Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Songs About My Main Characters

Every so often, I hear a song when I'm working on a new book that completely embodies my main character's emotions throughout the book. I haven't really found one for Stella in The Remnants, but I will work it out eventually!

But I will share my other main character's songs.

Unravelled

For Aliz in Unravelled, this hauntingly beautiful song really highlights her helplessness and how alone she felt in the days after Auschwitz. Her hesitance to speak is also highlighted in this song, as well as the extreme loss of her family and sense of self after the Holocaust. This song wasn't released until the manuscript was long written, but after I heard it, I knew it was all about Aliz. I particularly like this version in relation to her. It is sung by a young lady with a gorgeous set of pipes:

A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera- Say Something, Covered by Jasmine Thompson

Lyrics that stick out in my head for Aliz from this song:
And I am feeling so small
It was over my head
I know nothing at all

And I will stumble and fall
I'm still learning to love
Just starting to crawl

Say something, I'm giving up on you
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you
Anywhere I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you

And I will swallow my pride
You're the one that I love
And I'm saying goodbye
 
 Children of the Most High
 
As for Rebecca in Children of the Most High, I chose two songs released way after I originally wrote her story, but both by the same artist. I was actually fortunate enough to see this artist live when he opened for The Noisettes. Marques' music is so incredibly unique (who has ever heard of someone accompanying themselves on a violin and sounding amazing?) and his Christian imagery coupled with his sense of desperation really ring true for her character's situation. 
 
Marques Toliver--White Sails



Lyrics that connect with Rebecca (the whole song really):

  I was just a little boy swimming in the ocean
My past mistakes and future joys
I don't think I can swim this on my own
Swim this on my own, Swim this on my own.

Destiny fall down
Wipe away my past mistakes
The sun ain't shining now

I don't think I can make this place my home
Make this place my home, Make this place my home.

Send by me from your voice to my ears, to my ears
Send me from your voice to my ears.

If I abide to your will
Shall I never have no pain
Will I never have no pain.

I"m tired but my body's hungry
Lay me by the riverside so I can die.

Please be still, cause I'm complacent here
Lying by the riverside,lying by the riverside.
 
 
Marques Toliver- Deep in My Heart


Lyrics that connect with Rebecca:
 
I gotta keep my mind free
Just to keep on walking
Even if I'm all alone
I won't let nobody
Ever try to stop me
I gotta keep track of my soul
.....
Baptize me if you wanna
But I'll never be the same again
...
There's power in your sorrow
You'll see tomorrow
Take you places you don't know
Deep in my heart I know its right
And my enemies they try to break me
But I won't give up without a fight
I gotta keep on pressin' on...
 
If you're a writer, what songs represent your main characters in your current work in progress or favorite book you've written? If you're an avid reader, what songs remind you of the main character in your favorite book? If you've read my books, do you agree with my song choices or have a different one? xxx


 
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4 comments:

  1. masloraskolnikovAugust 26, 2014 at 3:30 PM

    Most of what I write, I see in my head as a scene set to music. For the novel I'm working on now, most of the songs are by Radiohead ("Creep," "Everything in its Right Place," the Kid A version of "Morning Bell"). But also "Run" by Air (Holy girl/don't get up/for running/Stay with me/I feel sad/when you run), which I imagine as one twin speaking to the other (just like with "Creep," where verse 1 is one twin and verse 2 is the other), and the instrumental song "One Million Miles" by J. Ralph. It's often the music itself or a particular song's combination of music and lyrics that are representative of the characters or the overall mood of a scene for me.

    Music can be such a huge part of writing fiction/poetry! Great post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is amazing! What kinds of novels are you working on?

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  • acrossthehogsbackAugust 27, 2014 at 1:10 AM

    The one I'm working on now is dark and strange (like most of what I write, haha). The gothic is the niche I occupy most comfortably. Psychological horror, obsession, violence, insanity -- all that good stuff, hahaha.

    ReplyDelete
  • acrossthehogsbackAugust 27, 2014 at 1:13 AM

    I don't know why it changed my username in my reply, but just so you know, I'm the same person! masloraskolnikov = acrossthehogsback!

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