Aspirational Prose

I think I find prose more aspirational than inspirational. Along the lines of – darn it why can’t I write like that!

One of my favourite quotes from a novel is from Bareback by Kit Whitfield (released as Benighted in the US).

It’s set in an alternate universe where 99% of the population are werewolves and the other 1% are given the responsibility of policing the majority. There’s a scene where a character walks across a park, unbeknownst to his death and Kit Whitfield writes:-

“He didn’t know this was the end of his life. If nobody warned him, he couldn’t have known that he should have loved those last hundred yards, that they weren’t just an obstacle to getting to where he planned, that the sounds of his feet on the pavement and the wind in the branches were all he was ever going to have.”

Immediately I am taking those last steps with that character, beautiful, spare and haunting, those lines have stayed with me long after I finished the book.

Musical Inspiration

Hmmm. I don’t think I started out with the intention of writing a series of posts on inspiration but it looks like that’s what I’m doing.

I find music very helpful to the muse. Driving to work with the car radio on usually encourages story ideas to come flooding into my mind. I think we live in such a media focused world and we are so used to watching movies and tv with background music that it almost feels natural to weave a story along to a melody.

So here are a few of the pieces that are inspiring me at the moment.

I love the following two songs for vampires.

Remember – Josh Groban (This is on the soundtrack to the movie Troy)

Forever May Not Be Long Enough – Live (I think I’m right in saying that this played over the credits of The Mummy Returns)

I am a bit of a movie buff. Most of the songs I like I tend to pick up from soundtracks.

The following song (which I think is great for when you’re stuck partway through writing a love scene) is an exception.

Insatiable – Darren Hayes

I find songs most useful when I’m stuck for inspiration on a particular point and I know what I’m trying to say but somehow not getting there.

Classical music on the other hand I find fantastic for general inspiration. You don’t get led by the lyrics and can let your mind wander.

Favourite pieces at the moment are:-

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis – Ralph Vaugh Williams – just beautiful

Jazz Suite, Waltz 2 – Shostakovich – Which for me is just the creepiest sounding waltz, and brings to mind all these strange fantasic creatures dancing. Makes me think of the masquerade scene in Labyrinth.

Danse Macabre – Saint Saens – I have loved this piece of music ever since I was a little girl and my aunt told me to imagine skeletons dancing to it.

Symphony No. 3 in C Minor (Organ) – Saint Saens – Most familiar as used in the movie Babe. But if you listen to the whole thing there is a wonderful ‘chase’ section, which is great for when characters are running away from things.

Anyone have any other recommendations?

Quotation Inspiration

I get a lot of inspiration from reading the poetry and prose of other writers, poetry is especially good as a trigger. But this year I was given a quotes calendar and sometimes I find myself imagining situations in which my characters could use some of these quotes.

My favourite one at the moment is attributed to Carrie Fisher.

"Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."