Tag: Music to Write By

Music To Write By – The Foll Stones

Brigid Huey

Music is so important to my writing process. In fact, many of my stories have been directly inspired by a song; Fidelity blossomed from Biplane by Andrew Lockington, a wonderful piece of music from the soundtrack to The Space Between Us.

My novel The Foll Stones was recently accepted by Meryton Press (!!) and I’m currently in the editing stage. Folx, I’ve had The Foll Stones in my head since before 2010, but when I listen to a track from my playlist, I’m instantly transported to Terratalam; I can see Brian and Cleona as if they were in the room with me. That’s how magical music is.

The list of songs I’ve added to The Foll Stones playlist is long, but I wanted to share some standouts. First up is Injection by the magnificent Hans Zimmer. This piece is from Mission Impossible 2, which I guess makes it vintage at this point. The combination of vocal music and strings in this piece is dramatic and mysterious, and I just love it. It inspired a very important scene in The Foll Stones, and so deserves a place here. Listen and imagine!

Next up we have Heavy Rain from the score to the Heavy Rain video game from Quantic Dream. The music was composed by Normand Corbeil. It’s a haunting, sad piece of music that has served as the underscore for all of Terratalam. You’ll understand more once you read it, but for now, listen and be entranced.

Music To Write By – Guardians II

Brigid Huey

I’m sitting on my deck this lovely spring afternoon, wondering where April went. Tempus fugit.

A few weeks ago, I found myself completely stuck on my latest WIP. Guardians is a young adult fantasy romance, and it’s only in the beginning stages. I mean, I’m 40,000 words in, and I have no idea how it ends. So after taking a week or two to work on other things, I came back to Guardians with fresh eyes, and a refreshed playlist.

Sometimes all it takes is a song.

In this latest installment of Music to Write By, I’m sharing an artist whose work could pretty much be the soundtrack to Guardians. Ruelle is a singer-songwriter whose music has been used all over the shop. Her work is sweeping, cinematic, and dramatic. Perfect for writing young adult romance. Here I’m sharing “The Other Side.”

I just love it. I listen to it so often my kids have the words memorized.

My musical sources are often soundtracks from films. The Marvel Universe is an excellent place to find inspiring tracks. Here’s one of my favorites:

It’s called “Bridge and Love’s Burning” from the Spider-Man Far From Home Soundtrack. I mean, is this not just fun and sweet? Perfection. Thank you very much, Michael Giacchino.

That’s it from my corner of the woods. Back soon with more music.

Take care, lovely readers.

Music to Write By – Guardians

Brigid Huey
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels.com

Well, hello October. You snuck in, didn’t you?

In-between grappling with Halloween Covid choices (treat or treating? pumpkin patches?) and costume creation, I have been working on a brand new story. For those of you who are keeping track, yes, I am still in edits for my latest publication, Interrupted Plans.

This work, which I’m calling Guardians for now, is a young adult fantasy romance. I guess. Genres aren’t really my thing. I had the initial spark of an idea about three years ago, but suddenly it’s taken off in my brain and I can’t brainstorm anything else but this.

Guardians is, like all my work, a romantic tale. There are star-crossed lovers, there are magical beings, and there is a big evil dude bent on the acquisition of power. There may be two interwoven plot lines. There are definitely angel wings.

Those of you who have followed me for a while will know that whenever I begin a new project, I begin a new playlist. (Insert rant about Google’s new changes to Play Music here).

Today I want to share a few of my new musical discoveries. First up, Atlas: Hearing by Sleeping at Last:

Is that not a magical piece of music? It screams for writing. My fingers itch just listening to it. Another new favorite is Run by Ludovico Einaudi:

It is so good! Poetic and sweeping and just darn lovely. It fits one of my characters perfectly. It’s sort of become her theme song.

I hope your October is full of joy. Take care and stay well.

Music to Write By – Interrupted Plans

Brigid Huey

Another Installment

Hello, dear readers. I’m back to share with you my latest additions to my writing playlist. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’ll know that music is essential for my writing mojo. When I start a new work, I create a new playlist. It’ll usually be filled with instrumental pieces, but occasionally songs with words get in there too.

I have a favorite playlist that I continually add to, which I’ve called “Historical Romance.” I’m creative like that. This is what I listened to while writing Interrupted Plans.

The Songs

The first piece I’m sharing today is called “The Northbound Train” from the BBC adaptation of North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell. It’s composed by Martin Phipps, a favorite of mine. Take a listen:

It’s just so good! The next piece is from a soundtrack near and dear to my heart. “Leaving London,” from Patrick Doyle’s Sense and Sensibility soundtrack. This track is particularly relevant to the story line of Interrupted Plans!

If you have never listened to much Patrick Doyle or Martin Phipps, please, please, please check them out. So much loveliness! Take care, dear readers. Stay well.

P.S. If you’re interested, check out more of my Music to Write By series, click the Music to Write By tag below.

Music to Write By – The Foll Stones

Brigid Huey

I’ve been working on The Foll Stones for over 10 years. I started it before my daughter was born, took a long hiatus until after the birth of my son, and finished the first draft during my first attempt at NaNoWriMo. So you can imagine that the playlist for this work is long and varied!

Before I share my favorite pieces from the playlist, here is a bit about The Foll Stones:

When 19-year-old Cleona Willow and her childhood friend Brian are magically pulled from their sleepy Vermont town and thrust into the ancient land of Terratalam, they must join the quest to unite the mythical Foll Stones, or risk being trapped in the strange world forever.

The Music

One of the first scenes that I envisioned is quite dramatic. There’s a swamp, a challenge, and a life-threatening drop. The music that plays is Injection by Hans Zimmer. It’s from Mission Impossible II, of all things. It doesn’t really get good until minute 1:30 (sorry Hans).

The next of many favorites is “Ron Leaves” by Alexandre Desplat. It’s from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, although I’ve forgotten which one. It’s so beautiful and sad and simply perfect for The Foll Stones. There’s a fair amount of bittersweet moments in this novel, and this music is perfection.

Okay more bittersweet coming at you. This piece is called “Remembering Jenny” by Christophe Beck. It’s from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack. It’s sooo good. It’s short, but man the feels it evokes. Incidentally, Christophe Beck composed the score for Frozen. Not the songs or anything, but the beautiful music that plays when the parents are lost at sea? Christophe. Also, when the animated Christophe is running across the ice? Christophe. Okay, enough. On to the beauty.

There are many more songs on my list for this novel. As it comes closer to completion, I’ll be sharing more. I hope you enjoyed this peek inside my musical inspiration!

Music to Write By – Roswell New & Old

Brigid Huey
Photo by Ian Beckley on Pexels.com

Yes, that says Roswell. The original Roswell was on the WB (remember that??) when I was in high school. I never watched it actually. I didn’t discover it until I had my son. I would be up in the middle of the night nursing him and needed a way to stay awake. Enter Netflix. I found and devoured all three cheesy seasons. And through it, I discovered I Shall Believe by Sheryl Crow. This song is romance dreaming gold. Have a listen and just try not to imagine a romantic moment.

Recently, I was out sick with some nasty upper respiratory thing. I had heard about the Roswell reboot, but again hadn’t watched it. Basically, the people at the CW updated Roswell and made it again. Why try something knew? So there I was, stuck in bed. I binge watched the entire season available on Netflix. And yes, I enjoyed it. I also discovered two lovely songs. The first is called Can’t Love Me by Novi. It features Tyler Blackburn, who happens to star on Roswell. Again, romance dreaming gold. I love it.

And the last new favorite is Carry You by Novo Amor. This song is just beautiful. I love the guitar and the chill vibe. Don’t worry though, this song also sweeps. Because it’s me, and I love sweeping dramatic music.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these songs. The kids can tell you I’ve been listening to them a lot lately. I love discovering new inspiration. Are there any songs that you’ve been loving lately? Please share them in the comments below!

Music to Write By – Fidelity

Brigid Huey
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

For my third installment of Music to Write by I’ll be highlighting a few of the pieces I have listened to while writing my latest work. I’m calling it Fidelity right now.

Let’s set the scene

In order to appreciate the music, here is the blurb for the novel. You know, the back of the book copy that draws you in and makes you buy the book (well, hopefully).

When computer programmer Sora Leroux intercepts secret plans to destroy the upcoming peace accords with an alien nation, she doesn’t know whom to trust. One thing she does know, however, is that she’s in danger. She decides to run, but the Special Ops captain sent to track her down has other plans.

Captain Graham Smith has been sent bring in Sora Leroux, a woman implicated in a terrorist threat. When new information reveals a greater conspiracy, Graham must decide who is telling the truth as he races to save London from a hidden threat.

Piece the first

Okay, I must start with the piece of music that started it all. Biplane by Andrew Lockington. This piece is from the movie The Space Between Us (worth a look, if you’ve never seen it). A pivotal scene of the novel came to me while I was listening to this track. It gets amazing at minute 1:50. Wait for it.

It’s sweeping, it’s adventurous, it’s romantic. I love it. I was sitting in my son’s room, helping him fall asleep by just being there, listening to this piece. And I pictured Sora and Graham. So thanks Andrew Lockington.

Piece the second

The second piece that was super inspiring is “I Feel You” by Alan Silvestri from Avengers: Endgame. If you’ve seen this movie, you might remember this part. I love it. But I love the music even more.

Is that not just wonderful? Okay, I’ll admit it — I love dramatic, sweeping pieces. Throw in some strings and I’m done for. I Feel You is the score behind a very important scene in the novel. There may be explosions. There may be declarations. I love it.

There you have it. My two major pieces for Fidelity. The ones I have listened to on a loop. Other works on my playlist include the soundtrack to The Martian by Harry Gregson-Williams, Man of Steel by Hans Zimmer, and The Host by Antonio Pinto.

If you’re interested in the first two posts of this series, check them out here and here.

Music To Write By – A Musical Soundtrack

Brigid Huey

Every story has a soundtrack

I’ve worked to music for as long as I can remember. I got my very own boom box (yep, I said boom box) when I graduated from eighth grade. It had a tape deck, a cd player, and a remote control. It was glorious. I used it whenever I was in my room, and often played music all night to help me sleep.

When I went to college I got my first ipod, and was never without my ear buds while studying. Often studying would turn into writing as some piece struck my fancy and imaginative ideas bubbled through my mind.

Now whenever I am working on a story I develop a soundtrack. A score, if you will, to the piece I am trying to create. Inspiration on repeat.

A Chance Encounter in Pemberley Woods

While working on my first every published novella (!!!), I listened to a combination of soundtrack music and classical pieces that might have been popular in Jane Austen’s day. I thought it might be fun to share a few.

Yes! from Jane Eyre, music by Dario Marianelli

I was taken by this music the first time I heard it. It elevated the scene in the movie to something that pulled at my very heart. When I found out it was composed by Dario Marianelli, my intense reaction made sense. Many pieces in my music library are by Dario Marianelli.

Piano Concerto No. 23 Adagio by Mozart

I almost feel as if anything I say will seem pretentious. It’s Mozart. It’s brilliant. And I love to imagine Georgiana playing this piece!

There are others of course. The entire soundtrack to the 2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice (Dario Marianelli, again). The music from the 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Patrick Doyle is amazing!

As the slightly scary Berlioz said, “So many musical ideas…!” I look forward to sharing more of mine.

Music To Write By

Brigid Huey

Sweeping Classical

I always listen to music when I write, unless it is physically impossible. These days I’ve been working my way through a lovely book called Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day by Clemency Burton-Hill. Through it I’ve discovered two new favorites that I find so achingly beautiful I had to share them.

Gustav Mahler

First is the above piece by Mahler. It’s the Adagietto from his Symphony No. 5, and it is just stunningly beautiful. The story goes that Mahler wrote this piece as a love letter of sorts to his wife, Alma. The music alone is enough to move me, but then add that bit about the love letter and I’m imagining all kinds of stories in my head. Oh, and this work was also largely composed while Mahler was visiting his summer cottage. So we have a beautiful piece of music, a love letter, and a summer cottage. The imaginative mind starts to bubble.

Edward Elgar

Another piece I discovered through Burton-Hill’s book, Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85: I. Adagio – Modereto. Don’t ask me what any of that musical notation means, because I do not know. All I know is that this music, composed right after World War I, is achingly beautiful. A bit of interesting history: the piece was not well received when first performed, owing at least in part to a lack of rehearsal time for the soloist. Its popularity stems from this beautiful interpretation of the work by cellist Jacqueline du Pre. You can read more about that here if you are interested.

Credit where it’s due

I have to give a nod to one of my all-time favorite podcasts, That Classical Podcast, for introducing me to both these pieces before I ever came across Burton-Hill’s book. If you’ve not heard of That Classical Podcast, please do go check it out. Two young people talk about their love of classical music while cracking my kind of ridiculous jokes. It doesn’t hurt that they are British, or that they are both artists in their own right. Seriously, check them out.

Not my usual fare

I usually listen to soundtrack music while I write. I actually create whole playlists for each writing project. I’ll be sharing more of my favorite pieces here soon, because I just feel like inspiration should be shared.