Music to Write By #10: Forever Enya

Ever since I was a young teenager, my muse has been Enya. I can't count how many stories I've written while using her music as my background soundtrack. She sings in different languages, even one she and Roma Ryan made up! The instrumental pieces are lovely, and her voice in the others is ethereal. Moods can range from joyful to grim with everything in between. She's great for relaxing as well as inspiration, without getting too elevator-ish, if you know what I mean.

Here are just a sample of some of her different styles and sounds from each of her major albums:

First up, the title track from her album "The Celts." This one's a nice mix of vocal and instrumental, magical and uplifting:

The next album is "Watermark," and everyone's heard "Orinoco Flow," so instead I'd like you to experience the more serious and grimmer, "Cursum Perficio":

After that comes "Shepherd Moons." From this album I'd like to showcase the haunting "Afer Ventus":

Then we get to my all-time favorite album, "The Memory of Trees," which I solely used to write one specific novel. I love everything on this one, but to give you another sampling of Enya's broad reach, let's listen to "Once You Had Gold," which has a sad/regretful tone:

Next is "A Day Without Rain."One by One," tells a story of taking chances and letting go:

This is followed by "Amarantine." We'll do the upbeat "The River Sings":

Then we have "And Winter Came." While at least half the tracks on this album can be classified as Christmas music, I'd like you to try "Last Time by Moonlight," a song about remembrance:

And lastly, "Dark Sky Island," choosing "The Loxian Gate" which is one of her pieces where the lyrics are completely in her made-up language.

Are you an Enya fan too? What are some of your favorite songs? I also love playing the sheet music to these albums. There are also some great compilation albums out there to give you a smattering of her work: "Paint the Sky With Stars," and "The Very Best of Enya."

I've grown up listening to Enya and to this day, she is still my favorite artist. Her music touches my soul, and has been an inspiration. Be sure to check out not only the video links above, but also her other wonderful songs from your favorite music retailer. Whether for relaxation, pure enjoyment of good music, or because you need "music to write by," you can't go wrong here. (And no, I'm in no way affiliated with Enya, although it would be a pleasure to thank her in person someday for sharing her talents.)

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":
 Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'
Music to Write By #2: 'The Different World' by Peter Schilling
Music to Write By #3: OCRemix Deus ex 'Siren Synapse'
Music to Write By #4: OCRemix Chrono Trigger Aqueous Transgression
Music to Write By #5: OCRemix Chrono Cross Another Inspiration
Music to Write By #6: OCRemix The Binding of Isaac 'The Clubbing of Isaac'
Music to Write By #7: Valentine's Edition
Music to Write By #8: Groovin' with Command and Conquer
Music to Write By #9: Adiemus

Music to Write By #9: Adiemus

It's been awhile since I posted one of these. How about some good mood music? This one's a bit older but because the words are all made up it can be about anything you want. Here's Adiemus by Karl Jenkins:

A personal favorite of mine because it's not only uplifting but a bit mysterious. Take a moment to listen. And despite all the wild internet speculation, it is NOT an Enya song. (I'm a long time, die-hard Enya fan so I should know.)

And if you have a second moment, tell me what song is inspiring you this week. I'm always looking for new music.

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":
 Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'
Music to Write By #2: 'The Different World' by Peter Schilling
Music to Write By #3: OCRemix Deus ex 'Siren Synapse'
Music to Write By #4: OCRemix Chrono Trigger Aqueous Transgression
Music to Write By #5: OCRemix Chrono Cross Another Inspiration
Music to Write By #6: OCRemix The Binding of Isaac 'The Clubbing of Isaac'
Music to Write By #7: Valentine's Edition
Music to Write By #8: Groovin' with Command and Conquer
Music to Write By #10: Forever Enya

Behind the Scenes #3: My Writing Soundtrack for Trefury, Tracks 9 - 10

There's still time to sign-up to get a free, hardcover copy of my debut novel, Trefury: Mendi's Curse. Just click on the picture of the cover to your right and it will take you to all the details.

Continuing to highlight some of the music that helped me stay in the zone while writing the novel, both of these songs were done by Delerium, a group I highly recommend for mood music.

These songs had that international, especially eastern vibe that I wanted. This is a reflection on the country and planet my character Cortnee comes from. I had a fun time meshing different eastern cultures, while retaining some western foibles and customs in this half of my world-building.

Trefury is a novel taking place on two very diverse planets. That meant I had more than the average amount of world-building to do. Fortunately, I've been working not only on this story but many others from two different (yet connected) collections of worlds for over thirty years. It's not something I just threw together overnight. There is a giant scheme behind every planet I've made and they are all connected through a special passageway that I call, in simple English terms, The Beltway. (It has another name in one of my made-up languages.)

I've found it's good not to overuse my languages and dialects because it can alienate readers. A smattering will do, and eventually, the more they read my books, they will be able to handle more and understand more. But the point of world-building and making up languages is more for originality and authenticity rather than reinventing the wheel, and the focus of my novels is telling the story rather than showing off what worlds I've created.

So first up is "Terra Firma," a song many of you have probably heard before:

The second song is "Remembrance," which probably isn't as widely known. I love the deep horns at the beginning. They were an inspiration to me for the "prayer horns" that go off every night on Cortnee's world. The song then evolves into eastern/western mix and then goes techno. It couldn't be more perfect.

I'm very excited to share a very small piece of my world-building with you. Those who have already read earlier versions of the novel, or who have followed the blog for awhile know that world-building is very dear to my heart. And while world-building is a magnificent skill to possess, bear in mind that it is no substitute for storytelling. I've read many manuscripts where the writer put all their thought and effort into creating their world and the story (what little there was) dealt with showing the world and everything in it to the reader. A tragedy. Worlds that well drawn should have great stories revolving in them and characters not only unique but that are relatable and compelling populating those worlds.

What do you think?

You may also like to read:
World-building: Think Big, Be Creative, Have Fun!
How Much World-Building Do You Need?
Falling in Love with Your World
What Justifies an Epic Series?
What Makes Epic Fantasy Tick

Cover reveal for Trefury: Mendi's Curse, including book summary.
Behind the Scenes #1: Forbidden Without Knowing Why
Behind the Scenes #2: Let's Talk Hair
Behind the Scenes #3: My Writing Soundtrack for Trefury, Track 1 
Behind the Scenes #3: My Writing Soundtrack for Trefury, Tracks 2 - 3
Behind the Scenes #3: My Writing Soundtrack for Trefury, Track 4
Behind the Scenes #3: My Writing Soundtrack for Trefury, Tracks 5 - 8 
BOOK GIVEAWAY ON THE THIS BLOG from Sept. 2 - 30, 2014 

Behind the Scenes #3: My Writing Soundtrack for Trefury, Tracks 2 & 3

Sometimes you just need mood music as you write. Here are a couple of songs I listened to a lot to help me stay in the zone as I worked on my debut novel, Trefury: Mendi's Curse.

The first one is found on OC Remix: Chrono Trigger 'Crying Mountain' by Saiko:

This song was my transition song, or the travel theme song. Appropriate transitions are important to storytelling, and the beat helped remind me to keep them brief and to the point. You want to keep moving with a story, not get bogged down in one place.

The next song is also found on OC Remix: Diddy Kong Racing 'Shiva Nataraja' by Guifrog:

I really went for a heavy mishmash of Asian and Middle-Eastern (with some Western) vibes when designing the country and world a couple of my lead characters come from. It helped listening to upbeat Asian-techno and Indian dance music. Pandora was also a help when I really wanted to get into that mindset.

These are just a couple of the mood music songs on my playlist. I have several more. Many writers prefer this kind of music to write to, rather than songs with words. I limit my non-worded music, trying to especially avoid soundtracks, as these tend to make me think of the movies they come from and the characters in those movies. But there are times when I don't have any specific song that fits the theme, emotion, or situation I'm writing about. Then I queue the non-movie, no-words music.

Question for you:
How important is mood music to your writing process? What do you look for when choosing your mood music?

Previous Behind the Scenes Posts:
Behind the Scenes #3: My Writing Soundtrack for Trefury, Track 1
Forbidden Without Knowing Why
Let's Talk Hair

Behind the Scenes #3: My Writing Soundtrack for Trefury, Track 1

*I now have an official author page on Facebook. You can find the link in the sidebar. I'm also on Twitter, if you haven't already linked up with me.

It's countdown time until my science-fantasy novel Trefury: Mendi's Curse is published (coming Sept. 2014). Continuing to explore my research and writing process for this novel, I'm going to share some of the music I listened to while writing the story.

This first song is "You Can Still Be Free" by Savage Garden. It's a beautiful, emotional cry for hope and it fit perfectly the opening chapter for one of my main characters, Thssk. Thssk is at a point of little to no hope, he's in hiding, and he wants everyone else to leave him alone. He's had some major disappointments, like the near destruction of his kind, and his long-standing estrangement from his human wielder. Thssk is an ancient, powerful creature, but he is also vulnerable. By the end of the chapter, Thssk comes out of hiding with a vengeance. Not just proactive, but a definite force to be reckoned with. His little light of hope is enough to carry him forward.

Everyone goes through low moments, times when we feel we can't take one more step, that we have nothing left to give. Tragically, some people choose to end their life when they hit rock bottom, or they quit life and hide. It takes courage to keep on going, to take that one more step, even if it's a baby step. Life is full of disappointments, rejection, hardship, and pain and sometimes when we're crumpled up at the bottom of a figurative ravine we can't see a pathway out, or we don't notice that the sky is still blue above us, or pay attention to the pretty wildflower growing an arms-length away. We are focused inward, nursing our pain. It's when we take the effort to look outside ourselves that we can find a hand grip to get out of the ravine. Maybe it's through helping someone else climb, maybe it's by taking a different path, maybe we have to admit that we were wrong and make retribution or start over.

I've been at the bottom of a ravine many times. That is why I could write about Thssk and get into his character. His overall arc deals with conquering his past demons and not only moving forward, not only reaching the top of his ravine, but finally flying high as he was always meant to.

Question for you:
What do you do to pull yourself or others out of an emotional ravine?

Previous Behind the Scenes Posts:
Forbidden Without Knowing Why
Let's Talk Hair

Music to Write By #8: Groovin' with Command and Conquer

... And I'm back.

Let's get back into things with not one but two fun songs to help boost your writing productivity and creativity. Both of these songs were remixed by Scott Peeples on OC Remix and both come from the game Command and Conquer. They're laid-back, chilling out kinds of songs with some funky things woven in. Personally, I like listening to them while outlining, brainstorming, or editing.

First up: Command and Conquer: 'On the Prowl Redux'

And next: Command and Conquer: Red Alert 'Mud Mix'

Question for you:
What's your current theme song or mood music for the story you're working on?

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":
 Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'
Music to Write By #2: 'The Different World' by Peter Schilling
Music to Write By #3: OCRemix Deus ex 'Siren Synapse'
Music to Write By #4: OCRemix Chrono Trigger Aqueous Transgression
Music to Write By #5: OCRemix Chrono Cross Another Inspiration
Music to Write By #6: OCRemix The Binding of Isaac 'The Clubbing of Isaac'
Music to Write By #7: Valentine's Edition
Music to Write By #9: Adiemus

Music to Write by #7: Valentine's Edition

I really don't focus much on Valentine's Day anymore. My husband and I are pretty good at keeping romance alive every day, so we don't need the reminder. However, romance is huge in the reading/writing world. Chances are good we writers will be thinking a bit about the romantical side of things this week, so here are two music samplings, one positive, one negative.

Bad relationships are prime writing fodder. This song has a story all its own, open to some interpretation. It's a good mood setter, or helpful for brainstorming. Ace of Base: Cruel Summer, "He Decides":

This next one focuses on the excitement of new love, channeling youthful exuberance and electricity. This is another good mood setter or music to brainstorm to. Selena Gomez and the Scene: A Year Without Rain, "Off the Chain":

Have a favorite positive or negative romance song? Share in the comments.

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":
 Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'
Music to Write By #2: 'The Different World' by Peter Schilling
Music to Write By #3: OCRemix Deus ex 'Siren Synapse'
Music to Write By #4: OCRemix Chrono Trigger Aqueous Transgression
Music to Write By #5: OCRemix Chrono Cross Another Inspiration
Music to Write By #6: OCRemix The Binding of Isaac 'The Clubbing of Isaac'
Music to Write By #8: Groovin' with Command and Conquer

Music to Write by #6: OCRemix The Binding of Isaac 'The Clubbing of Isaac'

Time to go into high gear in the dead of winter!

The stakes are high, adrenaline's rushing, the clock is ticking, your protagonist has to pull of the impossible, things are about to get crazy ...

Have a moment like that in your story? Then this high powered piece might help you stay in the zone. The Binding of Isaac 'The Clubbing of Isaac' was remixed by Big Giant Circles. Check out the YouTube link below and remember that you can download OCRemix music directly from their website for free.

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":
 Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'
Music to Write By #2: 'The Different World' by Peter Schilling
Music to Write By #3: OCRemix Deus ex 'Siren Synapse'
Music to Write By #4: OCRemix Chrono Trigger Aqueous Transgression
Music to Write By #5: OCRemix Chrono Cross Another Inspiration
Music to Write By #7: Valentine's Edition

Music to Write by #5: OCRemix Chrono Cross Another Inspiration

This piece, remixed by Scott Peeples, is gorgeous, lilting, and soothing. Don't think elevator music soothing, but rather inspirational, as the title suggests. Would work well in a writing soundtrack for a moment of realization, heading out into breathtaking new territory, a romantic moment, or perhaps a place emotionally abstract. Have a listen:

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":
 Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'
Music to Write By #2: 'The Different World' by Peter Schilling
Music to Write By #3: OCRemix Deus ex 'Siren Synapse'
Music to Write By #4: OCRemix Chrono Trigger Aqueous Transgression
Music to Write By #6: OCRemix The Binding of Isaac 'The Clubbing of Isaac'

Music to Write by #4: OC Remix Chrono Trigger Aqueous Transgression

This month's feature music has more of a soundtrack feel, though still high-powered for writing an action scene, or to get your blood pumping anyway. Definitely more of a sci-fi or thriller vibe, than fantasy, paranormal, or horror. Of course, I could be surprised and you might find it fits in perfectly with any genre.

Enjoy! Stay tuned for next month's selection. And happy writing!

Music to Write by #3: OCRemix Deus ex 'Siren Synapse'

This month's music selection is one of my techno favorites. With a distinctively Asian vibe, Deus ex 'Siren Synapse' remixed by Alexander Brandon and Big Giant Circles, makes for great adrenaline pumping music as you write. Futuristic is the first adjective that comes to mind. Playful, beautiful yet not to be trusted. Check it out and see if you like what you hear.

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":
 Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'
Music to Write By #2: 'The Different World' by Peter Schilling
Music to Write By #4: OCRemix Chrono Trigger Aqueous Transgression

Music to Write By #2: The Different World by Peter Schilling

Okay, this one dates me a bit, but that's okay. What I love about a lot of 80s - early 90s music is the ambiguity of the lyrics. They give you a general feeling of what the artist wants you to feel without being blatantly open about exact meaning. The music of "The Different Story" (1989), I think, is classic. This song sets a somewhat ominous yet hopeful tone. Good for world-building, pivotal emotional scenes, or a motivator to remember that conflict is necessary for characters to grow. A story shouldn't be all roses and cake. A writer who pampers their characters doesn't have much of a story to tell.

And, if anything, it's kind of fun to watch the music video. I'd never seen it until recently and I think it captures the tone of the song very well. On the fantasy-esque side, it has a romantic vibe as well.

Performed by German singer Peter Schilling in his third English album, this song also known as "A World of Lust and Crime," here is "The Different Story":

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":
 Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'
Music to Write By #3: OCRemix Deus ex 'Siren Synapse'

Music to Write By #1: OCRemix Doom 'Jade Spawn'

Starting up another series of posts, these ones aimed for certain Saturdays. Need some good instrumental music to create the mood or get you in the zone while writing? This month I recommend Doom 'Jade Spawn' from OCRemix's vast archives of remixed gaming music. The music is downloadable and free, which is the best part. There are some very talented remixers sharing their work. This particular piece has a suspenseful tremor the whole way through it. Good for channeling tension or creating build-up to a climax. Be sure to check out ocremix.org for more great music and stay tuned for future recommendations from me. Enjoy!

Do you want even more ideas for music? Be sure to check out the entire on-going series on my blog of "Music to Write by":

Music to Write By #2: 'The Different World' by Peter Schilling