9/14/2022

You can write much better about an experience than an idea.

Creative inspiration can be difficult to come by. Some popular ones that I know that my community of writers uses are Pinterest mood boards and playlists. I love doing playlists for a plot line. I can have a 3-hour playlist just to cover specific areas in a WIP.

Same as movie scores to get the audience ready for what is coming, this can help with inner monologue and finding better ways of showing emotions versus telling emotions. You can write much better about an experience than an idea. For the Among Us opening scene, the song that was used was Freaking Me Out by Ava Max. It helps set this specific part of the story in conveying the different aspects of the song. This song helps by giving a creepy lyric (if you are familiar with the game, it reminds you of how it can end,) while still being playful. The story starts with a boardgame and all the side characters making fun of the main character since the beat of the song is fun. This is also a love song that helps with the character development of the protagonist and her sidekick, setting the tone of their relationship.

Another example that I used for an original story is the song Rare by Selena Gomez. The protagonist had found out that her love interest was falling for another, and after they addressed the conflict, the protagonist must choose between staying in the relationship or calling it quits. This song is a very empowering song, especially for female characters. It set the tone that she may not want to leave but she needs to put her foot down and decide.

Obviously, these songs will not be in the book themselves, but listening to the words and the melody that the artist chooses can invoke the listener to feeling a certain way, which can help with deciding how you want the characters to feel or act in a scene.

There is a lot of opportunities in this method in helping with giving a deeper feeling about a situation. Some people have a better time with art. That is what concepts art and Pinterest boards are for. Visual vs. verbal. Personally, I only really use Pinterest to get cool outfit ideas.

Whatever makes your world pop more!