A question for RetroFan (though any other author can join in)

This question is directed to RetroFan specifically (though any other author can join in, of course): do you think of a soundtrack for your story--do you think of what songs from the year you're writing would be perfect for that story?

Because I have a few ideas...

Unknown81 said:

This question is directed to RetroFan specifically (though any other author can join in, of course): do you think of a soundtrack for your story--do you think of what songs from the year you're writing would be perfect for that story?

Because I have a few ideas...

Click to expand...

I have never really thought of soundtracks for my stories, but I do listen to music from that era when I am writing the stories to get into the feel for the story.

For example, when I wrote 'Pretty Paula's Poodle Skirts' which takes place in 1957 I listened to a lot of late 1950s rock and roll. Similarly in my early 1960s stories 'Penny & Michael's Forbidden Fun' (1962), 'April Leads Julie Astray' (1963) and 'Mandy Makes A Man of Mark' (1964) I listened to early 1960s music, especially 1960s girl group music from America for the first two as they have female characters as the main protagonists.

When I wrote the 'PTA Queen Bee & Teen Rebel' stories I listed to 1980s music and songs by artists such as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts to get me in the mood when writing. Some choices are obvious - when I wrote my Christmas story about Cyclone Tracy's destruction of Darwin in 1974 I listened to the song 'Santa Never Made It Into Darwin'.

I've also used a similar tactic in stories set in the present day. For example, 'Learning to Love Louise' is a very sad romance story about a man who cannot fully accept the tragic loss of his beloved fiancée many years earlier and lives in a fantasy world to try and cope. If this story was a movie, it would definitely be a three tissue box film although this is obviously subjective and some readers may be completely unmoved by it. When writing the story I listened to some very sad songs about losing a loved one such as 'Ebony Eyes' by the Everly Brothers and more modern but hauntingly beautiful songs such as 'As I Lay Me Down' by Sophie B Hawkins and 'Forever Young' by Youth Group.

Unknown81 said:

This question is directed to RetroFan specifically (though any other author can join in, of course): do you think of a soundtrack for your story--do you think of what songs from the year you're writing would be perfect for that story?

Because I have a few ideas...

Click to expand...

I have included a number of references to songs in my writing, and have, on more than one occasion been inspired by a song in writing a particular passage. I have even considered posting a threat with links to all the songs. I do think in terms of my stories having a soundtrack.

In My Fall and Rise I used Willie Nelson's Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain as a motif. I made at least a half dozen references, either overt or oblique, to it. I even titled one chapter "Love is Like a Dying Ember".

As far as I know, no one noticed.

Several songs have "spoken" to my Muse. Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen" really talks to my Muse. Same with Melissa Etheridge "An Unusual Kiss." (That did inspire a story that didn't turn out as good as I had hoped.)

Sometimes, I wish they would hurry up and legalize recreational marijuana in my state (unlike, but I can dream). The combination of music and being high used to create some interesting plot bunnies.

BuckyDuckman said:

Several songs have "spoken" to my Muse. Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen" really talks to my Muse. Same with Melissa Etheridge "An Unusual Kiss." (That did inspire a story that didn't turn out as good as I had hoped.)

Sometimes, I wish they would hurry up and legalize recreational marijuana in my state (unlike, but I can dream). The combination of music and being high used to create some interesting plot bunnies.

Click to expand...

Hey hey careful with the under age references!

Not too many here, my stories here are mostly light and I write them quickly so I don't 'feel' them enough to get that serious.

The SWB series was dark and depressing and featured addiction and other issues.

Seethers Broken and Love her and Springsteens the River all had a line or two used and I played them on a loop during the 'bummer chapters'

For my horror series that's not here a lot of dark moody goth type music and some good old fashioned heavy metal is always in my mind, especially see the MC owns an occult/fetish club

People who know me well in my real life will know when I associate with my characters through music. Many of my characters are more or less me, though they’re not always the protagonist or the narrator, and they’re not always even male.

But they’ll ALWAYS have my taste in music.

And yes. I signal my dislike of some of my own characters by giving them musical preferences I dislike.

1970's porn music. You know that awful guitar that plays in the background all the time.

Music figures prominently into many of my stories, including the lyrics, just for parallel's sake, of nothing else. In a WIP, I have a scene of a girl getting into a bar brawl and the Psychobilly song 'She's Lost Control' by The Arkhams is playing in the background.

I find active music references often help add a whole new depth to the story and a lot of my readers tell me they love it, because it becomes that much more real for them. Music is always a wonderful addition to a story and I welcome it when I see it in someone's work. Movies have soundtracks...

I frequently mention song titles or snippets of lyrics in my stories.

my story 'driving in the rain' defiinitely has bob seger's 'night moves' as its soundtrack