Music and Writing

A few days ago, I was getting ready to edit a scene from my WIP and literally couldn't bring myself to start until I brought some music up in the background. I'm one of those authors who finds it much easier to write with music. It often reinforces and/or inspires certain characters or relationships, regardless of if the songs themselves are mentioned in the book.

That being said - My Chemical Romance has been my favorite band for several years. They have a brand new album out, and I've done more than I usually would to celebrate the occasion, partly because of the band, but partly because this album has already been an inspiration, from the time I heard the promo for the very first single. I won't be able to buy the CD 'til I get some funds (Christmas money is never saved with me), but I've watched every video, including one with the entire album on it (you can see why I love this band, yes?) and I'm excited. Very, very excited. There is one driving force behind this excitement: Spade.

I haven't talked about Spade much, and I won't, because it's not my project. Well, I'm co-author, but it's not my baby/brain-child, the idea came from a friend that just got too busy to do all the writing herself. I offered to help, and she offered to let me. It's my fall-back project for when I'm stuck on my own stuff, or just need a break.

Like MCR's new album, Danger Days, Spade is a dystopian set in California (though it's more governmental breakdown than true disaster story), and it has it's light/dark moments. We don't have masks, dracs, or blasters, but we do have a kidnapping, copious amounts of thievery, and rebellion. While hearing Danger Days for the first time, I thought continually about Spade, the characters and what I love about them, and about that book.

There was once a rather self-indulgent scene early in Spade where a large group of characters start bawling out 'Teenagers', a MCR song, when it came on the radio. Now, in my mind, that scene that probably won't make it past revisions has 'Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na)' in it, instead. Whenever I think about the two MCs, I feel like 'The Only Hope For Me is You' and 'Sing' are their songs, their hope and their message. And that's what I love about MCR, about this album, and about music. It rings true to me as a fan, a person, and a creator, and it makes me want to write and draw and get up in front of people and scream my lungs out. That's my definition of good music.

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, thanks go out to MCR, for breaking the rules, making this album, and bringing back the sunshine and color. It's been a trip watching them grow as artists and leeching off their inspiration.

In closing, MCR rocks, dystopians are fun, and this was an unusually long blog post. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

English Journal: Paranormalcy

You know what's funny? I said I'd do these every Sunday. And I thought I'd be able to do it.

Wishful thinking = disappointment.

I lost one of my journalling notebooks, so for now I'll be using some from this year. The first three are for Kiersten White's Paranormalcy, which just came out earlier this year. Since it's such a new book, and by a blogger I happen to admire greatly, I'll probably post the others, too, over the next two weeks. Just remember: spoilers. My English teacher, sadly, will probably never get around to reading Para, but if you are planning to, you've been forewarned.


This is the first book I've ever ordered before it came out. It makes me feel all writerly and connected. Between that, and the fact that I read and love the author's blog, these journals may not be completely objective.

Basically, this is the paranormal book I've been waiting for. It's funny and sweet and a perfect comfort read, but it's also deep and the characters are personal. It doesn't take itself seriously, but parts of it are serious. High concept is all well and good, but sometimes you need a hobby read. And why shouldn't a hobby read be well-written, too?

The main character, Evie, made a pretty successful heroine. She had enough characterization to make her personality and originality clear without ostrasizing the reader, which I think is important for this kind of first person. When the story's moving quickly, which it usually is, she takes a little more of a backseat to help the reader experience the story.

She also falls in love without being supremely annoying to anyone who has not fallen in love, mostly, which is a pretty big accomplishment.

Englih Journal: "Rose Daughter"

Did someone here say something about posting journals every Sunday? What a little liar that person must be...

So, today I have another journal. I'm still trying to pick things that are at least a little known, which seriously limits me choices. This one is rather long, though I'm not sure if this is more of a downside for me, or for anyone reading this self-indulgent tripe.

Without further ado, an English class journal on Robin McKinley's "Rose Daughter."

McKinley has a real "thing" for Beauty and the Beast. Good thing, too, because I'm the same way. I've read both her adaptations, "Rose Daughter" and Beauty", and another book with definite connections to the tale. So if there journals end up being about all three instead of just Rose Daughter, it's because I can't quite keep them straight in my head.

I've been reading a lot of books about magic lately. It's a little unusual for me, since I generally have little interest in it; my interest is in fantasy. The fact that the two often go together has softened me to warily accept the occasional magician. But the magic in these books is... quiet, maybe. Very Chronicles of Narnia, in a way. And I actually like it quite a bit. Particularly when magic is attached to the story in non-otherworldly ways. For instance, in "Rose Daughter" there are an awful lot of, who would've guessed, roses. (McKinley loves roses. I know this because I am now slightly obsessed fan of hers, and I read her blog every day.) In the story, roses are a symbol of, and a blessing for, love. "Not silly sweethearts' love," but real, true love. It's said that only wizards and greenwitches can get roses to grow because people didn't have enough love to give them. It's a continual question n the book whether our heroine, Beauty, is a greenwitch without knowing it because she got the roses in her new town to bloom again.

I'd kind of given up hope on roses - they're dreadfully overdone, in fiction and real life - but this has brought me back to them again. I think that's proof enough that "Rose Daughter" is a piece of literary magic.