Just for Fun Friday

It's a terrible song with a terrible message, isn't it? But since this is Just for Fun Friday, here it is. The song that will not get out of my head lately. But I can't post the video. It's just too terrible. And I just can't expose you to that disaster!

Inspirational Track for the Mage's Apprentice, Chapter 39

This week, I've been working on Chapter 39 of the Mage's Apprentice, which comes out tomorrow. Since RoboNomics is now a completed story on +Wattpad, I thought I'd switch the publishing schedule of the Mage's Apprentice to every Friday. Fridays are the best days for Wattpad: everyone is pumped and ready for a new chapter, it seems, after a long work week. It's probably the same reason that movies come out on Fridays: everyone's looking for some weekend entertainment!

Anyways, this week we'll find Val, Fav and Yafoya being chased by a monster! I won't say more than that, other than you'll have to read it tomorrow! In the meantime, enjoy the track that helped inspire the chapter:

The RoboNomics Soundtrack and Inspirational Tracks

RoboNomics is all up on Wattpad, and so today I don't have a chapter and inspirational track for you. Usually Tuesday I would have one for the Mage's Apprentice, but I'm moving my posting schedule for that story to every Friday, since it's just an all-around better day for you and me.

Until then, I've complied all of the inspirational tracks from each and every chapter of the RoboNomics story: both Books I and II are featured here:



And, as a special added bonus, I've also got all of the songs that inspired me during the writing process, but that didn't get to be featured on a chapter or a blog post. Here they are:



Enjoy!

Ambient for Editing

Today, I've got a playlist of ambient tunes for concentration. These tracks are for times when you really need to concentrate. I especially love listening to Ambient tracks while I'm editing a draft. Not only do the spare soundscapes allow you to sink into the task of reading what you've wrote: there's something about them that just melds into the background and makes the task feel quick and easy.

Although, I have to admit that I am partial to tracks that have some thumping bass behind them, as some of the tracks on this playlist do. They're just that more hypnotic but don't put me right to sleep.

Check out the playlist:

Just for Fun Friday

Since today's the day that the last bit of RoboNomics comes out, I'd thought I'd share a track with you that should have made it on the "inspirational track for chapter...." but never quite did.

Sam Sparro. He's one of my favs. He combines two things that I just love: pounding, addictive dance beats, and philosophical speculation:


I swear, I hear it once and it's in my head for a week afterwards. Happy weekend, peeps!

Inspirational Track for RoboNomics Book II, the Epilogue

CC0

Well, kids. This is it. Tomorrow, the last chapter of RoboNomics comes out.

It's been quite a journey, and this first completed novel of mine has taken a lot out of me. Four years from the first spark of inspiration, through drafting, research, working with a professional writer in a studio course, and then posting on Wattpad for the past year and a half.

But is the RoboNomics saga over? For me, the story will evolve no more. I will shop it around to agents, and if all else fails I'll publish it as an ebook and make it available to a wider audience. And then, to annals of time it goes. And I'll have to let go of it.

However, it was suggested to me last weekend that the world of RoboNomics is so rich that it could become an expanded universe.

It's a curious suggestion. There are so many characters in the RoboNomics story who's lives I would love to explore, from whose perspective I would like to see things. So it's possible that further short stories may evolve out of this one idea. But for now, I am going to take a step back from RoboNomics and work instead on other projects. Bye-bye, first novel. You've taught me so much!

In the meantime, I've been waiting a long time to share with you this, my final inspirational track for RoboNomics. It's a track called 'Moonlight' by Rameses, and it's quiet nature helps to wrap-up the RoboNomics story. It also has some dude musing about things philosophical, which Andrea also will in this final chapter.

Enjoy, and don't forget to check out +Wattpad tomorrow to read the Epilogue!

OmmWriter & its Music

I've raved about OmmWriter before. It is an amazing writing applications and experience, which you can customize and use to block out all the world except your writing. You can choose different background and keystroke sounds, but did you know you can also pick the music?

Music is Key

Atmosphere is key while working on that first draft, and the atmospheric music of OmmWriter is just perfect. It ranges from the most ambient of tracks, to ones with just a little more pace, to tracks that sound like they have a mild rain behind them, or are nothing more than ominous crunching sounds. More soundscapes than songs, more wind-over-the-plain and record scratches than melody, the music and sounds of OmmWriter will guarantee concentration and will not pop the bubble of your inspiration.

In short, you gotta try it!

Inspirational Track for The Mage's Apprentice, Chapter 38

Tomorrow, Chapter 38 of the Mage's Apprentice comes out on +Wattpad. And in that chapter, we get to see the Drewala again!

If you're a regular reader of The Mage's Apprentice, you'll remember that the Drewala are tiny, winged creature with mouse-like faces and tuffs of brown fur. They also emit multicoloured lights. The las time Fav and Val encountered them, it didn't exactly go well. With any luck, this time will go better, now that Yafoya's around.

Writing this chapter (because this one is all new material!), I was inspired by a new song: "Csay Csay" by Little People. There's something about the high pitch of the vocals that just reminds me of tiny creatures. And you know I love a good electro beat. Especially when it's attached to someone's random vacay video??

Sound Effects for Inspiration

When it comes to setting, music can be a powerfully inspiring vehicle for writing. Certain songs or genres can call up specific times and places. But sometimes, I find that while I'm writing I need sometime more. I need to be able to call up the smells, sounds and sights of a setting so that I can create an immersive world. And that's when I turn to ambient recordings.

As opposed to Ambient music, which is a sub-genre of Electronic music, ambient recordings are tracks that include just the sounds of certain environments. I used to go to YouTube for these tracks, but since then I've discovered that apps such as Spotify and Songza have whole categories of playlists that fit the bill: sounds from a Quiet Park, a Busy Coffee, or sounds from the ocean.

The great thing about these tracks, I find, is that even in the middle of winter, I can call up what it's like to be in those settings. And the closer you can be to the setting you're attempting to describe, the better it will make your writing.

Just for Fun Friday

It's the long weekend, so let's have a happy song. With a weird video:



Have a great weekend, everyone! :)

Inspirational Track for RoboNomics Book II, Chapter 42

Well, kids. This is it. I know I've been talking about it for a long time, but other than an Epilogue, Chapter 42 is the last chapter of the RoboNomics saga.

Isn't it strange to say? I having been living with this story for four years, and although with this final bit it will at last be out there in the world, I'm far from being down with it. +Wattpad was only the beginning.

But in the meantime, I felt a roller coaster of emotions in writing Chapter 42. Man, was it hard. And there's plenty of action and excitement to the chapter, if the preview pic is any indication, but there's also quiet, important moments too. Which is why I was inspired by this track:



Although to own truth, my inspiration came from somewhere else as well. Maybe because of the things I've been writing about on this blog.

Music Apps for Inspiration

Today, I'm highlighting some of the apps that I use when looking for inspiration in my writing. Some of these may be obvious, or they may not be. But all of them are helpful.

Songza

My go-to music app is Songza. Perhaps because Spotify wasn't launched here in Canada until long after it was launched elsewhere in the world, I have some wicked, unshakeable brand loyalty towards Songza. I do enjoy the concierge feature, although sometimes it does get it really, really wrong. But that's when I turn to genres, activities, or my favourites.

It's a great discoverability app, and many times I turn to it when I'm drafting a story, editing a piece of writing, or needing some inspiration. Although I have to say that they use to have "Being Creative" listed as an activity you might want music for, and since the last update they got rid of it. Poop!

Spotify

Songza and Spotify are very similar beasts. Like Songza, Spotify has free and a premium membership levels. And like Songza, it relies on playlists created by either the staff or the users.

However, unlike Songza, it doesn't have a concierge that's based on the time of day or day of the week. This can be good for writers who need what they need when they need it, but I find that Songza can sometimes be spot on about what you're doing at that particular time of day or day of the week. Sometimes it's spooky.

Soundcloud

Soundcloud has some really great features that make it excellent for inspiring your next story. Anyone can upload sounds to the site and share them with the world, making it a sort of YouTube for sounds and music. However, the really awesome feature for those of us seeking inspiration in musical form is the cloud itself: when you pick your genre and then start listening to a track, if you get caught up in your work, it's no problem! The site or app will continuously play tracks related to the one you started with. It's perfect for when the spirit moves you and you are lost in thought.

Shazam

If you haven't yet heard of Shazam, you should look into it now! This little app helps you to identify tracks that you hear playing while out and about. It's invaluable for those times that you hear an especially inspirational track and want to keep its info for the next time you're writing out a scene, setting, or character.

So those are my picks. What about you? Do you have any other music apps that you find especially helpful to your writing?

Inspirational Track for The Mage's Apprentice, Chapter 37

Tomorrow, Chapter 37 of The Mage's Apprentice goes up on +Wattpad. I'm excited for you to find out what happens once Val been punished by Vadier.

But in the meantime, I've been working on the chapter and feeling inspired by some beautiful new tracks. Including this one, which I think captures some of the youth of the characters and the events of the chapter.

What do you think will happen next? As usual, the preview pic contains a clue, and so does the song:

Musicals, Story, and Inspiration

Image in the public domain

I love musicals. I have this theory, mainly because of Gilbert and Sullivan, that musical theatre is a direct descendant of opera and therefore of classical music. Sure, it's been filtered through the lens of vaudeville, but it's roots in opera means that it's no wonder I find it inspirational.

But while classical music and other instruments or ambient jams are best to listen to when focusing on drafting or editing one's own work, I love musical numbers when I need a little inspirational for a scene, a character, or a story.

The disadvantage to musical music is that all the numbers are about something specific happening in a very specific show. The advantage of listening to the same music is that if you haven't seen the show, or even if you have, the numbers can be great for studying plot and character development. In short numbers surrounded by dances and overtures, musical numbers are great examples of using the fewest words to get the point across. Which is an invaluable skill when writing fiction.

They're also moving, sparkly, grand, and just plain fun. They recall us to certain eras and places, and I personally never try of having musical theatre numbers, from Gilbert and Sullivan to Avenue Q, sprinkle my inspirational playlists. You should try it!

Just for Fun Friday

Cruising around my small town, I heard this ditty on the radio and immediately feel in love with it. It is everything!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Inspirational Track for RoboNomics Book II, Chapter 41

Tomorrow Chapter 41 of RoboNomics Book II comes out. And it's another exciting chapter! After Chris leaves the iTronics tower with his father and Andrea follows after him, she runs into a character that we haven't seen for a very long time.
I guess the pic at the left kinda gives away who it is. What do you think will happen when they see each other again?
While writing Chapter 41, which leaves you with a cliffhanger that will lead into the story's climax, I was inspired by some epic movie music. But I was also inspired, from way back in my drafting phase, by a track that is hard driving and maybe a little on the corny side, but I don't care:

 

Posted with Blogsy

Canadiana

I was inspired to create this playlist by a story my sister told me when she came back from Europe last autumn. She said that there were a lot of Australians on her tour, with a handful of Americans, Canadians, and other nationalities. And since her tour guide was also Australian, there was a lot of Australian pop music playing.

So one day the guide thought she'd oblige the Canadians by playing music from our native land. But boy, did she ever get it wrong! Apparently she starting playing songs by Celine Dion, Alanis Morrisette, Justin Bieber and Nickelback.

Ugh. Is that seriously what the rest of the world thinks is our music? Knowing which musical artists hail from Canada is, I guess, a uniquely Canadian trait. And there's so much to choose from. I don't know a single self-respecting Canadian who would listen to any of those artists. Instead, oh world, let me educate you as to the music that is ours, starting with some older tracks and some covers of songs by Canadian artists:



Surprised? You should be! It's the soundtrack to my Canadian life, friends.

Inspirational Track for the Mage's Apprentice, Chapter 36

Why yes, that is the same pic as last week.
Many coloured fires lately!

Tomorrow, Chapter 36 of the Mage's Apprentice comes out on +Wattpad. After having learned the secret of Fav and of his village, in Chapter 36 you'll read all about the fallout between the three friends. Is it any surprised that the news doesn't sit well with Val?

While working on my chapter for this week, I was again inspired by an electro dance remix of an indie standard. What is it about my brain that associates pulsing dance remixes and tentpole DJ tracks (like those by Tiesto, Calvin Harris, and David Guetta) with my epic fantasy story? Sure, there's a smattering of classical tracks in there, but every time I try to listen to the medieval tracks that would seem more apropos for this type of story, it just doesn't work for me. It's all wrong.

And it's the same story for this week. I'm feeling inspired by this amazing track. Foster the People + RAC = amazingness!

The Music of Ennio Morricone

I don't know what it is about Ennio Morricone's music, but I have a weakness for it. Along with Philip Glass, Morricone has been my favourite movie music composer for a very long time now. And although movie music can be fraught with tainted associations that can lead to unoriginal fiction, sometimes it can be very very helpful in all its dramatic peaks and valleys. And that's why with the exception of one score that I just can't ever listen to, I find myself draw to his movie scores in the process of drafting my stories.


Yes, he scored some of the world's most famous Spaghetti Westerns. But he also composed the score to The Mission. I've never seen The Mission. For all I know, it could be a bunch of imperialist apologist crap with a healthy handful of exoticism thrown in for good measure. Or perhaps I'm pre-judging it. I have no idea. All I know is that it's Jeremy Irons, Robert DeNiro, South America, and one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard:



Doesn't your soul just ache with the beauty of it? Doesn't it just soar? There needs to be an English word for that feeling (maybe there's already a German word for it?). That same feeling of mixed pain and pleasure that you get on looking at a vista of natural beauty, or when you've got your face smooshed into the tiny window of a commercial airliner, watching the ground sink away (oh, gee, am I really the only person who does that?)

What I'm saying is that Morricone's music goes beyond inspiration for me. To be out and out corny, it makes my spirit soar. And in listening to his music while writing, maybe I'm hoping that some of that magic will rub off on my work, and it makes my readers' spirits soar. Here's hoping! :)

Just for Fun Friday

Hey! I'm back with another Just for Fun Friday track. I picked this track because this is the way I'm feeling lately. Too much work, too much interwebs. Yay! A little break coming soon for me, in which I'll visit my best sistafriend +A.M. Wilson in TO (Toronto).

In the meantime, I think it's hilarious that everyone in the video reacts to nature by stripping off their clothes. Also it's reminding me of my latest chapter of RoboNomics Book II. Specifically, how would you react if you never had to work again? Run through nature and strip off your clothes? It's an interesting question.

What would I do? Honestly, I'd probably still need to write stories.