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Do you use music in any way to help you write particular characters?


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Music can be great creative fuel, and oftentimes I find listening to trailer music scores help me with general writing. I also find that particular songs remind me of one or two of my characters, and by playing that song or a playlist of songs that reflect my character help me write more. 

 

I know others who have playlists for their characters, though sometimes these are more IC playlists rather than ones the writer themselves uses for muse.

 

What's your take on using music to fuel inspiration?

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Sometimes I do it. Sometimes music inspires me for titles or plot twists. Or even character details.

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I don't. I like listening to music, but I don't find it particularly inspiring. Maybe I'm listening to the wrong stuff.

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Heck yes. I even write characters around or inspired by certain songs. 

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I have playlists for my most used characters. Mine are usually both IC and OOC though, in the sense that I stock them both with music that the character themself would listen to as well as whatever sparks up my own inspiration for them. So a few of them are just all over the place content wise and I'm sure there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to those lol. I've also got a few characters that I had the inspiration for in the first place because of a song I heard. 

 

 

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Nah. Music or television is just background noise for me to drown out boyfriend when he won’t stop talking to me while I’m writing (soooo obnoxious my god). Other then that I can write with or without music and like Uaithne, it’s not particularly inspiring for me. There are songs out there that remind me of particular characters but it’s not a need I have. 

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Since I can go with or without music, I don't have much in the ways of thoughts or opinions on this, but if one were to use music as inspiration, does it cripple one if there is no appropriate music?

Edited by Uaithne
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4 hours ago, Elena said:

Sometimes I do it. Sometimes music inspires me for titles or plot twists. Or even character details.

 

I get the same sometimes. There's a particular song that spawned an entire storyline for me, and another made me rethink an idea I had about a storyline's ending. Do you often use lyrics for titles, or is it more that the song just inspires another string of words for the title?

 

1 hour ago, Zozma said:

Heck yes. I even write characters around or inspired by certain songs. 

 

Same! I think I've made three characters purely due to particular songs, all different types of music of course. Do you have any examples? I have one based off of a song (I think #Selfie by The Chainsmokers) where the character is a self-obsessed model-type. 

 

1 hour ago, Dragon said:

I have playlists for my most used characters. Mine are usually both IC and OOC though, in the sense that I stock them both with music that the character themself would listen to as well as whatever sparks up my own inspiration for them. So a few of them are just all over the place content wise and I'm sure there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to those lol. I've also got a few characters that I had the inspiration for in the first place because of a song I heard. 

 

That's a nice way to go about it! I'm curious whether you like all of the IC playlist songs, or if you add songs that you're really not a fan of but know the character would like? 

 

49 minutes ago, jenneral_jennson said:

Nah. Music or television is just background noise for me to drown out boyfriend when he won’t stop talking to me while I’m writing (soooo obnoxious my god). Other then that I can write with or without music and like Uaithne, it’s not particularly inspiring for me. There are songs out there that remind me of particular characters but it’s not a need I have. 

 

I have a 'main' playlist for myself for background noise, which I listen to more than the rest. People need to stop talking and distracting us from writing :P

 

41 minutes ago, Uaithne said:

Since I can go with or without music, I don't have much in the ways of thoughts or opinions on this, but if one were to use music as inspiration, does it cripple one if there is no appropriate music?

 

I don't find it crippling if there is no music, but if I'm procrastinating then I get tied up in searching for some playlist songs, because it's an easy escape from being productive while also 'helping' for the future. Having a writing-inspiration playlist helps me when I'm in the mood but can't really 'feel' the writing if that makes sense?

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18 minutes ago, webs said:

That's a nice way to go about it! I'm curious whether you like all of the IC playlist songs, or if you add songs that you're really not a fan of but know the character would like? 

 

I add songs that I myself am not a fan of but still click with the character. It doesn't happen often, but as an example my favorite character right now - a werewolf cop from our AU's equivalent of Alaska - has several Panic! at the Disco songs on his list. I don't like that band much, but they have a few songs that - while I don't personally care for them - work for the character; and him being musically inclined he would enjoy them. 

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59 minutes ago, webs said:

I get the same sometimes. There's a particular song that spawned an entire storyline for me, and another made me rethink an idea I had about a storyline's ending. Do you often use lyrics for titles, or is it more that the song just inspires another string of words for the title?

 

Same! I think I've made three characters purely due to particular songs, all different types of music of course. Do you have any examples?

 

I am not sure how often I use lyrics for titles. Maybe 30%? Maybe 40%?

 

The example for the character - my mercenary has as playby Fernando Colunga in "Pasion". I chose as theme song for him La Cruz de Santiago by Mago de Oz, because they said it was about another mercenary (Alatriste). This gave me several ideas about him: his name (Santiago), the cross he treasures, got during a pilgrimage to Compostela, the fact that he had been once in the army and his favourite weapon - the blades (swords, navajas, left hand dagger).

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2 hours ago, Dragon said:

 

I add songs that I myself am not a fan of but still click with the character. It doesn't happen often, but as an example my favorite character right now - a werewolf cop from our AU's equivalent of Alaska - has several Panic! at the Disco songs on his list. I don't like that band much, but they have a few songs that - while I don't personally care for them - work for the character; and him being musically inclined he would enjoy them. 

 

That makes sense. Occasionally I feel that a song really fits a character, but I don't personally like the song so I end up forgetting it. I've only made one IC playlist before, and that character has the same taste as myself. I like the distinction between IC and OOC though. Nice!

 

2 hours ago, Elena said:

 

I am not sure how often I use lyrics for titles. Maybe 30%? Maybe 40%?

 

The example for the character - my mercenary has as playby Fernando Colunga in "Pasion". I chose as theme song for him La Cruz de Santiago by Mago de Oz, because they said it was about another mercenary (Alatriste). This gave me several ideas about him: his name (Santiago), the cross he treasures, got during a pilgrimage to Compostela, the fact that he had been once in the army and his favourite weapon - the blades (swords, navajas, left hand dagger).

 

Nice! Not my kind of song either, but the ideas you've gotten out of it are great. Just one song can inspire so much, and can create further plots along the way too. 

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I usually like to write in silence, or with the windows open/outside. But when I do listen to music while I write, it's all instrumental! I can't do anything with lyrics - it's too distracting for me. I...get too into those songs and just can't focus on writing. But my spotify has a ton of instrumental playlists I follow for when the mood is right. I also love writing to studio ghibli soundtracks. I find their magical whimsy to be simultaneously grounding and natural, and it always gives me inspiration.

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a dark, urban fantasy;

inspired by sailor moon

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@Sage Instrumental is always my go-to for general inspiration, trailer scores I find the best but a good electronic song with minimal or zero lyrics works too. I haven't heard Studio Ghibli's music, but I might give it a try!

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@webs Definitely do check them out! They're a Japanese animation studio, with films you might be familiar with like Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Ponyo, etc. Their scores are always perfect. Joe Hisaishi is the lead composer for most of their films, and he's amazing.

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a dark, urban fantasy;

inspired by sailor moon

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Guest Tia

I listen to music when writing cause it helps me motivate and gets me into the writing though I use it also for graphic making and browsing through the web. :)

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