This past Saturday, at the RWA NYC chapter meeting, the very talented Hope Tarr spoke to the group about her writing process. Seeing as Hope’s latest novel Every Breath You Take is currently in stores (the best purchase I’ve made in a grocery store recently!), one would assume Hope has established a successful process. Personally, I was relieved to hear her daily regimen often includes running while brainstorming about her work in progress or plot lines for future novels. The treadmill and more importantly, the music on my iPod, have become key elements in my own writing adventures.
I discovered this essential part of the process while on the treadmill one dreary winter day, listening to a playlist of classic songs. After I set my pace to Simon & Garfunkel, I allowed my mind to wander, trying to focus on anything other than how far I’d run and how much longer I should stay on the silly machine. Then, the song I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers began, and suddenly a scene unfolded in my mind. For some reason this song transported me to a London ballroom filled with the characters from my current work in progress. The dialogue flowed and the prose fell into place. And that’s when I realized—much to my horror—I did not have a pen and paper.
Mumbling to myself, I jumped off the treadmill and ran for the locker room (and yes, a number of my fellow gym members threw questioning looks in my direction.) By the time I reached my locker, the song had ended. Terrified the inspiration would end with the music, I quickly started the song from the beginning, opened my locker and found my notebook. Sitting on a bench in the locker room with music blaring from my iPod, I furiously transcribed the scene unfolding in my imagination onto paper, all the while praying I would be able to read my handwriting when I got back to my computer.
Is music a key component of your process? Has a particular song ever inspired your writing? Do you sometimes find yourself without a pen and paper when inspiration strikes?
I think it’s cool how music inspires you. I’ve always wished I could write with music in the background but I can’t. Ambulance sirens and sundry NYC street traffic, no problem, but music not so much. That’s the great thing about “process”–it’s as individual as a fingerprint.
Great post Sarah. I love the image of you running to the locker room! Music is very inspirational to me also. I don’t always write to music but I do have certain types of music in mind for different characters and scenes.