Musical Inspirations

Music is a huge inspiration for my stories, and all of them have their own soundtrack.  Now, this isn’t anything new, really.  If you go to Stephanie Meyers website she gives her playlists.  And Cara Lynn Shultz lists the songs her hero and heroine listen to on their players. 

But some of my stories have actually developed from songs.  Though the beginning of the story is from my own personal experience, “A Silver Lining”, I got the idea from the song “Sweet Silver Lining” sung by Kate Voegele.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvqlPyG7fvU

The chorus is absolutely amazing and sad:

"But so many people are looking to me
To be strong and to fight
But I'm just surviving
And I may be weak but I'm not defeated
And I'll keep believing
In clouds with that sweet silver lining"

                                           ********

When I first heard the song “Awake and Alive” by Skillet, I was captivated by the violin at the beginning.  Immediately I saw this girl in my head, a punk rocker with hot pink stripes in her pigtails.  And from that image, the story “In A Chord” was born.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aJUnltwsqs

I loved how the drummer, Jen Ledger, sings in the chorus.  She also sings on the track “Hero” and I love how her voice is a almost a soft haven in this heavy metal Christian music.  In her voice, I heard Momo singing.

                                          **********

 

“A Man After Midnight” isn’t more obvious.  I was on an Abba kick a couple of years ago and really started listening to the lyrics of Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (A Man After Midnight). 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RJPV7oIiR8

“Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day”

If you read the story, I set up every meeting with Wren at half past twelve.  I was actually in New York when the Times Square Bomber was there.  I remember walking past that car on my way to see “Billy Elliot”.  This story was originally written with that bomb scare and my experience in it, but my editor wanted me to take that out.  

                                        **********

My biggest regret in life is that I was born tone deaf.  In my car I crank up the volume and sing to the top of my lungs.  The first thing that captures my attention is the music, the rhythm and beat.  One current song that captured my attention is "Breath of Life" by Florence + the Machine, from the movie Snow White & the Huntsman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROtBbOcdFxo

Another song that tells a great story is "Undisclosed Desires" by Muse.  The lyrics are amazing, very melancholy and heartfelt.

"I want to reconcile the violence in your heart
I want to recognise your beauty's not just a mask
I want to exorcise the demons from your past
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8OOWcsFj0U

Are there any songs that reach you on a personal level?  I would love to hear about them!