Part 2 of My WIP’s Music Playlist

Chapters Completed: 22

Chapters In Progress: 6

Chapters Not Started: 6

“Chronicling The Craft” is an article series where I share my experience with writing my current work-in-progress (WIP), which is a fantasy novel. Every 5,000 words, I let readers know what I’ve accomplished since the previous article and share advice, discoveries, techniques, etc. Besides the word count in each article title, a “chapter ticker” at the top also tracks my progress as I use the skip-around / “writercopter” method to write the novel. Today’s installment celebrates the book reaching 90,000 words in length.

What?! How the… OK, I know I’ve said before that the 5,000-word milestones sometimes creep up on me, but I was completely unprepared for this one. Part of it may be because I’d been busy with all kinds of freelance and blog writing, and my head was so far removed from reality (not literally speaking, of course!) that it lost track of when I should start writing this Chronicle. So, I originally had no idea what topic to cover after giving the update. Thankfully an easy one came to mind. 😉

Here’s what I’ve worked on since the previous Chronicle: 

• Chapter 10 is done! It illustrates some of the cultural differences between the Faeries and the Mountain Folk and sheds light on the range of Eva’s disdain and fear of Aurek and his men.
• Chapter 21 is between one-third and halfway done, and will be my priority for the next couple sessions. The opening scene will need some word-shaving later on, but I’m super-pleased with how it combines showing how the Mountain Folk’s magic works and introducing Eva’s potential feelings towards another character. (Ooooooh!)
• A conversation for Chapter 32 started playing in my head. (Yes, I sometimes hear voices in my head. *looks around nervously*) So, I started typing it before I could lose it. I’m not in a hurry to finish this section right now, so any future progress will wait until other earlier chapters have been written.
• Still working on the backstory and character development appendices as time allows.

Back in January, I posted a Chronicle on the current music playlist for the WIP. I often listen to music when writing to help me concentrate and steep myself in the moods for a particular scene. Also, sometimes when I’m not working on the WIP, I hear songs that remind me of it in some way. Today I’d like share some more of those songs, as well as brief explanations of how they’ve been helpful with writing Eva’s story.

“Lily’s Theme” (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2)

This lead motif from the final Harry Potter film always brings tears to my eyes and a swell of emotion to my throat. It quivers with grief, despair, longing, even a profound sense of the loss of one’s innocence. That’s why it became one of my to-go tracks (the other one being “The Resurrection Stone,” from the same film and sharing the same motif) when Eva revealed her troubled past to another character and then later for her pivotal “shadow moment.”

The “Fall of Gandalf” Sequence (Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings Extended Edition)

This gorgeous 2-minute segment that ends the momentous “Khazad-Dûm” may well be the epitome of film score elegies. Even if you’re not an LOTR fan and don’t know what happens in this scene, it’s pretty clear from the lone vocal wail followed by the huge choir that someone has died. I put this on repeat while working on what I nicknamed “the saddest part of the book.”

“The Forbidden Pool” (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)

There’s a foreboding atmosphere that makes “The Forbidden Pool” a great backdrop for writing arguments, revelations, and other tension-filled moments in the WIP. Louder, more epic compositions tend to distract me when I write, while quieter ones like this help me immerse myself in the scene. Make sure you play this piece all the way through, but listen very closely as it leads up to 1:42. Does your hair stand up on end as the cimbalom trembles on that long-held note?

“The Voice” by David Arkenstone f/ David Davidson (Celtic Garden)

Whenever I hear “The Voice,” I always picture Eva with her horse Immer. Sometimes they’re bonding in their forest home. Other times, they’re racing through the grasslands, leading their company en route to their northern destination. I wouldn’t say this song describes Eva and Immer’s relationship, but rather how Eva feels when she’s on her horse: lighthearted, breathless, and content, as if even their most purposeful rides are a frolic.

“The Wise One” by Daniel Gibson (Native Spirit)

A couple people I’ve shared some of the WIP’s backstory with have commented on how Eva’s Faerie race reminds them of Native Americans. (An unintended comparison on my part, but now I think it’s pretty neat now.) Then, a few months ago, I found Daniel Gibson’s double-CD set Native Spirit – and immediately thought of Eva’s people. These Faeries would play flutes and acoustic guitars (not so much the pianos) like the ones heard here. They also worship Mother Nature and feel a deep connection with nature, which is highlighted by chirruping crickets and birds.

“The Quantum Enigma” by Epica (The Quantum Enigma)

Hey, I’m a metalhead. Symphonic metal was eventually going to show its face on the novel playlist. 😉 Now, lyrically, this song has nothing to do with the story. (Quantum physics and its effects on the masses, anyone?) But somehow, every time I listen to Epica’s “The Quantum Enigma,” I visualize a montage of scenes from Eva’s story. Thus, this track has become the WIP’s unofficial “closing credits” song.

How about you? Do you have a music playlist for your WIP? If so, what are some of the songs or music genres you associate with your story? Share your choices in the comments below.

Next Chronicle: When the WIP reaches 95,000 words