Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Play lists


As I was working on Family Reunion, one thing that really became clear was my increasing love for the All-American Rejects.

The Family series started with them, and when I am working on it I listen to their music. This time I noticed more that certain parts called for specific songs, but also I kept thinking how good the music was.

This shouldn't be surprising. I remember going back to my "I Love Albums" post, and already knowing then that they made a specific effort to look at things differently and break out of their comfort zones. That trait results in good, layered music that you can keep appreciating on different levels. I love this band.


With at least three more books to go, I can only imagine how much I will love them at the end.

For the other book series, it's a little different. It wasn't as much the case with Cara, but for Morgan many of the scenes had specific songs in mind. I would listen to the Gin Blossoms some just for the time period, but I can tell you that when they are dancing around the living room that is to "That Thing You Do" and when Brian breaks up with Morgan it is "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough". It always has been.

Many of the screenplays are also very song specific.

Anyway, it occurred to me to try putting play lists together for them. I don't know if anyone would ever want to have the music playing while reading - it might be hard to get things to synch up right - but it's something I want to do.

Difficulties arise because sometimes the song that goes with it is something I wrote, and it's not on there. It can't be exact anyway. For a real soundtrack it wouldn't be the whole song most of the time anyway. Maybe there would be most of it, and then later a fragment of it, but transposed into a minor key, or something to echo. I know they won't be perfect, but I still want to hear how they will sound.

I am starting with the fan fiction, because that's easiest. So many of the scenes were specifically inspired by songs.


That won't be exact either. When they are running around in the desert, there are about four songs that pertain to that. Does putting them all together overload it, or do I spread them out? (The story does have a lot of flashbacks.) There is a song for "Black Dragon Fighting Society", but it's not on Spotify. However, Pencey Prep has been added, which will be good for Chapter 14. There is no recording of Ray's song; do I just put something similar?

I don't know the answers yet; I am just getting started. It's cool though. I like doing music stuff.

Don't forget to read Family Reunion:

http://www.amazon.com/Family-Reunion-Blood-Book-ebook/dp/B018701YNG/

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