Thursday, March 1, 2012

Music Sets the Stage



My entire life is based on music. If there is the memory of some special occasion or incident, I will know what music was playing at the time.

Music will lift up or pull down. Music may bring a smile, or can incite tears. Music can bring us closer to God, or lead to destruction. Whether we notice or not, it can be a strong influence in our lives.

Music was used as far back as biblical times to soothe. David played the harp for King Saul when the “evil spirit” was upon him. Music plays softly in the stores to calm shoppers. Some stores play screaming music to draw shoppers in. Some people even claim death or suicide were due to the music.

Writers and artists may be influenced by the music they choose. Many of my fellow authors have shared lists of songs that they listened to while writing their novels. Music sets the mood for the scene and aids in the flow of words from mind to fingertips to computer.

“The Ice Child”, an as yet unpublished work of mine was influenced by the sound track from “Conan”. It fit with the medieval setting of the story, even though I was not fond of the movie itself.

The ShadowsForge series was born of my love for 80s rock music and mostly my love of the bass players in those groups. Def Leppard, Poison, Journey, and Heart, just to name a few, were my writing inspiration. Heart gave me the idea for The Long Way Home, the fourth book in the series. (NOTE: “ShadowsForge” is one word spelled with a capital in the middle to irritate my older sister. It’s not a typo.)

Personally, I don’t think I could accomplish much in my life without some form of music playing in the background. How about you? How has music influenced your life?

Meet my favorite band, ShadowsForge, at Whiskey Creek Press.com. Join the boys as they travel across the U.S and the U.K. in pursuit of fun, women, and rock-n-roll! Meet Geoff Richards, Ty Synclair, Jon Wiles, Jordan Cantrell, and Brian Cummings, the men of ShadowsForge. They look forward to meeting you, too.

Watch the TRAILER

Can two cold hearts spark a flame when they collide on a snowy mountain road and spend three days in a snowbound cabin? Readers Choice #1 Best Seller!

6 comments:

Laura Breck said...

Jena, I'm laughing about your book title designed especially to irritate your sister. Love it!

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

I'm laughing, too, Laura. What a hoot! Grown-up and still annoying each other. Too funny.

Barbara Edwards said...

I also play music in the background. It hs to be instrumental since I subconciously add the words to my mss. lol
Barbara

Jannine Gallant said...

I like quiet when I write, but I do have a book about a retired rock star. I had to compose a song for him to sing to the heroine in Lonely Road to You. My daughter told me it was horrible, but my editor said it made her cry (in a good way LOL) so I left it in. Early 80's rock is also my favorite!

Colleen Connally said...

Always write to music. I've even been known to listen to the same song over and over again when I'm writing a certain scene. Something about the mood a song can set...

JenaGalifany said...

Hey, what are sisters for if you can't torment them through out life? lol

I've listened to the same song for as much as 9 hours in a row when it fits the mood I'm writing about. Music is one of my muses,