tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post939079777176888050..comments2023-10-26T11:34:38.322-04:00Comments on Ask Allison: Is Music Your Muse?Allison Winn Scotchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820208316115681320noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-70023156232623734512009-04-22T14:00:00.000-04:002009-04-22T14:00:00.000-04:00Funny, I don't use music to create a background fo...Funny, I don't use music to create a background for my characters or to inspire me to write about a certain topic. I have a certain set of music that sort of creates this virtual closed room, if you will, that tells my brain, OK, the door's shut now and you have no distractions--let's get to work. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that this music of choice is Enya. It just has become my go-to writing music since before I wrote my first non-fiction book 13 years ago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-7969996341564130102009-04-21T19:49:00.000-04:002009-04-21T19:49:00.000-04:00Totally into this after reading the Twilight serie...Totally into this after reading the Twilight series, then watching the movie, and now listening to the soundtrack (The Muse song is a hit from the movie) and now I'm all over iTunes creating a "soundtrack" for this book to fit what it looks like in my head. I'm obsessed. But glad everyone (like A) is obsessed right along with me. I will post my soundtrack on my blog next week. <br /><br />Trish L.<br /><br />http://www.trishlawrence.com/blog<br />@trishlawrenceTrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04688069372756264007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-28687466402284960982009-04-21T16:52:00.000-04:002009-04-21T16:52:00.000-04:00I've found, perhaps because I'm also a musician, t...I've found, perhaps because I'm also a musician, that if I try to write with music playing, my fingers want to tap to the rhythm or write out the lyrics instead of my story. So it's dead quiet for my writing.<br /><br />But I agree - music can certainly inspire. And not just the lyrics, but also the tone. For instance, the first time I heard Zoe Keating, an avant cellist with no lyrics, I felt like she was playing my main character's theme. Another time, it was Tom Morello's new folksy, protest songs that created an atmosphere for a particular scene. <br /><br />You mention music, but I find I get just as much inspiration from other sources (tactile experiences, the news, smells). And I wonder, do other writers tend to get their inspiration from one particular thing, like music, or a variety of sources? <br /><br />Thanks for the post,<br />-NateNathanael Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00130953143724028231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-83418221637168157002009-04-21T15:16:00.000-04:002009-04-21T15:16:00.000-04:00What a great post! I hadn't realized this, but th...What a great post! I hadn't realized this, but the past few weeks I have had a public radio jazz station playing in the background, and I have been in the best, most creative writing mood ever. After reading this post, I stopped to just listen to the music and realized that this music was definitely my muse.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-60811317251280715142009-04-21T11:09:00.000-04:002009-04-21T11:09:00.000-04:00I didn't know that about Stephanie Meyer - very co...I didn't know that about Stephanie Meyer - very cool.<br /><br />What I'd love to do, rather than thank them (which could be a possibility), is find a line to use as the epigraph, but I haven't found a perfect one. But we'll see! I'm kicking around a few other songs as well.Allison Winn Scotchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06820208316115681320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-6102344381068142112009-04-21T10:47:00.000-04:002009-04-21T10:47:00.000-04:00I was gonna mention Stephenie Meyer too. She's pre...I was gonna mention Stephenie Meyer too. She's pretty insane (in a good way) about her music muses, and aptly enough her main muse is the band Muse. The bands she listens to while writing her books are all over her acknowledgments. I don't write fiction regularly (yet) and as of now I cannot write nonfiction (as in, articles -- not personal nonfiction) with music playing. Too distracting. Fiction, though, I can totally see. Music is so emotionally evocative.<br /><br />sandraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-77309360137004507992009-04-21T10:26:00.000-04:002009-04-21T10:26:00.000-04:00It's funny you mention this - when I read Stephani...It's funny you mention this - when I read Stephanie Meyer's books, she always thanks several bands for helping her get through. That's the first time I've seen an author actually credit the band for helping her through. <br /><br />Maybe you'll have to give the Killers a nod?~ christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18091100045445154619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-32591788220012401222009-04-21T09:48:00.000-04:002009-04-21T09:48:00.000-04:00Susan - I think I remember you writing about this ...Susan - I think I remember you writing about this on the blog, and me then writing about it on mine in response. :) So yep, we're definitely on the same page!Allison Winn Scotchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06820208316115681320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-1010492554202175842009-04-21T09:43:00.000-04:002009-04-21T09:43:00.000-04:00I have ALWAYS operated this way. Music is my muse....I have ALWAYS operated this way. Music is my muse. I can't listen to the same thing over and over -- it makes my ears bleed -- yet I need music in order to function.<br /><br />Small wonder I write about it, too.Susan Helene Gottfriedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12778191943289129869noreply@blogger.com