Music, Writing, and Reviews

I learned a long time ago that I couldn't write in silence. It was the bane of my high school creative writing teacher that I had to have a Walkman or CD player blasting some kind of music. I'll admit, back then it was probably the Backstreet Boys or NSYNC. But now my listening tastes are a bit more eclectic and varied. Depending on what kind of scene I'm writing, I might listen to love songs or hard rock anthems. But sometimes, I just need some music on to help me get the creative juices moving around in my brain.

A long time ago, I was a HUGE fan of the Twilight Saga. I won't digress and tell you why I'm not so much of a fan anymore, but it was that series that really brought to mind the idea of actually having a soundtrack to a story. It isn't necessarily that there's a song for each chapter. But it's more that each of the songs have something that make that song connect to the story, that make me feel the emotions that my characters were feeling at that moment. The playlists on my iPod are always on repeat, something that helps me immerse myself in the feelings those characters have and the feelings I want my readers to have when they pick up my novel.

I think music and literature have a lot in common. Goodness. That sounded like I was comparing what I write to Jane Eyre or something. Which I'm absolutely not doing. Anyway... what I mean is that both literature and music are meant to evoke feeling and connections. I suppose that's why I always like to join music to my writing.

On a side note, I'll be adding a new section to the site soon. As good writers are avid readers, I'm going to begin doing reviews of some of the books I'm reading. The page will be up as soon as I finish Champion by Marie Lu, which will be the first book I'll review. Then I'll put up a new review every time I finish a new novel, new or old.