For more than 20 years of my life I listened to country music. For 8 more I listened to soft pop music. All of that was scattered with a diverse mix of songs from other categories that spoke to me at that point in my life.
Since I began writing... The soundtrack for my life has changed.
My muse has very different tastes from those styles of music which I thought I enjoyed. He (because it must be a he... Irritating a$$ that he is) insists I listen to Rock... Specifically, Alternative/ Grunge/ hardcore/ hard rock/ metal... I think you get the idea. My muse is a punk.
But don't get me wrong, I still love him and don't want him to run away from home.But I do notice that the words flow easier for my tough guys when they have their own music. Yes different characters prefer different artists... I have Dan who is fond of LIVE. I actually only like a couple of their songs, but he loves them and insisted I buy their music. (I did) And on the far side I have another fellow who loves SLAYER. Yes I know they are very, very different... But I know have both programmed into my iTunes.
Sometimes I include my character's preferences in the stories, sometimes it just doesn't come up. I noticed in a recent JR Ward novel that she brought up their rap music a couple times.I'm not sure how I feel about it. Do you prefer to have those extra details even if they don't come up in the story naturally? Do want to pick what you feel the character would listen to by what is shown of their personality? Or do you automatically play your own music over the course of the book?
Shannon
who is not writing because the music died... or at least is with the computer at the computer dude (who I now worship for all his wisdom... but that's another story)
I hear ya on the music. I grew up in the Los Angeles area and listened to pop. Moved to Virginia seven years ago and it was all country. When I started writing seriously, I went back to pop, but ended up more on the rock edge. I love to know what characters are listening to. I'm like you though, sometimes I include it, sometimes not, but I always know what it is and it's always the hereos' music playing when I write. I also find myself more drawn to songs about sex and passion than ever before. Go Figure. :)
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