Inspiration in Song
The other day, I was pondering a new story idea. I didn’t have much to work with, just a character and a setting. As a romance writer, I can also fill in a couple more blanks, namely I have to create a love interest and they have to wind up together, but that still didn’t amount to much of a story.
Then in walked the man in black…
I was at my parent’s place and my 16-month-old niece was over for her weekly visit. My dad always plays music for her in the mornings. The current selection is Johnny Cash (swapped from Willie Nelson a little while back). I sat there watching my niece bop along to the tune, hummed the lyrics as I stewed, and then it hit me. The perfect intro to set the scene on another book.
I was at my parent’s place and my 16-month-old niece was over for her weekly visit. My dad always plays music for her in the mornings. The current selection is Johnny Cash (swapped from Willie Nelson a little while back). I sat there watching my niece bop along to the tune, hummed the lyrics as I stewed, and then it hit me. The perfect intro to set the scene on another book.
Tale as old as time
It’s often said that there’s no such thing as an original story. Every great work shares common elements with those that came before. That concept is what The Hero’s Journey is based on, pulling from themes in legend and myth, relating them to modern works. I think we often forget that singers and songwriters are also storytellers. They use the same concepts, distilled down to three-minute tunes that hold the longevity practiced repetition as we sing along.
Songs are full of deep and meaningful content. They often brim over with emotion and touch us deeply.
Not the first time
As I thought about that, I realized this wasn’t the first time I’d been inspired by music. Just a few weeks earlier I was listening to the soundtrack of my favorite 90’s show, Due South, and came up with an idea for a series just from my favorite line in one of the choruses.
Now that I’ve actually taken note of this phenomenon and added it to my toolbox, I’m looking forward to dusting off my old music collection and starting to rediscover old favorites in the hopes of sparking my own creative flow.
Do you also find inspiration in your music? How is it helpful to you? Are there certain genres of music that you find more thought provoking than others? I’d love to know!
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