What is the soundtrack to your book/manuscript?

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FatesPast

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Like many other writers, I like to write with music. As such, I've found that I associate certain songs with my manuscript. I thought it may be helpful to know what other writers are listening to while writing. The following is a list of a few of my writing songs:

1. Cloud Atlas Soundtrack -- "End Title"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXttp8_xSHQ


I will always think of my MS when I hear this song because it was on repeat for much of the initial drafting. There's just something about the progression of the song that I enjoy while writing--I'll often find the pace of my writing to build along with the tempo of the song.

2. Explosions in the Sky -- "The Winner Is"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSF21mYLnNI

Similar to "End Title," "The Winner Is" has a nice progression, though it builds faster and is shorter than "End Title." The violin section always gets my creative juices flowing.

3. Arctic Monkeys, "Do I Wanna Know"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpOSxM0rNPM

I wrote the climax of my book while listening to this song. Its aggression and sexiness sets the mood nicely for late-night writing.

4. Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjecYugTbIQ

I listened to this song often while revising--its calculated pace and soothing harmonies helped the mind-numbing process.

5. The Neighborhood, "Sweater Weather"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA26uXxh5O0

I'm listening to this song now, so I'm considering it my "finishing touches" tune.
 
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Varthikes

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For my current project, which focuses on the maiden voyage of Earth's first interstellar vessel, I'll probably be listening to a lot of David Arkenstone, Amethystium, and Mythos.

A few specific track I have for it:

Bridge to Heaven

I started developing this story over ten years ago. When I heard this, the first scene that came to mind was the launch of the ship. Also, "Edge of Destiny" (which appears on the same album) works great as the main theme.
 

zollmaniac

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I've always listened to a lot of music while writing. Mostly instrumental songs from the likes of Apocolyptica, Nightwish, and Lindsay Stirling. However, I've never really considered a sound track for my stories until very recently.

For my current WIP, the Nine Inch Nails song Find my Way fits perfectly.
 

tiddlywinks

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Yikes...I'll have to pair down what I share, as I tend to build rather large soundtracks for my novels that I'm working on (especially the fantasy ones). I am a huge music fiend and, like Anna, I'll play a tune over and over and over as I work on a scene.

1) For my Epic Fantasy series:

Aphelion by Jesper Kyd. This song really epitomizes the feel for the book, and especially the relationship between the main MCs. A little wistful, sometimes haunting, and a sense of purpose. Jesper Kyd could do my soundtrack any day. His Legacy release is generally of a similar sound and I have several others from that.

I also listen to a lot of Two Steps from Hell, Brand X Music, The Immediate, Lindsey Stirling and Ivan Torrent for instrumentals, plus a mixture of vocals ranging from ZZ Ward, MS MR, Imagine Dragons, Daughter, Bat for Lashes, Plumb and Christina Perri, Snow Patrol, Glitch Mob, Linkin Park, and London Grammar. Let me know if you want any particulars on the songs I'm listening to from those artists.

One of my 'scene' obsession songs right now is Falling into Inertia by the Immediate. When I heard it, it fit perfectly as the scene wherein I *gack* have to be nasty and kill some of my characters off, making readers hate me.


2) For my urban fantasy romance manuscript I'm now editing:

Teardrop by Civil Twilight is the key song. Fits the reluctant entanglement between the two MCs.

I've got a list of about 50 songs for that one I rotated through, but if I had to pick a short list that catches the main story arc:
Hey Brother, Avicii
Bleeding Out, Imagine Dragons
Sing Loud, Alpha Rev
Love Don't Die, The Fray
Counting Stars, One Republic
The Lightning Strike, Snow Patrol
Between the Raindrops, Lifehouse
Need you Now, Plumb
Loved Me Back to Life, Celine Dion
Fix a Heart, Demi Lovato
Teardrop, Civil Twilight (link above)
Only You're the One, Lifehouse
Letters from the Sky, Civil Twilight
Don't Deserve You, Plumb
Say Something, A Great Big World
Let Me Go, Avril Lavigne
Save Your Life, Les Friction
Phantasm, Jesper Kyd
 

Roxxsmom

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I have a huge selection of songs on my ipod. I tend to put the mix on and let it play when I'm writing. Certain songs can be especially inspiring when I'm writing certain scenes.

Sometimes I'll get in the mood for a particular album or piece of classical music, though.
 

Threak 17

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I've got a Kronos Quartet box set that is in constant play whenever I'm writing. It's become the soundtrack to my life.
 

Jack Asher

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My taste in music is far to eclectic to put here. Suffice to say it ranges wildly between classical, alternative, electroswing, and whatever the hell Beats Antique is.

Now if it was Jack Asher choosing the soundtrack to his life, it would be Bach, Mussorgsky, Jonathan Coultan, David Bergaud, and whatever the hell Beats Antique is.
 

SamuraiHex

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Fox Amoore - Rendition (Lugia's Theme)

This song happened to play on a YouTube playlist when I was writing some lore for my story. What makes it even weirder is that it matches what I thought the soundtrack would be for the part of the lore. So far this is my only soundtrack. Possibly when I have chance, I'll make a playlist on YouTube and post it here. It'd have every song that I associate with my books on it.
 

Filigree

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Alas, I can no longer write to music - my writing mood changes too often, and vocals just distract me. I plot to music, heavily.

Recently I've plotted to Yes 'Big Generator', Rush 'Roll the Bones' and 'Presto', Enigma, Tangerine Dream, Coldplay, and ELP. I'm also lucky to stream one of the best and craziest Public Radio stations around, for all kinds of new and interesting music. (KXCI Tucson, if anyone wants to try them out.)
 

thepicpic

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I don't have music tied to each project, by and large, but I do change the sort of music depending on project. For science fiction, it's largely Amaranthe (a huge influence), some Lacuna Coil, various bits of game soundtrack and some Breaking Benjamin.
For my fantasy I switch to Epica, Nightwish, Winter in Eden... the more symphonic aspects of my collection. Of course, on both sides I run the risk of spending more time singing than writing, but that's another matter.
 

Katje

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I listen to a lot of different music for my projects. Sometimes I'll put together project playlists; other times I just rely on my overall writing playlist set on shuffle. Every once in a while I get some new music added and listen to whatever it is on repeat.

Currently I'm hooked on some SJ Tucker tunes. Specifically these ones for writing (some are possibly NSFW either with lyrics or cover art):

Treachery is Afoot (Ember Days Soundtrack)
Winter's Ritual (Ember Days Soundtrack)
We are Shangri-La (Quartered: Songs of Palimpsest)
Casimira (Quartered: Songs of Palimpsest)
The Train Suite 1, Ambient Mix (Quartered: Songs of Palimpsest)
Hymn to Herne (Blessings)
City of Marrow (Solace & Sorrow)

(I've linked to the songs on Tucker's Bandcamp site where you can listen to the full tracks.)
 
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StarryEyes

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I have a whole Two Steps From Hell playlist as the soundtrack to my WIP, from beginning to end. But I don't listen to it so much when I'm writing, because I've found that it distracts me (and since it's the soundtrack to the whole story, it's weird to listen to the "epic final battle song" while I'm writing a quiet conversation between MCs :p).

When I feel like writing to music, I listen to ambiance/meditation music. At the moment it's Enya, Snatam Kaur and Singh Kaur, mostly.
 

Sonsofthepharaohs

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I have a playlist on my PC which is just called 'epicness' - it's mostly instrumental tracks from epic fantasy or historical films. The likes of Last of the Mohicans, Gladiator, Troy, the Mummy, the 13th Warrior, Plunkett & McCleane, Kingdom of Heaven, Shawshank, Sunshine, Meet Joe Black, The Illusionist, Legends of the Fall, Titus, LOTR, Braveheart, Rome, and anything that just strikes me as awesomely atmospheric.

I can't listen to anything with lyrics because otherwise I sing and annoy the bunny :D
 

Stanton

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Always listen to music as I write. Today Dave Brubeck Blue Rondo a la Turk because tune alternates two groovy time signatures 9/8 and 4/4 the same as my WIP novel alternates two POV: 1st person and 3rd person. No, I don't take life too seriously.
 

msza45

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The one song that has become the soundtrack to mine is Steady Rollin' by Two Gallants. I put this song on in the car and for some reason it helps me work through my plot points. I guess the tone just fits the story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKk95sduxwk
 

Aimless Lady

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Elton John. A lot of his songs fit with what I'm writing. I'm especially fond of Blessed, Believe, and The One.
 

tiddlywinks

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You realize that's a Massive Attack cover, right?
here's the original

But kudos to you for posting the only artist on this thread that I've found slightly interesting.

Yep, I know. But I prefer the Civil Twilight version. Appreciate the link!
 

phantasy

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy8MEO_2AYo

The opening song to the movie Castle in the Sky by Joe Hisaishi. Pretty much perfect for every scene in my current novel. Good parts, sad parts, dramatic parts.

I plan on having one main song for every novel. If I ever get published, if I can get away with it, I'd like to somehow let my readers now about it, either through a blurb in the book somewhere or in a blog post or something.
 
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IdrisG

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I usually make Spotify playlists for my mss. If I could choose songs representative of my currents WIPs, they'd be as follows:

Forgotten Life of Dez King: Seven Devils by Florence & the Machine / Strangeness & Charm by Florence & the Machine
A Diamond for You: Cameo Lover by Kimbra / Lilitu by Blueneck / Dear No One by Tori Kelly
Veruca Starship: Ebla by es Posthumus / Rather Be by Clean Bandit & Jessa Glynne
The Hotel Kincaid: Chord Left by Agnes Obel / Goldmine by Kimbra
Beggars In Paris: Apex by Foreign Beggars (NSFW) & Contact by Foreign Beggars
 
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HeavyAirship

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I keep hearing Led Zeppelin's Battle of Evermore while I write...

Your story wouldn't happen to have anything to do with short people and powerful rings now would it?



I haven't tried writing with music yet but I have made a soundtrack for a future novel that is supposed to help me remember what feel and atmosphere I want for it. The main songs are:

Fireflies- Owl City
Map of the problematique- Muse
Over the hills and far away- Led Zeppelin
Magic- Coldplay
 

Chasing the Horizon

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One of my novels has a "soundtrack" because the MC is a classical pianist, so I have a playlist of all the pieces he plays.

Otherwise, I could write to Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Epiphany" forever, simply because it's my favorite song in the world. I feel like it describes my life, so naturally it also explains everything I write. Because I have the idea that we all actually write what we know, no matter how much metaphor we might filter it through. So of course the song that describes my life also describes my writing.
 
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