The Soundtrack of Your Writing
Let music unleash your muse
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I have to give credit to the Christian Fiction Writing Critique Group for the inspiration for this one. They were discussing the prospect of having your work-in-progress turned into a movie. The question was, "What songs would you like in the soundtrack?"
That reminded me of several musical exercises.
Let's start with the one I just mentioned. I would switch it around a bit and say, "What songs would be most appropriate for your story?" This could be because of the meaning of those songs or because the setting would be enhanced with that music playing in the background.
A second exercise has to do with characterization. When creating your character dossiers, include a section on favorite music. Here are a few ideas to show that in your writing:
What radio stations does s/he have preset on the car radio?
What CD is in the CD player right now?
If the character goes out to a concert on a date, who would be playing? How would the date like that music?
What does the character sing in the shower?
Just as music can enhance a character, it can help set the scene. Background sounds can include music. Riding in an elevator, your character can be humming along with the elevator music. Loud rock and roll can be coming out of the Jukebox in some fast food joint in a story set in the '60's. You could play against the stereotypes. We all have had the experience of some low-rider convertible blaring out hip-hop music at a street corner. What if they were playing Beethoven's 1812 Overture, complete with cannon blasts, instead?
Another thought is to have your characters interact with the background music. I had a man approach me once (when I was much younger and better looking) in a grocery store with the line, "If the Muzak were playing, I'd ask you to dance." I'm still looking for a place to use that in my stories. I can see a couple dancing down the aisles of a grocery store as the Muzak plays.
These are just a few ways to make your writing sing.