Music & Inspiration

I've blogged about this before over at Romance Worth Killing For, the link between music and writing inspiration. First of all, I love music. Just about all music. My students will ask what kind of music I listen to, and I honestly tell them a little of everything. I like classical and jazz, disco and 80's punk, country and alternative and rap.

I like music.

Music is powerful. It moves. It influences. It inspires.

I'm working on a "Behind the Scenes" page for my website, and as part of that, I'm putting together the song lists that make up the "soundtracks" for each of my novels. At the same time, I'm finding myself finding inspiration for what I think will be the next book in my writing life.

My heroine for that book is tough, a little rough around the edges, burned by life and love already. She's cynical, a little disillusioned. She's very much the songs "Kerosene" by Miranda Lambert and "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood.

My hero I'm still getting a handle on. He's younger than the heroine. He's finally, I think, coming in to his own as a man. I'm tending to link him to the music of Kenny Chesney, Gary Allan and Dierks Bentley.

For the arc of their story, I'm listening to "Baby, You Save Me" (Kenny Chesney), "Addiction" and "Made a Man Out of Me" (Gary Allan), and "Settle for a Slow Down" (Dierks Bentley).

Oh, and definitely "Your Man" by Josh Turner.

"Crash Here Tonight" by Toby Keith.

Yeah, lots of country for this book. Maybe because I've been listening to the top 50 country songs of the year . . .

I'm telling you . . . music . . . writing . . . inspiration . . . there's a link.