Don’t get me wrong. An outline is crucial, as is a good cast list. The cast list is not as descriptive as I would like, but I’ll flesh it out a bit later. And I just finished my outline this morning. It’s 1,700 words and 4 pages long. Not bad for a 23 chapter novel. I’ll tease bits of that out over the next two days leading up to kickoff.
But today is something that I find helps getting those other elements in place: the soundtrack. In specific, a 5 1/2 hour playlist saved down onto my iPod that I can pipe through my home system while I write or set the mood as I’m on the way home to write on the bus.
Like in a movie, a good soundtrack should convey a sense of energy to every scene. My soundtracks aren’t a specific “Oh, this is for chapter 11” kind of deal. (Although the “trial” in my novel is entirely thanks to Saliva’s “Ladies and Gentlemen” which is featured in the soundtrack.) A soundtrack is meant to inform the tone, the energy, the spirit of what I’m about to write. And thankfully, I’m a slut for music. I have sounds from all across the spectrum, so it’s like cooking with a full spice cabinet and a clear sense of what each element brings to the dish.
I started with a core of Coheed and Cambria. Six songs, in particular, across several albums. “Here we Are Juggernaut” from their latest, Year of the Black Rainbow just finished playing, and now I have “Blood Red Summer” off their second album. So, why Coheed? First off, this is going to be an aggressive, action-centered novel, and Coheed delivers on volume. Plus, I’m writing sci-fi, and they dedicated four albums to a heavy prog-rock concept sci-fi epic, so that’s a good thematic fit. Finally, the tunes I picked have a good hook, so they get set into the brain.
In keeping with that loud, fast and out-of-control theme, I added a few metal standards. Megadeath’s “Symphony of Destruction” and AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill” captured the mood quite well. I also filled heavily with New Model Army, one of my perennial favorites who can always be counted on for barely-contained rage and rolling thunder.
Adding other flavors to the mix, I considered our hero, Tiberius Kane, one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy. He’s from a xenophobic, “pure blood” race that has a real superiority complex. Everyone hates his people. Even him. He’s an outcast from his own race, a bit of a traitor, and oppressed on every side. For some reason, this inspired a heavy dose of political soul, which blends nicely with the Norther Soul influenced rhythm section of New Model Army. This was a healthy mix of flavors: Gil Scott-Heron, John Legend & The Roots, Marvin Gaye, and others.
But there were some quiet moments, moments for contemplation. I have two versions of “Wild Is The Wind” in there–one from David Bowie, one from Nina Simone. I also have a bit of Barry White to smooth some things out.
Finally, I added just a dash of opera to bring in the opulence of the Vox twins, the two villains of the novel. In specific, I chose a track from La Boheme.
The total mix came in at around 65% loud, 34% smooth, 1% “bonus weird.” I’ve been listening to it for a few days and already I can feel the novel pulsing to life. I can easily listen to this 5.5 hours on replay shuffle over the next month. And that’s important. A soundtrack that speaks to the novel, but not to you, that in fact, makes you want to swallow your own tongue? That does no one any good.
Tales from the Ragged Edge 