What's On Your Playlist?

Okay, so this is my first blog post of 2013. Yeah! *throws glitter*

I know. I'm a few days late for ringing in the new year, but what can you do? I'm as busy as ever (aren't we all?) and as much as I love you guys, I have decided that my blog is going to take last place. It has too. That doesn't mean that I'm giving it up- nope. It just means that I have to get ALL THE THINGS finished first before I post. And, if they don't get finished, I don't post.

This is how the blog is going to be for the time being. Or, at least until Feb. 1st. Why that date? Because that is the date in which I have given myself a deadline. Yep. I'm 24k into my new first draft and I've told myself it HAS to be complete by Feb. 1st.

Not sure if it will happen. I need to write 8k a week to get there. And so far this week, I still have 6k to go and it's looking as though I might not make it. Gulp.

In the meantime, I wanted to talk about playlists. That's right. MUSIC. Yeah! *throws more glitter*

This isn't a new topic at all on this blog. I write about music A LOT. I love music. It plays such a huge part in my life. I was a music major at WCU. My main instrument was voice (I switched majors though my jr. year, but that is a totally different post). I've been singing in a community choir for the past 10 years and I sung on the worship team for church for about 7 years. I sing all day. All night. I always have music on.

This being said, music totally helps with my writing. But, I've found that depending on what I'm writing, be it a new story, a new scene, a certain character, controls not only WHAT I'm listening to but WHEN I listen to it.

I used to listen while I wrote. But suddenly I'm starting to write with no music at all. Now, don't get me wrong. The music is still there--in my head--but for this new story I'm writing, I'm listening to the music before I sit down to type. If I get stuck, I turn the music back on and daydream. The music goes off and I type some more.  It's very weird.

With this MS, I've also gone out searching for the playlist too. In the past, the songs have just "come to me." I heard the song, it reflected the emotion I wanted for a scene/character/etc. and I added it to the playlist. This time around, I've actually looked for specific pieces of music.

So, just like my writing is ever evolving, so is my process. It's sort of cool.

My playlist isn't complete just yet for this MS. But, I thought I would give you a taste of what is on it. Be warned, it is VERY different. I have so many different genres of music on this list that it's a wonder I have any idea on what I'm writing.

There are a ton of videos below. There are many more songs on my playlist, but I thought I would choose my favorite. *side note: videos confuse me. I chose a LIVE version of Moby's song because his video didn't make any sense to me...)

(One More Night by Maroon 5)

(Between the Raindrops by Lifehouse)

(Better Dig Two by The Band Perry)

(Another Way to Die by Jack White and Alicia Keys)

(Radioactive by Imagine Dragons)

(Iko Iko by Belle Stars)

(Sail by AWOLNATION)

(Too Close by Alex Clare)

and finally

(Extreme Ways by Moby)

How do you make your playlists? Do you listen to music while you write?