling to get in the mood to write that scene you’ve been working on. Try some music, take some time out from your writing and find some tunes that get you in the mood or get your characters in the mood.
I’ve included links to the music I referred to in the post. Maybe they’ll help you too!
As always, thank you so so much for reading!