The Sound of Inspiration

I'm constantly on the lookout for new songs that inspire my writing. I love making playlists that whisk me away to another world, into the worlds of my stories where I can be an onlooker--the observer (yes, that's a Fringe reference)--and record the action as it unfolds with the magic of fiction.

Though with the search for something new, I sometimes forget about the familiar and the power it can hold. Finding a familiar song with a new adaptation or arrangement can truly be as amazing as finding a new one. A new take on an old idea can take on a full life of its own.

I found two such songs in this past week, which I've now listened to countless times. One new. One covered. The new song I found was Ellie Goulding's Bittersweet, which is unfortunately only available on the Breaking Dawn, Part 2 soundtrack (album only). I have very little interest in purchasing the entire album for one song, no matter how much I love it, so I've just been listening to it on YouTube.

The covered song I found is an amazingly ethereal rendition of Elliott Smith's Twilight. It's one of my favorite Elliott Smith songs (which I put on my SUSY Asylum playlist), but this harp version gives it new life. 

Maybe these songs will inspire new stories of your own or just provide a few minutes of relaxation and appreciation for what beauty is present all around us. Either way, I hope you enjoy them. Happy listening & happy writing!

"S" is for Soundtrack

Below is the soundtrack/playlist for Provex City that I created during the writing of my first draft to reflect the mood I felt while envisioning the unfolding events. So each song fits a certain scene in the story. As I wrote, each scene played out like a movie, and the most memorable scenes in movies to me are scenes with powerful music.

Like I highlighted in my last post, I love the movie Good Will Hunting, which a lot of it has to do with the music (mainly Elliott Smith). Some other movies I love with music that stands out for me are: Vanilla Sky, Donnie Darko, Almost Famous, The Butterfly Effect, The Girl Next Door, American Beauty, and Braveheart (for its score). Not all of these are great movies objectively, but movies I love due to the power the chosen music brings to the scenes.

So something I wanted to do at some point, which just became today, was to release the Song-to-Scene Key for Provex City's soundtrack/playlist for anyone who's read or plans to read the book. Enjoy. :)

1. Running up that Hill – Placebo (An intro for the whole series)
2. The Leaving Song – AFI (Helen waking a five-year-old Oliver)
3. Rhinoceros – Smashing Pumpkins (First day of sophomore year at a new school)
4. All Cleared Out – Elliott Smith (Oliver researching Elliott Smith on his computer)
5. The Fixer – Pearl Jam (After the first session with Mr. Gordon)
6. Mamma Sed - Puscifer (Trek to the cemetery)
7. Royal We – Silversun Pickups (Escape from mall security)
8. Hide and Seek – Imogen Heap (On the dance floor - playing over actual party music)
9. Snuff – Slipknot (Jeremy vanishing in the quad)
10. Restless Heart Syndrome – Green Day (Visiting Richard in the hospital)
11. Hurricane – 30 Seconds to Mars (In Hollywood, Oliver's glimpse of the phantom buildings)
12. Paradise - Coldplay (Oliver and Jeremy rocketing down the side of the building in a glass elevator, looking out at Provex City)
13. Mad World – Adam Lambert (Aftermath of the events on top of Lorne Tower)
14. In the Darkness – Dead by Sunrise (Friend's reunion, the last scene)