NOVEL WRITING
Using fresh and creative methods while writing your novel
The Summerland Novel
So, I finally finished writing my novel, “The Summerland,” the only thing left to do now is to edit it and then find beta readers to get their feedback. However, because I used to be a screenwriter/filmmaker, when I embark on a project, whether it be filmmaking, writing, teaching or whatever, I usually go above and beyond in planning everything out down to the finest little detail.
So whenever I write anything, whether it be fanfiction (which I haven’t done in over five years) or a screenplay (which I used to do) or a Medium blog (like I’m doing now) or a novel (which I’ve just got finished doing), I always listen to music and each song I listen to always has to match the scene I’m writing.
So, if I’m writing a sad scene, I’ll find music that specifically matches the emotions of that scene. The same goes if I’m writing a romantic scene, a violent scene, a horror scene and etc. I find that using this method is extremely helpful, specifically when you’re writing something like a novel or a screenplay. Choosing and listening to songs that matches each scene of my story helps me write my scenes so much better because the song is pushing whatever emotion the scene is calling for into me and as a result, I’m able to push those emotions into the story and into the characters that I’m writing for.
So, with that being said, what I’ve done for this particular novel is I’ve written a soundtrack of songs for this entire story and in a bookmark on my computer, I have listed and labeled each scene of my novel and listed what song goes with that scene. What I plan to do is to create a website detailing about me as an author and the novel that I’m about to publish, and then when my novel is published, when people buy my novel (and I hope to the universe that they do), they can then go to my website and while they’re reading my novel, they can listen to the song that matches each scene that they’re reading.
So, it’ll be kind of like they’re getting the background music to set the atmosphere for the specific scene that they’re reading. I know when I used to read novels, I could never read them unless I had some music to listen to that I felt would specifically fit the scene I was reading about. In my mind, that always made it feel like I was enjoying a movie, just in narrative format, because the music that went with the particular scene I was engrossed in, in the story, was right there, setting the atmosphere of the scene, bringing the story to life more than just any regular imagining could.
I ran this idea by my uncle who is a retired English professor and he thought it was a fresh, innovative idea and I think it is too. Why should films be the only mediums where when we’re engrossed in them, we have music to set each scene and atmosphere in the story — thereby making the film even more entertaining? Why can’t novels be the same way?
Anyway, that’s what I’ve done and I think it’s a great method that other writers should use as well. If you don’t listen to songs that help you write each scene in your novel, you should. You’d be amazed at how much it helps with writing the characters and their emotions in your story, as well as with writing the scenes, period in your story.
~ P.M.
