Post by Doris McCraw
writing as Angela Raines
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| Labor Day Balloon Glow Photo property of the author |
On this Labor Day weekend, I thought I take a sharp turn and write about something I do, but don't always talk or write about; Philosophy, Music, and Writing.
I have always been involved with music, starting with singing for the PTA at two and a half. I began playing piano at five and was always surrounded by music. It informed my thoughts and actions.
As I aged, I began a life-long love of philosophy. From the online dictionary "Oxford Languages", philosophy's definition is 'the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence..'
As I rewrite my stories, those two play a big part in how I try to convey the thoughts, actions, and environment of the scenes. Below is a breakdown of the process.
Photo Property of the Author
If I'm writing a fight scene, my hero is usually reluctant to be the aggressor. He doesn't want to hurt people but realizes that sometimes you don't get that luxury. This ties into the Stoic philosophy of going for the greater good. I also will listen to Saint-Saens 'Danse Macbre'. The interplay of tempo, notes, and silences lend itself to the ebb and flow of fights. This works for both my Western and Medieval stories.You can listen here: La Danse Macbre
If I'm writing a scene where the setting is important, I think of Thoreau and his quote from Walden, “We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed, and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” If I'm writing Western I'll listen to "Grand Canyon Suite" by Ferde Grofe. Grand Canyon Suite
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| Photo property of the Author |
Thoughts and character development in scenes rely a lot on what I perceive as their way of living. Machiavelli comes into play for some of my antagonists. The protagonist would fall into some of Nietzsche, Satre for the men and for women some of Mills, Locke plus a bit of Confucius and Lao Tzu for both. One of the few times I will listen to music with words is this section. "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas is a go-to. Dust in the Wind or from the same group "Carry on my Wayward Son" Carry on my Wayward Son
For endings or other scenes, depending on where I want to go I have a few pieces of music, and a lot of Stoic philosophy will come into play. "I Am a Rock" by Simon & Garfunkle I Am a Rock Almost anything from Bach, " Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A major" Bach Concerto, Of course, there is always Pachelbel- "Canon in D Major" Canon in D Major, "Ashokan Farewell" Ashokan Farewell or the Everly Brothers "Let it be Me" Let It Be Me
I will finish with the following songs and invite you to share your 'writing' songs and prompts. These songs and videos always seem to help the creative process. We've Only Just Begun, We'll Sing in the Sunshine,
Ethan Hawk on Creativity and A Video for every Creative Person
Have a great September and keep those thoughts and fingers going.
Colorado and Women's History
