Music and my Process
All artists have a process. Whether it’s a glass of wine, or planning your plot item by item. My process starts and ends with music. It is essential for me, there is not a word written without a melody. Hell there is not a splotch of paint that hits the canvas without the perfect song. Painting was and will always be my first love. I must admit beyond the lyrics and humming the melody, I know nothing about music beyond the fact that I like it. I don’t really believe in genres. I don’t care that people love or hate the artist singing it. If a song speaks to me, it gets added to a playlist. Each character for my work has a song. Each relationship has a melody. Playlists, you have no clue how much time I spend creating the perfect collection of songs to accompany the chapters I write.
There is always at least one song by My Chemical Romance in each of them. I can’t help it. I just love MCR. Matter of fact, my first novel, Walking with Monsters, was inspired by the song, Demolition Lovers by MCR. I had the characters. I had the romance. That song tied the book together.
I’ve seen some of the other writers I call friends and follow on Twitter and other blogs post playlists for their books. Guess I’m not the only one music speaks to. I like the idea. Not only when I write does it add dimension to the pages. But listening to the author’s music choices as I read their words gets me one step closer to their vision.
I’ll admit I’m not very good at keeping a blog. I don’t open a page unless I have something to say to my readers or you know, something to bitch about. I do like the idea of sharing my music choices though. The finished painting or the finished story is a beautiful thing to behold. I myself love seeing what led up to that thing of beauty. The sketches, and color experiments, I love deleted scenes, and director commentary.
So in that spirit, I thought I would write up a post and include my playlists, and maybe if I’m feeling frogy list the characters they correspond to. In the hopes that it gets you one-step closer to the beautiful ribbon of words that swirls inside my head. I’d love your thoughts. If you think a song works for a character by all means send it along. I’m always looking for new music.
For my action scenes, I have a completely separate list that I put on. It has a lot of Slipknot, Rob Zombie, MCR of course. The novel lists are chosen not just for Character but for scenes and pacing as well.
The lists are in reverse order. I’m starting with the current book I’m working on, Playing with Fire –Look for it November 2016!- then Into the Black, book 2, then finally, Walking with Monsters.
Playing with Fire
Come Undone Duran Duran
Mad World Gary Jules
Burning Bright Shinedown
Hurt Johnny Cash
Someone Else’s Tomorrow Patty Griffin
Killing Strangers Marilyn Manson
Ghost we Knew Mumford & Son
Black Flies Ben Howard
A place Called Home Kim Richey
Last Kiss Taylor Swift
Down Jason Walker
Please Forgive Me Brian Adams Reese and Ellie
I Should Go Levi Kries Reese and Ellie
Hallelujah Bon Jovi Reese
Wreck of the Day Anna Nalick Anna
Boom Anjulie
Heartbreaker (live at studio litho) Noah Gundersen
Rabbit Heart *Raise it Up* Florence and the Machine Ellie
Let it go Birdy & Rhodes
The World is Ugly MCR Vincent and Ellie
Hunger Ross Copperman
Always Bon Jovi Reese
Guardian Angel Noah Gundersen
She’s the Prettiest Girl At the Party FrnkIero and cellabration
Poison and Wine The Civil Wars
Belong Cary Brothers
Slow Dancer Noah Gundersen
Tragician FrnkIero and the celebration Vincent
Wake me up when September ends Green Day Edward
Samson and Delilah Bear McCreary featuring Shirley Manson (The Terminator Sarah Conner Chronicles soundtrack) This song just rocks!
Kissing you Des’Ree
No Angel Birdy
Dust to Dust The Civil Wars
Day is Gone Noah Gundersen and the Forest Rangers
My Immortal Evanescence Vincent and Ellie
Forgiven Within Temptation Ellie and Edward
Just a Dream Nelly
Skinny Love Birdy Anna and Edward
Shelter From the Storm Bob Dylan Vetler
Snuff Slipknot Anna and Edward
The Sharpest Lives MCR
The Scientist Coldplay Vincent and Ellie
Forever Young Audra May
If You Only Knew Shinedown Reese
Stormy Monday Billie Holiday
Never Think Robert Pattinson
Simple Man Shinedown Reese
The Ghost Of You MCR Reese
Running up That Hill Placebo
Good Man *Not sure who the artist is. I will post the link from You tube* The boys
Lucky Bif Naked
Shine Anna Nalick Vincent
Shelf Life Seven Mary Three
I’ve Got Dreams to Remember Otis Redding Reese
Better Than Me Hinder Ellie and Vincent
You Wait For Rain Kyler England Ellie and Edward
Halo Ane Brun Featuring Linnea Olsson
Heaven Sent Hinder Reese and Ellie
Girl on Fire Ella Mae Bowen Ellie
I Don’t Wanna Believe Hinder Reese and Ellie
The Light Behind Your Eyes MCR
Love the way you lie Pt 2Eminen featuring Rhianna Edward and Anna
Delicate Damien Rice Charlie and Vetler
Blurry Puddle of Mudd Joshua
Cherry Wine Hozier
Thing for You Hinder Ellie and Reese
Colby’s Song Joshua James Vincent and Reese
Foolish Games Jewel
Just a Little Girl Trading Yesterday
She is the Sunlight Trading Yesterday Ellie and Vincent
Be Alright Lucy Rose Vincent and Ellie
Without a Word Birdy Reese
The Unclouded Day Audra May Charlie
Four Five seconds Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney
Can’t Go Back Rosi Golan
Can’t Take My Eyes off You Carey Brothers Charlie and Vetler
Let it Be Across The Universe soundtrack Edward
I Never Told You Colbi Caillat Reese and Ellie
All Through The Night Sleeping at Last
House Of Wolves MCR Vincent
I Will Burn With You *Not sure who sings this one I’ll put in the link from youtube*
It’s not Over Daughtry
The Greatest Bastard Damien Rice Vincent
Good Man Noah Gundersen Reese
Wild Place Glass Pear
When You Sleep Mary Lambert
Lost Cause Beck
Over The Rainbow (Oscars 2014) P!nk Ellie and Edward
I Don’t Want to Love Her Brink Reese
Good Enough Evanescence Vincent
Mary Patty Griffin Charlie
Bed of Roses Hinder Reese and Ellie
Love is Blindness Jack White
Trying Not To Love You Nickleback
Shattered Trading Yesterday Ellie
The Last Time Taylor Swift featuring Gray Lightbody Edward and Anna
Say you’ll Haunt Me StoneSour Ellie and Edward
Stay Shakespeare’s Sister Ellie and Edward
Sail Awolnation
She’s like the wind Patrick Nuo Ellie
Dark Horse Katy Perry Ellie
Centuries Fall Out Boy
Pieces Red
Love the Way You Lie Eminem featuring Skylar Grey Ellie and Edward
The weight of the world Saliva
Crash this Train Joshua James
Shed some Light Shindown featuring Lizzy Hale Vincent
Holding out for a Hero Ella Mae Bowen Ellie and Vincent
Not About Angels Birdy
Blood infections FrnkIero and cellabration
Ghost of Me Daughtry
Ain’t no Sunshine Joe Cocker
Boulevard of Broken dreams Green Day Edward
Don’t Cry (Original Version) Guns and Roses Vincent
Stage 4 Fear of Trying FrnkIero and Cellebration Vincent
Thinking of You Christian Kane Reese and Ellie
Wings Birdy
Into the Black
I will Not Bow Breaking Benjamin
The Sky is a Poisonous Garden Concrete Blonde
I Found Amber Run
Seven Devils Florence and the Machine
Bring Me To Life Evanescence
Duality Slipknot
Roads Portished
Green Grass Joshua James
Angel Massive Attack
Holding on and Letting go Levi Kries
Always Be Jimmy Eat World
I’ll Follow You Shinedown
Disenchanted MCR
Broken Seether featuring Amy Lee
My way Home is Through You MCR
Angel Theory of A Deadman
Careless Whisper Seether
Almost Lover A Fine Frenzy
Colorblind Counting Crows
Let the Sun fall Down Kim Richey
Savin’ Me Nickelback
Vermillion Slipknot
Paint it Black The Rolling Stones
Give us A Little Love Fallulah
Click Click Boom Saliva
Bleeding out Imagine Dragons
Light a Fire Rachel Taylor
Knock me Out Linda Perry featuring Grace Slick
Monster Imagine Dragons
Always Saliva
Psychosocial Slipknot
Burn The Cure
This world Lena Fayre
Bad Romance Halestorm
Weightless LAYLA
Decode Paramore
Monster Meg Myers
Soulmates Placebo
Save Yourself I’ll Hold Them Back MCR
As Heaven is Wide Garbage
The Beast Concrete Blonde
Heavy in your Arms Florence and the Machine
Vermillion Pt 2 Slipknot
Trust The Cure
Time Mikky Ekko
Not Alone Patty Griffin
Hear You Me Jimmy Eat World
Beautiful Disaster Kelly Clarkson (Live)
I Don’t Want to Want You Lesley Roy
Howl Florence and the Machine
Harder than Easy Jack Savoretti
Let it go James Bay
I Don’t Love You MCR
Love Interruption Jack White
Take me to Church Hozier
Vincent Don Mclean
Walking with Monsters
Demolition Lovers MCR
Bulletproof Heart MCR
I Can’t Make You love Me Adele
Holding Out For A Hero Ella Mae Bowen
Forgive Me Evanescence
Mad World Gary Jules
Rabbit Heart Florence and The Machine
Sympathy Goo Goo Dolls
Bad Reputation Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Sour Cherry The Kills
Black Balloon The Kills
Hanging by A moment Lifehouse
Everything Lifehouse
The Only Hope For Me Is You MCR
Desolation Row MCR
I’d Come For You Nickelback
Pure Morning Placebo
Cut Plumb
I’ll Stand By You The Pretenders
Control Puddle of Mudd
Animal Lady Ga Ga
She Hates Me Puddle Of Mudd
Hero Skillet
Pain Three Days Grace
Kriptonite 3 Doors Down
Been A Long Day Rosi Golan
Mouth Bush (The Stingray Mix)
Different Kind of Knight Christian Kane
If I didn’t know Better The Civil Wars
Cure my Tragedy John Riley
Wild Is The Wind Nina Simone
You Look So Fine Garbage
The Lost Boy Greg Holden
Hate it When You See Me Cry Halestorm
I’m Not An Angel Halestorm
I’m Shakin’ JackWhite
Echo Jason Walker
A Case of You Joni Mitchell
All I Want (Part 2)Kodaline
Firebreather Laurel
Behind blue Eyes Limp Bizkit
Lovely Fool Jack Savoretti
Lullaby For a Soldier Maggie Siff (From Sons Of Anarchy soundtrack)
Monster Meg Myers
Similar Features Mellissa Etheridge
My Skin Natalie Merchant
Avalanche Noah Gundersen
Cigarettes Noah Gundersen
The White Apple Of Verona
Boys Wanna Be Her Peaches
Killing Me Softly Roberta Flack
Crush Garbage
My Immortal Evanescence
Juliet Royal Wood
Bad Intentions Digital Daggers
Mr. Brightside The Killers
All Or Nothing Theory of A Deadman
The Weight Of Us Sanders Bohlke
White Collar Whiskey Emily Wolfe
A Beautiful Lie 30 Seconds to Mars
That's it my darlings. Big hugs and sloppy wet kisses.
-Amber Naralim
