This is really just an update to the recent post about my writing corner. I have, this morning made a vital addition to my writing area: Music. I can't stress enough how important music is to my creative process; without it I'm not sure where the inspiration would come from. If I'm feeling a bit low or I've come to a bit of a brick wall with the narrative I usually go for a nice long walk with my headphones and come back suitably inspired and ready to go again.
So what do I listen to? Well that depends a lot on what I'm writing. My writing playlist at the moment consists of a lot of classical music and movie soundtracks. For the Prudence series which is of course a fantasy story this kind of music seems to inspire the right mood. One of my favourites at the moment is Hans Zimmer's soundtrack to the movie 'King Arthur'. There are some very stirring pieces on there and I have found them particularly inspiring when writing the battle scenes in the Prudence books.
With the ghost story, 'What It Takes', the music was a little more contemporary. One particular track has come to represent the book for me more than any other; at one point in the story Sean Hanlon attempts to show his friend what inspired him to buy a broken down old house in the wilds of Cumbria when his life and work all centred around London. Whilst I was writing this part of the book, with my o.s. map of the Lake District on the floor in front of me, a particular track came on that has now become synonymous with the book for me. It was a song by Bob Seger called 'Roll me Away' and now every time I hear it I'm back with Sean and Brin hiking through Langdale! If you've read the book listen to the track and you'll know what I mean! Also on the same c.d. was a track called 'We've got tonight' which for me has definitely become Sean's and Karen's song.
Even the title of this book came from a song; Aerosmith's 'What it Takes' There are a couple of lines in that song that go,
'Tell me what it takes to let you go
Tell me how the pain's supposed to go
And, that seemed to sum up the character of Tom Harper to a t.
With my second ghost story which is still a work in progress and as yet untitled I also already have a piece of music that brings me back to the story each time I hear it; 'The Longships' by Enya. You'll have to wait until the book is finished though to see the connection there!
I could ramble on about this subject for ages, but it's Sunday, I'm not at work and I really should be getting back to Prudence! Just in case you're wondering, as I write this I am listening to the soundtracks to the Lord of the Rings movies - if that doesn't take me back to Ealdhun I don't know what will!
So, let music drive you on,
happy writing,
Kim
