Musical Favoritism

What’s your character’s favorite song?

What’s the one song they put on repeat and can’t get enough of; the one they feel in their bones every time it plays?

The music someone likes tells a lot about them. It could influence their style, their mood, their way of life. But someone’s favorite song tells even more. It tells what they relate to, where they are in life underneath what they show on the outside. It encompasses five minutes of who they are at their core.

It is important to know your character’s favorite genre of music, especially if they are a “music person” (although I think we all are, to some extent), but it is even more important to use those music choices to better understand your character. Music can give them voice, if you let it.

Honestly –

The Bell Jar is not a book I would recommend to everyone. It is not for the faint of heart. Which why I was surprised that my mother was the one to recommend this book to me (she has a selective memory). It is dark and emotional and self-deprecating. Plath’s novelization of her memoir is beautifully written and is self-aware of the reality of the story. It knows it is dark and is unapologetic of it.

I read this book in high school and fell in love with it partially because somewhere inside me, I identified with the sentiments of this story, but also because of the honesty. It was at that point, arguably because of this book, that I realized art can still be art if it is honest. I could write honestly and it didn’t have to be “journaling” or “ramblings” or something angsty that I deemed “unpublishable.” It was still art.

The Bell Jar helped me find my own voice in my writing and deem it worthy of being called art, even if it did so in an unconventional way.

Click below to follow me on social media:

     

Check out my Etsy shop here and comment below things you would like to see show up there in the future.

Mystical, Botanical Nonsense

If you had a magic garden, what would you grow?

In a mystical world where you (or your character) could grow absolutely any plant you could imagine, what would you plant? Would you plant topiaries that could come to life and guard the secrets within the garden walls? Or would you raise the most beautiful flowers anyone has ever seen? Or perhaps grow rows and rows of herbs to cure any ailment?

Even if your character is not set in a magical world, take a moment and let them daydream of what they would plant if anything were possible. Perhaps if they are lighthearted, they would go for a tea garden that always makes the perfect cup. Or if they are more on the angsty side, they would prefer venus fly traps and imagined plants that are beautiful, but would protect the MC at any costs. Be imaginative. Play with words. If need be, create a literal tiger lily or a shrub that can be pruned into anything and comes to life.

What kind of garden would your character enjoy being in? Is it a conservatory, indoors and away from the elements? Or is it a secret walled garden or perhaps simply a well-kept forest? Let your character lead the way in designing this mystical, perfect garden and describe it through their eyes. Make a botanical haven.

Inspiration: The Night Gardener by the Fan Brothers (an awesome picture book I found the other day — the illustrations are phenomenal).

Click below to follow me on social media:

     

Check out my Etsy shop here and comment below things you would like to see show up there in the future.

Word pictures

The connection between visual art and written art is not an obvious one, but it is a strong one. It is possible to enjoy one without the other, but having an understanding of both creates a whole new feeling and a deeper understanding.

With classic literature, an understanding of the art from the period in which the piece was written will help you better understand the nuances and subtle jokes within the story that you may not have gotten otherwise.

This theory can be applied to any genre, though. Even a general knowledge and appreciation for art will add a new layer to your intake of any story. Knowledge of color and symbolism may help you catch some foreshadowing in your favorite fantasy novel. Or perhaps the rhythm and pacing of a story will remind you of a specific style of painting you appreciate. Or the setting described in your favorite YA novel will remind you of a certain gritty-style photograph.

All of these nuances of detail and association elevate your experience with literature and vice versa. Picture books do this for us. The art is right there next to the words, allowing the colors and lines to evoke feeling and understanding beyond what the text holds on it’s own. In other genres, though, most of the time we must find these layers on our own. Whether it’s pairing Dickens’ Great Expectations with Turner’s Rain, Steam, and Speed or Bardugo’s Six of Crows with your favorite European-Urban photo you found on pinterest.

No matter your taste in art or literature, they go hand in hand. Enjoy not only reading your favorite stories, but seeing them, too.

Click below to follow me on social media:

     

Check out my Etsy shop here and comment below things you would like to see show up there in the future.

Words and poets and grease

Books that changed my life part two

“Stay gold, ponyboy.” One of the most impactful quotes in all of young adult canon. At least it is to me.

Growing up, I struggled finding books I was “allowed” to read. The books my friends were reading were mostly forbidden by my parents, for good or for bad (I’ll leave that debate for another time). With a reading addiction as strong as mine was (and still is) I struggled with this conundrum, and throughout this time of limited reading material, my mom tried her hardest to keep a book in my hand at all times. This led to her suggesting some of her favorite books that she read in high school, one of which was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.

Not only did I love this book and the characters in it, but I read it six times. Four times consecutively. From a reader’s perspective, the plot and characters are so well done that I was immediately immersed in the world of greasers and socs.

From a writer’s perspective, S.E. Hinton became my life goal – she published The Outsiders at age 18 and I made it my goal to write and publish a book with such unique voice and relatable story by the time I graduated high school. That goal was not met, but I knew it was ambitious and I’m still striving to be as unique and solid of a writer as Hinton is, even if high school and college have since passed me by.

Click below to follow me on social media:

     

Check out my Etsy shop here and comment below things you would like to see show up there in the future.

Reset.

Today’s writing tip: breathe.

Sometimes, the best thing for your writing is… not writing. I know it sounds counter-intuitive and it is the last thing I thought would ever come out of my mouth. But sometimes you just need a break.

I’m not saying quit writing altogether. I am saying it can help to step away from a project, or from large projects entirely. Take some time to simply journal, relax your creative mind, and reset. If you find yourself zeroing in on a project so intensely that you can’t see straight, you may need to take a break from it and re-evaluate your perspective. Take a breath, focus on your mental state (make sure you’re getting enough sleep and not kicking yourself for not being perfect), and take some time to write something small, like anything you’ve been thinking about or what you dreamt last night.

Even if you want to keep pushing through that project that seems to be kicking your butt, remember to breathe and take care of yourself. The writing will come.

Click below to follow me on social media:

     

Check out my Etsy shop here and comment below things you would like to see show up there in the future.