06 March 2015

Listen to Your Playlist!

Anyone ever have an epiphany on a treadmill? Just me? Ok...

I know a lot of writers make playlists, whether it's for your book, a character, or just to get in the mood to write. You may seek out songs to put on these lists, or you may just be listening to a song and realize that it fits your book. The main motivation for a playlist is to inspire, obviously, but have you ever considered that it could also help you figure things out?

Ever since I started rethinking the last third of my book, I knew a lot of things had to change. I've come up with at least one scene that makes things completely different from the last draft I wrote. What I've really been struggling with is what scenes from the old draft get to stay. One in particular is a scene in which my characters have a huge fight. I've gone back and forth about whether or not to keep any of this scene, wondering if it's necessary with the new way I've been imagining things. I was pretty much settled on completely cutting the scene, even though there were quite a few moments in it that I was heartbroken about parting with.

That is, until I went to the gym the other day. I decided to listen to my book playlist while on the treadmill to see if I could get some inspiration. I hadn't actually listened to the whole thing in quite some time, so I thought it was a good idea. Until one particular song started to play, and I realized that song was only on there because of the scene I was most likely going to cut.

My first thought was "oh noooooooooo!" Did I have to change my playlist? Or was I wrong to cut this scene? I didn't think that one song should really influence what needs to happen in a story, but it did make me stop and think. What did I really want to do with this scene? I've known since I first thought about it that I still wanted to keep it, and the song just seemed to reinforce that idea.

I'm still not 100% sure on what to do. I know if I keep it, it has to drastically change. Mostly I just want to find a way to keep all of the good lines. What actually starts the fight will probably change. I don't know where in the sequence of events this fight will go anymore. I'm considering changing the end of the scene just because I'm not sure if I should have used a particular word (let's just call it the "p-word") even though having one character use it was the sort of brutal effect I was going for. I don't know what I could replace it with the get the same effect. So like the scene itself, I'm on the fence about it. It's a lot to figure out, but I'm taking it one step at a time.

When it comes to your playlist, let it influence you in whatever way ends up working for the story. Maybe you'll get a new idea, maybe it'll reinforce an old one. Really think about why you chose these songs and how that reflects the way you see your story. But most importantly, don't ignore it like I did. You made it for a reason, so listen to it!

How do you use your playlist to inspire you? Have you ever been unsure whether to cut a scene? What helped you make the decision? 

11 comments:

  1. I cut a scene towards the end of my last book that I hated to do. Hated! But it wasn't furthering anything, so it had to go. =( It sounds like you're working out what's best to do, and in the end your book will be even better for the changes!

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  2. I love my WIP playlists. They definitely help to inspire me. And I've had to cut a lot of scenes from my current WIP that I didn't want to let go because I really liked them—or at least certain lines from them. But what I do is put the scene in question in a Deleted Scene file and try to "cannibalize" it for other scenes. Sometimes, though, I just have to let them go, and the story tells me (eventually) which.

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  3. Music always helps me with my writing for all the reasons you said. :) I hope you can figure out what to do with that scene!

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  4. I've never really used music when I wrote my one and only book(unpublished, except for being on my blog), but this is a very interesting idea you have!

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  5. Wow! I only use playlists either before I write, or in the background for mood music - but not normally. I'm a "silent" writer - the sounds of the house, a ticking clock, snoring dog, home-school kids, husband working on a project of his own are my playlist. I have a tendency to block the whole world out when I'm really into things and if music keeps me from doing that, it just annoys me (even if I normally like it). My kids have been known to ask me for chocolate, free-time from lessons, and other things when I'm really into writing because I'm likely to just say "hmm," and keep typing - which they feel is close enough to "yes." :)
    Sometimes, I have songs for particular characters, though- Hey, Devil is one that think of when I think of my villainess.

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  6. I can't listen to music while I write. Gums up the machinery (which is plenty gummy as it is).

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  7. I don't have any playlists and I can't listen to music while I actually write, but it still inspires me. Sometimes I'll hear a song randomly that seems to crystallise something in my book or inspires me to change something.

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  8. Some of my stories have been completely influenced by certain songs. At other times, it's just the feel of the music that helps my words flow. I don't have playlists, though - I'm old, I listen to albums :-)

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  9. No playlist to speak of when it comes to writing, although certain songs will inspire a particular kind of emotional plot scenario of which to build upon.

    Usually what does it for me is to simply go about my day and simply use the problem with the story as a semi-meditative exercise. Sometimes, the less you think about it, the more a solution will come to you. If you let a problem simply float around in your mind in the background while you're concentrating on something else, more often than not, a solution will present itself.

    Father Nature's Corner

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  10. I don't have playlists, but I do find that I write better with music on in the background rather than quiet :) x

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  11. I use movie music (I have a lot of Hans Zimmer) to build 'trailers' of my planned novel in my head. It helps me picture the tone and scale of projects as well as form key scenes.

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