In March I covered authors who are inspirations for me. There's far more to inspiration than other authors though. Music, both instrumental and otherwise has helped me with writing. I will often have a song from a long playlist going as I crank out scene after scene in my novels or short stories. I don't have a consistent artist, and instead I am focused on individual songs from all genres. I wanted to share some of my favorite songs and why they are inspirations for my writing. I do not discriminate in my selection; no genre is off limits. Hopefully you will discover a song you have never heard.
So, in no particular order...
The Game by Starbenders: This song and band was a new discovery for me. In fact, I found them in January of this year, so very new to me. I love the lyrics to this song. I was trying to create a strong female character for an upcoming fantasy series and this song just stuck with me. It's now been added to my playlist. I love the 80s aesthetics as well - I get a feeling of anomic from it. (Anomic is nostalgia for a time you never experience).
God's Country by Blake Shelton: I like the ambiance from the instruments and the lyrics tie in nicely. I'll be the first to admit I generally stay away from modern country music, but this song is a favorite when thinking of the struggle that goes into supporting a country (farmers keep the country moving, don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise).
Some Say by Acoustic Sunsets (Nea Cover): I really love cover songs, and I am ashamed of how many covers of Sweet Dreams I have, but I digress. This is a great song to keep playing on the background while I think. Sometimes lyrics distract my thoughts and I just want a rhythm to play in the background. It's soft enough I can tune it out but intricate enough not to be annoyed by a repetitive sound.
Short Change Hero by The Heavy: I like the lyrics and beat to this song a lot. It's a great reminder, at least to me, that heroes are rarely the idols we make them out to be and are often rough people in rougher situations.
Sweet Dreams by ... everyone: Eurythmics were the original artist to this song, and yes, they are included in my list. I have about six versions of this song, and three of them are instrumental only covers. I like the lyrics of this song because they can be both upbeat and ominous depending on your perspective. The instrumental version I like the best is the Puppet Master cover (instrumental only) as it gives a much darker and harsher twist to the song. Marilyn Manson also has a famous metal cover of the song where he adds an additional line of lyrics. His addition helps bring out that ominous vibe the original concealed.
Pay the Man by The Offspring: This song was very overshadowed on their album Americana. The song is long, and I love the oriental themed guitar at the beginning. This brings back a lot of memories of playing surf music on the guitar with my father as a kid. The song has a very harsh transition to a punk/metal after a crescendo late into the song.
Moonlight Sonata by David Eman & Pandora Journey [Epic Villain Music]: Is it cliche to have a Beethoven song on a list about writing? I don't think so. This is a gorgeous song, and this version simply fits better with writing horror for me. It also lacks lyrics, so if I'm in my own mind I don't get too distracted.
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