It’s April 1st and this is not a trick, it’s IWSG Day. I’m assuming the timing only comes around once every few years, so enjoy the irony while you can, bookworms!
To sign up for the group yourself, go here. You can also find us out and about on the interwebs by looking for @TheIWSG and #IWSG.
We owe our thank you comments this month to Melissa Maygrove, Cathrina Constantine, Kate Larkinsdale, and Rebecca Douglass! Thanks for co-hosting!
And the question we get to answer for April 1st is: If you have a playlist (or could put one together) that either gets you in the groove to write or fits with one of your books, what is it? What type of music or what songs?
Music, in general, is one of my very favorite things so this month’s question is pretty much fantastic. To answer the question: No, I don’t listen to music while I read. Too distracting. But I do listen to playlists and music to get me in the world, frame, and mindset of my story. There’s not really any rhyme or reason to most of these, they have that certain something I’m looking for. That indefinable je ne sais quoi. I know it when I hear it, and now, so will you. Buckle up, bookworms. Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole, in the immortal words of Dean Winchester.
For The Sidekick and The Supervillain, I needed songs that could express the different emotions my characters were going through. Obviously my sidekick is getting her first real taste of going to the bad side, and kinda loving it? But also ashamed and worried about how much she’s loving it. My supervillain is chaos incarnate, so any random picks are for him and his sense of humor.
Blink 182-She’s Out of Her Mind
Are we calling this alt rock? It’s alt rock. One of my top 10 favorite bands.
Also alt rock. Alternative. Whatever. CAKE has been a favorite of mine since high school, back when the dinosaurs walked without cell phones.
I had to Google this one, and she’s blues rock? Which I didn’t even know was a genre. Whatever it’s called, she’s awesome. Her voice is almost growly, so cool to listen to.
Another Electronic, gods do I love this song. The music video is so weirdly awesome.
Alt rock, with a touch of electronic.
Panic! At the Disco-She Had the World
Panic! is the original alternative, but you wouldn’t know it from this sweet, almost classical song.
Rock. Definitely rock, the computer and I even agree on this one. Blame my husband for starting my addiction to this band all the way back in high school. Really give these lyrics a listen.
Rock. This is the best psych yourself up song, ever.
The Killers-When You Were Young
I’m going to go with alt rock as The Killer’s genre, although my computer says rock. Computers are dumb.
More alt rock. It’s definitely my jam. That sneaky little beat just does it for me!
The lovely, soaring melody rises above some really good rock and the two together is perfection.
A newer rock band, they combine some stunning vocals with intense lyrics and an incredible stage presence. They also take risks and combine many different types of instrumentals you might not associate immediately with their genre. Give them a try!
As a side note: since I write romance the choice of pretty much pure rock as my go-to genre for listening might seem like a surprise. So . . . surprise! The heart loves what it loves. I will listen to and genuinely enjoy everything from pure classical symphonic (Mozart or Tchaikovsky for preference) to pop (yes I’m a swiftie and I love Sabrina Carpenter) to pop Latino and Banda (Karol G. stan, and La Arrolladora Banda) to classic rock (The Moody Blues and The Beatles). 80s pop? Sure. I love it. 1940s big band? Why not? Country? Give me all the Shania Twain and George Strait. Shaboozey too, why not. Dance, techno, house, electronic? I’ll find something I like. Pretty much the only (and I do mean the only) music I don’t really enjoy or listen to is Jazz. I’m sorry! Just not my thing.
6 comments
Two weeks ago, we took down a dusty old wood cased 1940’s Marconi radio from the shelf where it had been sittin g forever,
Would a new flex and plug work ? At first, silence, only because we didbn’t know how long valves take to warm up.
After decades of silence, endless station-hopping, to find music the Marconi would have been p;ayin g. including big bands.
That’s amazing, and I love it so much. Sometimes the classics are just the best!
Like Muse! Glad I picked a good question for you.
Music is always a good bet! Any time you feel so inspired, run with it.
I like the title of your post. That’s great that music gets you into the mood to write. Like you, I don’t listen to music when I’m writing.
Thank you! And welcome to the ‘too distracting to read but I love it any other time’ club. Thanks for stopping by on IWSG day 🙂