What I Listen To When I Write

I'm a little odd when it comes to my writing process. Basically, it not very consistent and changes everyday dependent on my mood and how "inspired" I am feeling by my novel. Sometimes I need total quiet and sometimes a funky, fresh beat is just what gets me going. I usually open up my Pandora while writing. Frequent channels of mine include: AIR, Au Revoir Simone, Moby, Arcade Fire, Broken Bells, etc. So, all of the electro-pop/rock you can get! I guess my novel is coming from a place of synthesizers and theremins (P.S. Theremins are about the coolest instruments ever!). Does that make you more or less excited to read my stuff?

AIR - Amour, Imagination, Rêve

Au Revoir Simone - a powerful feminine troika of electro pop!

My second choice of music to listen to is the soundtracks of my favorite TV shows, movies, and video games. I am constantly on the channels for "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings," "Zelda", and more. Two of my favorite TV shows, "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica", have the most amazing soundtracks I have ever had the pleasure of listening too. Michael Giacchino (of "Lost") and Bear McCreary (of "Battlestar Galactica") are musical geniuses! Listen to all of their stuff, please! Honorable mention for: John Williams (no explanation needed) and Ramin Djawadi ("Game of Thrones").

Fav. song: "Passacaglia"

Fav. Song: "Life and Death"

Fav. Song: "Song of Storms"

However, Pandora feels the need to play ads in the middle of my writing jams and that can severely affect me and my continuation of writing. So, be wary of using Pandora. My alternatives include iTunes, YouTube, ya know... Check out Pogo on YouTube. You won't regret it!

One band I haven't mentioned yet but that continually inspires me is the band, Portishead. The song, "The Rip," by Portishead, was actually the song that inspired me to write my novel. As soon as I heard the haunting lyrics and saw the accompanying music video, my imagination took over and the initial images and characters of my novel came falling into my head. It was quite beautiful. Of course, the world of my novel is now so much more expanded and large, but that song stays with me every step of the way.

So, as November approaches (4 more days, y'all!), I am putting the final touches on my notes and outlines, preparing my body for 30 days of sobriety, and queuing up all my great playlists. The NaNoWriMo journey is about to begin...

- ben josé