Your Writing Process, And/Or Problems with Same Options

[Darkness Eternal]

I tend to set the mood with music and have various playlists. Film scores are good, by design they set a mood but aren't distracting. The gladiator score sees a lot of use. Likewise music from games can be useful (often buried as mp3s somewhere in the install).

While in general I prefer music without lyrics there are a few tracks which are great for setting the mood. Joan Baez Diamonds and Rust is a good example.

Yes, definetly. Gladiator Score and 300 and Spartacus score are among the prime ones that I will use. Though I always think of a song that would really set the tone for something.

I'm not sure DE means what music do we listen to to write...

Isn't it -

Chapter 1

(Web-link to song to fit mood - Ernie the fastest milkman in the west)...

Bert walked briskly down the road, bottles jingling in the moonlight. He was somewhat alarmed when Mrs Scroggins from number 24 decided to start chomping on his throat.

"Ere!! Get owff meh!!" he cried, "I've got a round to finish!"

"Rawr!!" said the undead matron sporting bright green curlers, flannelette nighty and floral slippers.

-----------------

Sort of thing?...

No, I wouldn't do that personally...

You won't want to be listening to Starship, Yes or the Three Degrees' Givin Up, Givin In... ...


EDIT...As you were...I think that's what's meant... ...Sorry about that... ...

Yes, this is what I mean, to use a song during the scene for the reader to read and listen.


Song.
For example, have a young man return to his farm home from a plentiful hunt. Description on the scenery and the sounds and everything like that. How he descends on the hill to see cattle flocking around the field and etc.

I always figured it might be distracting, but then again it could also set a tone for the scene more than words can, at least that's what I think. It was the reason why I was asking.

[Grits]

I think that’s why I wouldn’t post links to a song for readers, because I want to learn how to create the scene just with words. It’s a neat idea, though. Multi-media stories.

I definitely listen to specific music while I’m driving if I think there’s a chance I’ll get to write when I get home. It does help to get my mind started before I’m at the keyboard.

[Jacki Dice]

How many of you folks use music in your stories to express a certain scene or chapter? Or maybe even inspiration?

For example:

"Chapter I"

*Insert song here*
Mr.Warrior walked along side the road, eyeing the birds and the bees.

Not Screamo music or anything like that. No, not even rap or hip-hop for Redguard. You know what I mean

I do! I'm doing it now, actually Certain songs can bring out certain feelings in me and it really helps to bring things out in my writing.

As for inspiration, the entire story for Nemesis was inspired by Swansong for a Raven by Cradle of Filth. ♥

OMG, Jacki - now that is absolutely fitting and inspiring for writing Tara's character.

It's just perfect, isn't it? I was obsessed with the song for years! It's the entire reason for Clarissa's existence and her sad fate. Though in the beginning it was definitely more for Kalila (Tara was originally little more than a name) but now that Tara has blossomed into her own character, it is really fitting.

This one though is all Tara.

[mALX]

How many of you folks use music in your stories to express a certain scene or chapter? Or maybe even inspiration?

For example:

"Chapter I"

*Insert song here*
Mr.Warrior walked along side the road, eyeing the birds and the bees.

Not Screamo music or anything like that. No, not even rap or hip-hop for Redguard. You know what I mean

I do! I'm doing it now, actually Certain songs can bring out certain feelings in me and it really helps to bring things out in my writing.

As for inspiration, the entire story for Nemesis was inspired by Swansong for a Raven by Cradle of Filth. ♥

OMG, Jacki - now that is absolutely fitting and inspiring for writing Tara's character.

It's just perfect, isn't it? I was obsessed with the song for years! It's the entire reason for Clarissa's existence and her sad fate. Though in the beginning it was definitely more for Kalila (Tara was originally little more than a name) but now that Tara has blossomed into her own character, it is really fitting.

This one though is all Tara.

You aren't kidding !!! It almost tells the story of her character! Awesome picks, Jacki!

[Colonel Mustard]

I use music a lot in my writing, personally, and have quite a large selection of pieces that I have specifically for when I'm setting pen to paper. I generally prefer movie and game soundtracks, as they're a good shortcut for evoking a mood as that is their primary goal, and I do often find them useful as sources of inspiration, having had them inspire scenes or stories as well; for example, this piece served as inspiration for the piece I'm writing at the moment. It really does help, I find.

Plus the headphones I listen to it with are sound-excluding, so are good for blocking out distractions.

[Fawkes]

I actually write with some music on, it strangely helps me get my ideas on paper, depending on the type of song that comes up, sadly Jericho still does not have a Song . But I do have a playlist devoted to music that helps me write.
But right now the songs are all cheerful and what not, I don't mind it when the author links a song, it tends to get me more in the mood for the chapter that I'm about to read.

Like right now, thanks to, this, little song and this other one, my next chapter was rather easily written, well half of it.




This post has been edited by Fawkes: May 7 2012, 10:44 AM

[Darkness Eternal]

I noticed around here that people hate the "evil" guys and love the "good" guys. I was just wondering, will a "evil" protagonist or morally grey/misunderstood main character scare readers away?

[Grits]

First, it’s true that there are lots of good characters here whom I adore. I have connected with them in some way, and I really want them to succeed. It’s harder for me to relate to an evil character, so they have to be compelling enough for me to be interested in them anyway.

BUT, I really, really love it when a writer can make me interested in someone that I “should” dislike. There are grey characters and anti-heroes here whose updates make me jump and squeak when I see them at the top of the board. I don't quite wish that their writers had no social lives and therefore could spend more time writing stories for me to read, but almost.

So I’d say give your bad guy a chance.

[SubRosa]

An "evil" protagonist is a more difficult undertaking than a "good" one. The reason being that many people do not stick with a character they do not like, and it is easy to dislike someone like Joe Stalin or John Wayne Gacy. However, I can say that there are many good guy characters I do not like either. But that is usually because of them being Marty-Stu's and otherwise poor writing.

But anti-heroes can work. You just have to make them accessible to the audience. Write them so that the reader can identify with them in some way. That way they can root for the anti-hero to win. Michael Moorcock's Elric was a wonderful anti-hero, same with Karl Edward Wagner's Kane. I have even found myself sucked into watching The Borgias, because of Jeremy Iron's masterful portrayal of the Pope.

The other thing is, make the anti-heroes enemy even more nasty and despicable. So they look good in comparison. This is one thing Moorcock and Wagner typically did. This is also the case in The Borgias. There are no 'good' characters in that series. Everyone has their own agenda, and is typically ruthless enough to do whatever it takes to achieve it, including murder and inciting a foreign power to invade their own country.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 16 2012, 12:24 AM

[McBadgere]

Spartacus was much the same, everyone hated everyone else...And I said to the wife more than once, "Who the hell are we supposed to like in this series?...Oooh Boobs!!.." ...

I like well written bad guys, but only if they are eventually smacked down... ...

I've always been good...When everyone else was playing Darth Vader and [insert late seventies/early eighties film/tv baddies] I was always, without fail the good ones...*Adjusts halo*..

I simply don't understand the need to be evil...Why bother?...It's just not nice... ...

[haute ecole rider]

Weeellll, as a whole I find dark characters much more interesting than haloed ones. I think it's because I tend to think of people as inherently "good" but shaped by their environment, and learning how the baddies got that way is the best part of the story, for me at least.

If you want an example of an antihero on this forum, just read either of Olen's stories Shades of Ending or Burning Today. Both show pretty well-developed antiheroes who show us what unfortunate circumstances can do to humans. I really liked what Olen did with the moral ambiguity in those stories.

My favorite villain? Currently it's Mr. Gold in Once Upon a Time. I am surprised by how much I enjoy this rehash of some familiar fairy tales and really like the overall darker tone that is being created in this series. I adore Mr. Gold for his mixture of vulnerability and general unlikeability. I'm torn between wanting redemption for him and wishing somebody would run him through with a bloody great claymore!

Oh, and I liked Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy. I was pissed when they dumped him down that Sarlaac in the first half hour of the final movie. Oooh, how I wanted to throttle the writers for that!

Whether he wins or not, a well-crafted villain makes the story for me.

[mALX]

Oh, and I liked Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy. I was pissed when they dumped him down that Sarlaac in the first half hour of the final movie. Oooh, how I wanted to throttle the writers for that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsryQOMcDy4

[Olen]

There's different levels of 'Evil' protagonist.

A simple evil, moustache twirling, baby eating, bad for the sake of it villain is unlikely to get far because it's not realistic. No one thinks they're evil, at worst they have something they want and don't care what's involved getting it and most people think what they're doing is right.

But yes if you have a character who is doing what they think is right but in a rather morally questionable way it works fine, maybe better than a perfectly snow white character. Flaws and morals are interesting and playing with shades of grey can be fun. Good and bad are more opinions, so having protagonists and antagonists each with their own agenda and intention can be more interesting that simply labelling one as good and the other as evil.

But to answer the question: yes, antiheros go down fine here, and the concept of good/ evil in characters isn't necessary.

A good example of this would be in Serenity: you have Malcolm Reynolds and 'The Operative' both of whom can give a sensible argument that they are doing the right thing while having exactly opposite goals. Neither is particularly bothered about how they achieve it and it's the bad guy who actually acknowledges that his methods aren't acceptable.

[haute ecole rider]

Thank you mALX! Now where is that bottle of Brain Bleach??

That is sick, taking a bada$$ MF-er and turning him into a K-pop star? Ugh!

Kinda almost wish I hadn't clicked on your linky there, hyperactive homicidal squirrel you!

[Grits]

I've always been good...When everyone else was playing Darth Vader and [insert late seventies/early eighties film/tv baddies] I was always, without fail the good ones...*Adjusts halo*..

I was always Darth Vader, because:

1. The annoying neighbor girl would cry if she couldn’t be Princess Leia. (I’m talking about you, Karen. )

2. Cape.

3. Darth Vader gets to smack the hell out of everyone with her length of flexible Hot Wheels track.

4. Redemption.

[haute ecole rider]

3. Darth Vader gets to smack the hell out of everyone with her length of flexible Hot Wheels track.

AHHHMENNNN!

Hot Wheels girl here too!

[Fawkes]

Just don't make the bad guy sing a song on why he wants to do "X", I myself think that Scar from the Lion King was one of the best villains, he does not explain why he wants to do it, he gets a chance to kill someone and he does it.

[mALX]

Just don't make the bad guy sing a song on why he wants to do "X", I myself think that Scar from the Lion King was one of the best villains, he does not explain why he wants to do it, he gets a chance to kill someone and he does it.

I loved Scar, even had a dog named after him that was born about the time the movie came out. (died years ago now).

[Athynae]

Ok guys, I really love all the Star Wars references but did you have to make it so obvious that you were still "playing" when Star Wars came out????

And McB if you think for one minute I believe that you were ALWAYS the good guy, really???? I was an Olen character bad/good guy or good/bad guy...which ever worked. On my trusty two wheeled steed that had a banana seat and a high back sissy bar....it had one speed, as fast as you could pedal and the brakes were on the pedals....put a kid today on a bike like that and they'll ask you what you are smoking, like the look I got from my eldest child when she was trying to use a rotary dial phone....don't even ask how that went...I ended up telling her to go get the cordless cuz she was hopeless.

My thought, we all do things that someone else would call bad or wrong, the level to which that goes is determined by whoever is doing the judging. So, art imitates life, a story is good because it's good not because good always wins, it doesn't in RL why should it in a story...every time.

Haute I am loving Once Upon a Time and I totally agree with your opinion about Mr. Gold. I thought when the idea was first advertised that it would be stupid but they do a great job depicting the relationship between the two worlds as well as the characters, just good stuff.

[McBadgere]

I always was!!... ...

A-Team I was Murdock...Surprisingly enough... ...Star Wars, I was Han Solo...Dungeons and Dragons, I was Erik the Knight...

I was always good...

Boring, I know...*Shrug*...

I have no problem with anti-heroes...I don't know how to write them, but Olen and Colonel Mustard's characters in is New Vegas story were brilliantly done...I have no problem with heroes doing "Grey" stuff and doing whatever is needed to achieve the removal of the "bad" guys...

But I'm having a hard time writing the bit I'm on now, simply because bad things are being done by the Boo-hiss baddie and I'm having to say what they are, to somehow justify the pounding they're going to get in the end...

But the idea of characters that simply see us as potential slaves or foodstuffs (like vampires and werewolves) I don't get...And I really don't understand Daedric Princes...Not at all...I was soooo sick of running into their quests on Skyrim...*Yawn*...

There is too much evil and badness in the real world for me to enjoy spending my time trying to relate to characters that have nothing redeemable about them...Or not even bothered about redmption in the first place...

Antiheroes may do some WTF things, but they're not evil...As such...So I like them... ...

Does any of that make sense?... ...

This post has been edited by McBadgere: May 17 2012, 06:00 AM