So for reasons of… well, me being slightly confused at times, yesterday I was writing Path to the soundtrack I have for Wizards. On at least two occasions when I became aware of the commentary the music was making about what I was writing I giggled hard enough to dislodge my laptop, but a rather disturbing amount of the time the music was… appropriate? Or at least, highlighting the tone of what I was writing in an interesting way.
And at least Paul was happier. He’s gotten used to the Wizards soundtrack, which is quite upbeat. The other day when I was going through one of the angstier parts of Path he came in and made a sad face at me and told him I was depressing the hell out of him with the tuneage. Fair enough, really, as I’d been choosing songs specifically for their sense of impending doom — all running out of time and darkness and fear and loss of control and horror and guilt. Basically all the things I wanted to be in this part of the book. So, yes, horribly depressing. Not that the whole book is like that, it’s… Nevermind. Spoilers. Forget I said that.
Inappropriate music. Yes.
I was grinning while running at the gym once. (Which is apparently a little worrying to others.) And the guy on the treadmill next to me, who I’d seen staring at me when I was running to a syncopated beat asked what I was listening to that was causing that expression. So we traded iPods. He started running, got about a bar in… and snickered and fell off the treadmill.
Never let it be said that my playlists are not ridiculous.
Kandace Mavrick
Paul McLaughlan
platform thing 
David
09/07/2012
Music is definitely useful in helping get the correct atmosphere in your head. The scene that got my story idea going was based around a song of Hayley Westenra’s that got stuck in my head.
Sorry, another ‘proof-read’ question. Do you find it an advantage or disadvantage to have people not well-versed in your book’s genre provide feedback? Someone who said they would do so told me they don’t read fantasy, so don’t feel comfortable providing feedback.
Kandace Mavrick
09/07/2012
It is MUCH harder for someone who is not familiar with the genre you’re working in to give you quality feedback. A lack of familiarity with tropes you may be relying on could cause them to raise questions regular readers in the area wouldn’t and equally they are unable to point out if you drift into stereotypical portrayals. Besides that though, a reader’s unease in a genre can translate to an unease with your work, an over-critical or under-critical response.
This sort of feedback is still worthwhile if you don’t have any alternatives, but the preference would always be for someone familiar with your field.
David
09/07/2012
My poor sister. She is going to be inundated haha.