Personal Inspiration Part Two

I am going to continue last week topic of personal inspiration this week. Last week I talked about how video games have inspired my writing and gave you an example. I hope that it was enjoyed because I have heard nothing back. So in lieu of having bad things said about it, I will think good things about my piece. Another was of inspiring, not just me, is music. Every artist and writer I know has some piece of music that when they listen to it they are moved and the muse just flows. Now that changes from person to person. For example my spouse finds old school heavy metal very inspiring, bands like Type O Negative and Cradle of Flight. I do not find either very inspiring except for maybe a headache but that is just me. For me there is no one sound that just lights my muse; it depends on what I am writing. If I am writing something very personal like my poetry then I like to listen to music that is going to help me get my emotions. But when I am writing in my genre Science Fiction and Fantasy then I really mix things up.

When I was writing my high fantasy (which I really need to get back to… Bad Lynn) I like to listen to vocals from different bands. My go-to band is always Franz Ferdinand; a great, GREAT British rock band. Also Adele, and Duffy, and The Tings (are you seeing a common theme? If not get thee to Google and you will). I like the vocals because the songs can help the characters voices in my head and get into the page. Sometimes I like instrumental but that is more for my Sci-Fi; but it mostly a scene to scene thing. Sometimes I like to have the pulse pounding of Korn or maybe I need to have Moonlight Sonata. Do not afraid to go where the music takes you.

For my Sci-Fi I am currently loving the Dear Esther soundtrack. It is very lovely instrumental soundtrack for a cool little surreal game. It in and of itself is not Sci-Fi in anyway but it works for me. I would give an example of what I write when listening to it but the last thing I wrote listening to Dear Esther was an 18 page pathfinder for my law libraries class and I do not think that you want that. I do not want that and I had to write it. The music made it so much easier I can promise. Just an FYI a pathfinder is a very detailed research assignment for library grad students to basically prove that you can do research and you know how to make it for other people to be able to read it. Sounds like fun, right? Not so much.

In the end the only person who can tell what music moves you creatively is you. But you knew that. So do not be afraid to try new things, do not let anyone tell you that you cannot be inspired by Korn or video games or anything else. The world is inspiring and you just have to find the things that most inspire you. Go forth and be creative! Until next week, thanks for reading and be well.