By
Kimberly Quinton
Do
you listen to music while you read? Do you have to have the radio on at work or
while you’re cooking dinner or folding laundry? I do. Turning on my music is
one of the first things I do when I sit down at my desk. Music comes before
checking email, Facebook or writing a word. I need peppy, upbeat tracks to get
me going in the morning and also to put me in the creative mood. But! And this
is a big one… I can not have music with lyrics playing while I’m writing.
Before writing and when brainstorming or when researching or playing on social
media—music is essential. While actually in the zone and letting the words
fly—only soothing classical or “spa” like music will do. Otherwise, I find
myself getting lost in the lyrics, singing along and losing focus on the book
and letting the music send me daydreaming.
For
my Holiday Hearts Series, I put together several playlists to get me in the
mood for the stories and ready to write. I find myself using the feelings and
emotions the songs evoke as a muse and I try to hold onto it as I write.
A
few of my favorites- With Videos! Enjoy!
Her Wish Before
Christmas
I’m a child of the 80’s so Wham’s Last Christmas is way up at the top of my Christmas Song list. And the video is adorable.
Rachel
Potter sings a fabulous version of All I
Want For Christmas Is You. I love her voice and this is one of my all time
favorite Christmas songs.
Cupid’s Promise
Lena
is a former supermodel trying to find a new direction in life and Marcus makes
a fool of himself trying to fit her into a neat little category. Her Roar makes him take notice that his
assumptions really had made him an ass.
Roar, Katy Perry
Just The Way You Are, Bruno Mars
Who
doesn’t want to be loved for the little things?
The feeling that both Marcus and Lena are looking for the person who
loves them just the way they are is what I think about when listening to Bruno’s beautiful voice.
Coming Soon! Star
Spangled Surprise- Holiday Hearts #3.
This
is Jacqui’s story and her steamy start to a love affair takes her on a journey
unlike Books 1 and 2. I can’t wait to show you more of Jacqui and Ryan soon!
For now, know I needed some of my favorite sexy songs to get in the mood to
write their story.
I Need Your Love, the Pentatonix version. So awesome!
As
I brainstorm Cilla’s story, I’m going back to all of these for inspiration plus
a few more:
I Want You To Want Me, Cheap Trick
Crazy In Love, Beyonce ft. Jay Z
Gypsy, Fleetwood Mac
Need You Tonight, INXS
I
would love to know if you have a favorite song-book combination. Do you have a
song or songs that remind you of a favorite book?
#kimquinton, #decadentpub
3 comments:
Kimberley, great post. I love music, but it's too easy for a song to get stuck in my head. Somebody mention 'Happy' the other day and there it was, firmly lodged in my brain. Now, it's 'Roar'!
I write in silence. Once I get started, even the phone can pull me out of the zone.
Love you work!! keep them coming.
Love this list! I have different playlists for the different type of books I write, but when I edit, it's complete silence. No distractions whatsoever. It's almost like the music helps me create the imagery I want, and the silence cleans up all the extra BS that may have snuck into the story ;)
And PS. I hate to admit this, but I had a Wham cassette tape before they were even known in the US thanks to a friend that worked at a music store. (that's right a cassette tape)
Hi Jerrie and Kym! Thanks for stopping by!
I have to have some music to get me in the mood, but silence or soft spa like music to write. I love pandora's Music for Brainwave massage station… It's the only music I can focus with otherwise I need quiet.
Kym, I wanted a Wham cassette so bad but could never save enough money while waiting until we went to a place with a music store to buy one! I did have several records still in the early 80's- The Police was one of my favorites. LOL. I remember, before we had MTV, watching Wham and Madonna videos on Night Tracks.. ANd the petit four cookie cutter infomercial that would play before it started that always made me wish I had cake… Random thoughts. :)
Miss my records.. Don't miss the cassettes! And recording music off the radio…
Thanks!
Kim
Post a Comment