These were some of the songs I listened to for inspiration and to get in the right mindset to write the same story and feeling over the weeks and months it takes to write a novel. Music has always been a huge inspiration for me. It’s like emotions in a bottle, mini-moments that are the perfect inspiration for feelings, relationships, and scenes.
Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Follow You into the Dark
Kenny Chesney – You And Tequila ft. Grace Potter
It’s not so much the words or the specifics of these songs as the feeling behind them, the longing, the devotion, the conflicted desire. It stirs up something that I type back out onto the page. 🙂
Sweet Honey in The Rock – Wade in the Water
I also listened to a lot of spirituals and African-American hymns from the slave era to try to ground myself. Ultimately, the songs are so grounded in this 19th century world and Christianity as well that in some ways it felt too modern and different to directly influence a fantasy tale. But I hope the emotional resonance was still in there somewhere. It’s also been a good reminder to include a diversity of characters in my work, which will be easier to see with the larger number of characters in Book 2.
Taylor Swift – Starlight
OK maybe the inspiration around this one was a little more literal. X-D
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