A few years ago, while listening to the song "Digital Ghost" by Tori Amos, the plot of a book came into my head. I pictured a boy and girl who had been childhood friends but never let a romantic relationship fully develop. Eventually they grew up and apart, and the female character became ill, and the only way the two could connect was through a virtual universe, like the lyrics suggest:
It started as a joke
Just one of my larks to see
if somehow I could reach you so
I swam into your shores
Through an open window
Only to find you all alone
Curled up with machines
Now it seems you're slipping
Out of the land of the living
The plot of this particular book has gone through many changes and revisions, but I developed a playlist on iTunes that I listen to specifically when I'm working on it. In fact, I have quite a few playlists created for books I have either written part of or am saving for a later date. Here are just a few of the songs on that playlist:
Sky Blue and Black - Jackson Browne
Joey - Concrete Blonde
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
Lay Me Down - The Connells
Comes and Goes (In Waves) - Greg Laswell
The Letter - Natalie Merchant
Fix You - Coldplay
Life is Beautiful - Vega
Breathe Again - Sara Bareilles
Digital Ghost and Bouncing off Clouds - Tori Amos
Every time that playlist starts up on iTunes, it makes me smile. It also reminds me to get back to work, and transports me to the world I've created in that book. I'm so grateful that music is such a powerful inspiration to me.
Do you have specific music/playlists you listen to while you're writing?
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