This morning on the radio I heard someone say, ‘music is memory,’ and it got me thinking straight away about writing – and the connections between music and writing. I thought about how much they have in common: rhythm, flow, cadence, practice, changes of pace and mood, surprise, truth, emotion, escape, consolation, experiment, and perhaps biggest of all – audience. There is no music and no writing without audience.
Joseph O’Connor says ‘I think of it (writing) in musical terms. The writer is providing the sheet music. It’s the reader who is singing the song. To know who you’d like to make sing is an important factor. It also helps to stop writing being egotistical. Writing must always be about the reader, in the end, not the writer. If I have one single commandment, that’s it.’
Given the connections it’s no surprise that writers often choose to write to music or choose to create a new playlist for each new project: music that reflects the mood of the novel, its characters, its time and places…To date I’ve rarely used music as a source of inspiration but I’ve decided to give it a try for my new novel.
I’ve started out with All You Love is All You Are, Bridie Jackson and the Arbour (melancholy/haunting I know, but this mood is important as the background to my story ) http://www.bridiejackson.com
La Vie en Rose as sung by Floanne ( falling in love and France – both are very important parts of the journey) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DYvFJ5we_k
But for me the big question I found myself asking is what would my 17-18 year old protagonist – Issy be listening to? And after some research and listening I think I’ve found my answer – Tribes – I’ve just discovered them and I love them! (They remind me of Dylan) I think she would love them too – listen to Coming of Age, HERE http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=81668218&ac=now
Now what else to put on my playlist? I don’t know yet but I’m having fun exploring …and I’d be very interested to know about your playlists…
Finally, I’m definitely in tune with DAVID ALMOND on writing and music: I think of writing as being very similar to music. And a lot of the things that I write down, I’ll write down because they sound good. I hope they have a meaning and they help to carry the story forwards. But, I’m also interested in the sound and the voices.’
Brilliant and evocative post. Writing to music is both relaxing and inspiring. It blanks out the irritating white noise of everyday life; It underpins more complex rhythms of speech and implants sometimes surprising varieties of tone. Listening to the musical taste of your character enhances your layers of insight into her or his spirit. Where would Morse be without Mahler?
As you know LLeu, a main character in my WIP, is in fact a musician. This presents me with both delights and challenges,
Thanks Wendy – I know you’ve been exploring the music of your new novel especially through Lleu who is both musician and story teller. As you say delightful and challenging but I’m already finding it a great source of inspiration.
I’m not convinced that music and writing are linked in any way at all. Apart, perhaps, is some methods, i.e. the rate at which ideas are disclosed are important in both music and writing. I would say further particular correlations could be made i.e. Beethoven makes sense to a culture that wrote in high German, Debussy makes sense to something written in a romance language such as French, but I remain unconvinced at a generic link, philosophically, the respective activities I would say are diametrically opposed.
Surely not diametrically opposed ?!- Possibly I’m thinking a lot more about method and practice but also what about our emotional response …It’s along conversation I think but great to hear your viewpoint, especially as you are both musician and writer