Tag: iTunes

Flipped Friday: Arm’s Length

What is it? Writers aspire to describe things in ways that give readers  an Aha! moment  - a new phrase or word that flips our expectations and makes us go, “Yes, that’s exactly what an orange looks, tastes, feels, smells like.” Post pictures, text, video (or whatever) of a person, place, or thing to help us look at it in a new way.

Today: Arm’s Length by Kris Delmhorst

I write to music. It helps set the mood for my work, and it gets me into the writing mindset. But if you ask me what artist I’m listening to, quite frequently I wouldn’t be able to tell you. Most of my music choices come from Apple’s iTunes Genius feature or from Pandora. The song below I must’ve listened to 20 times while writing. Today was the first time I really listened to the lyrics, and they have some stunning moments I wish I’d written. This song is obviously about a break up and it’s aftermath.

Bloody onions - Such a simple image, but what’s left after a broken relationship – bleeding heart and tears

I’m lost in an arm’s length of space – I really wish I’d written that. Says so much in so few words.

I’ll leave it at that and let you enjoy the song for yourself! Happy Friday!

Listen here.

The Lyrics…

Arm’s Length by Kris Delmhorst

I thought about you today
Didn’t mean to, it was uninvited
That’s what this band-aid is for
I just looked down, saw bloody onions

Now go, don’t stay no more
I don’t know what to do with my hands
And I’m lost in an arm’s length of space
And I can’t find a good place to stand

I talked about you today
Kind of funny, a total stranger
I didn’t mean what I said
But it surprised me, felt so clean

Now go, don’t stay no more
You’ll have to find your own way to the door
Cause I’m lost in an arm’s length of space
And I just can’t smile like this anymore

You know that windows are for seeing through
Forget that they can show things back to you

And I had it coming today
Said all the things I made myself swear I would not say
And what goes into your ears is there to stay
So I got to watch it, but I can’t hold this tongue

So go don’t stay
I’m not really sure this is my life
But I’m lost in an arm’s length
And I need something I can pull in tight
Need something I can pull in tight
Is there something I can pull in tight

10 Things I Am Thankful For

A Thanksgiving meme borrowed from my AWer buddy, Kate. The rules? List ten things you are grateful for, but every even numbered item must be about writing in some way.

1. My Four Fathers (not to be confused with forefathers). Without them, I would not be me. Nor would every work I write have a running rant about fathers. Or a girl who is afraid to love/has abandonment issues/is fiercely independent/needs therapy.
2. iTunes Genius. Seriously. An insta-playlist that creates an insta-mood for whatever scene I’m writing. The rubber on my second set of earbuds has disintegrated from overuse.
3. My Sister. Who else would listen to me whine? Who else would take me on a tour of every TJ Maxx and Marshalls between Redondo Beach and Palm Springs? Who else would tear the lace off my shorts without asking and then tell me to get over it already? Who else would love me and encourage me and threaten me when I need it? My friends, that’s who. But not one of them could make me laugh like my sister does. – Even though she’s older and stole my “baby of the family” thunder, or as I tell her, she “stole my sunshine.” And then I rub in that I have blue eyes and she has brown and she fumes with jealousy. Deal with it, Sis! – Who else has that kind of shared history with me? And who else would have four kids just cuz I love being an Auntie? (at least that’s what I tell her).
4. Querytracker.net. The insanity tamed by tables and charts.
5. My Million Nieces and Nephews. They keep me grounded in things like Spongebob and iCarly, and their dreams inspire me to have ones of my own. Damn right I can sing the entire Spongebob theme song.
6. AW Forums. My fellow writers keep me sane and the Bewares and Background Checks for Agents keep me smart. SNI stands for Shiny New Idea, and hell, no, I’m not paying an agent to read my manuscript! < — See what I learned.
7. My New Asthma Doctor. Funny how we take breathing for granted. Huzzah! My lungs work again! *tackles San Francisco hills* I can so take you now!
8. Dr. Irena Praitis. My grad advisor in my Master’s program. Second week of school in her poetry workshop, shy little me proceeded to announce how much I hated poetry. Two weeks later I wrote my first sonnet. A year later I had a scholarship to the West Chester Poetry Conference and received honors for a Master’s Project that included a sonnet redoublee. Don’t know what a sonnet redoublee is? Look it up, and be very afraid.
9. Starbucks. You bring me together with my friends. You are the starting point for outings with my sister. You are the maker of the bottled Frappacino that my mother buys for our camping outings, while shaking her head at our ridiculous need for you. You are the place I write and procrastinate and write. You are the keeper of the Caramel Brulee latte. I frickin’ HEART you.
10. Beta readers. Where, oh where, would I be without your taunts, LOLs, rusted-bloody-box-cutter criticisms, and encouragement? Probably huddling in a corner rocking. Or sticking my fingers in my ears and squeezing my eyes shut to avoid editing.

Tag! You’re it! Oh, wait! Kate tagged everyone already. Damn you, Kate!

August AW Blog Chain

(Note: It’s been several days since my last post. That is due to my move on Saturday from Orange County to San Francisco. I’m all settled in now so my posts are back on track!)

This month, I am participating in the August Blog Chain from the Absolute Write forums. Here is my question from Forbidden Snowflake:

I noticed you’ve got a Novel Soundtrack. How much has music influenced your writing? Do you first chose the songs and then write while listening to them? Or do you put the Soundtrack together later? Also, do you have different playlists for different moods? Does music ever bother you while writing?

Music is a huge influence on my mood while I’m writing and a must. I’d almost venture to say that it is difficult for me to write without music. I wouldn’t say that I necessarily listen to the words while I’m tapping away at the keyboard, but the cadence of the songs playing through my headphones definitely put me in a creative space.

The music I’m listening to tends to change over the course of the writing. For TOUCHED, I started out listening to a lot of Tyrone Wells. I discovered him on Pandora, then saw him in concert at the House of Blues back in January. His voice had a soothing, gorgeous quality that reminded me of my main character, Asher. Eventually, my soundtrack evolved to what you see on my blog. These are the songs I listened to the most, and I’m pleased that a lot of the lyrics actually fit my storyline. The arrangement of songs was definitely done after the story was complete.

The greatest invention I’ve discovered this year is the Genius feature in iTunes. You select a song in your library that fits the mood you’re in, hit the Genius button, and a playlist is created of similar songs from your library. The result is a fluid playlist that changes with my mood. If I’m writing an action scene, I click on a song by Nickelback or Red Hot Chili Peppers and end up with a list of fast-paced songs. If I’m writing a tender scene, I click on Tyrone Wells’s “Sea Breeze” and get a mellow mix of songs. No arranging necessary! I think this – along with the ability to google faces for my characters – is an incredible tool for writers.

Be sure to check out the next blog!

My question for Angyl78: You mention miracles in multiple posts on your blog. What constitutes a miracle to you, and do you plan to factor this into your writing?

The participating blogs in Absolute Write August 2009 Blog Chain are:

Claire Crossdale http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com
razibahmed http://www.blogging37.com/
aimeelaine http://www.aimeelaine.com/
bsolah http://benjaminsolah.com/blog
dnic http://four-lettered-words.blogspot.com/
JamieMT http://thevarietypages.blogspot.com
LiliCray http://mutteringsofascribe.blogspot.com
ealexis http://eviealextheobsessivewriter.blogspot.com/
errantruth http://www.sputnitsa.wordpress.com
Lady Cat http://randomwriterlythoughts.blogspot.com
Proach http://desinfocenter.blogspot.com/
Simran http://dark-horse-adaptations.blogspot.com
lostwanderer5 http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
Forbidden Snowflake http://www.alleslinks.com
coryleslie http://corrinejackson.wordpress.com/
Angyl78 http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/
Bookdragonette http://pannarrans.wordpress.com/
RavenCorinnCarluk http://ravencorinncarluk.blogspot.com

Novel Soundtrack: Part II

My first novel, TOUCHED, is a YA suspense fantasy novel with a Romeo & Juliet romance at its heart. Below is my current playlist because it constantly changed as I progressed from writing to editing. SPOILER ALERT! Some plot points are revealed.

TOUCHED Playlist:

• Because of You – Kelly Clarkson (Remy)
• Waiting On an Angel – Ben Harper – (Asher)
• Daughters – John Mayer (Ben and Remy)
• Breakable – Ingrid Michaelson (Remy)
• Yes I’m Cold – Chris Bathgate – (Asher)
• Trouble is a Friend – Lenka – (Remy)
• You’re Not Sorry (CSI Remix) -Taylor Swift – (Remy)
• Hangin’ by a Thread – Jann Arden (Remy)
• Falling – Tyrone Wells – (Asher)
• Inside My Head – Clare Reynolds (Remy)
• Come Down to Me – Saving Jane – (Remy)
• The Death of Us – The New Amsterdams – (Asher)
• Hero/Heroine – Boys Like Girls – (Asher)
• Falling – Keri Noble (Remy)
• Next to You – Tim Easton – (Asher)
• Closer – Kings of Leon (Gabe)
• Hang On – Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan (Remy)
• So Long Sweet Misery – Brett Dennen (Asher)
• Winter Song – Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson (Remy)
• Arrivals – Aqualung – (Asher)
• I Would Die for You – Jann Arden & Sarah McLachlan (Remy)
• That’ll Be the Plan – Daniel Martin Moore – (Asher and Remy)
• The Night Will Go As Follows – The Spill Canvas – (Asher)
• All I Can Do – Tyrone Wells (Asher)
• Don’t Give Up – Clare Reynolds (Remy)

Enjoy the playlist! (Note: not all of the above songs appear in the player below.)

Novel Soundtrack: Part I

As stated in my previous posts, I write at Starbucks. Many of you will laugh when I say I do this to avoid distractions. However, since I can be an anti-social creature, the call of talking to strangers in a coffee shop is far less appealing than the pull of my TV or any obscenely boring activity other than writing. Starbucks is my office, if you will, and my dual purpose there is to write and consume delicious coffee beverages. (The employees know I’m a regular, but I confuse them by ordering a different drink every time. Keeps things interesting.)

With that said, I have my methods for drowning out the crowd – iTunes, a ragged set of headphones, and a custom playlist for each work-in-progress. My story plays like a movie in my head. A movie needs a soundtrack, right? I find that music helps me get in the mood for certain scenes. Sometimes, it also helps to ground me in a particular character’s mindset or personality. I highly recommend this process if you can write to music. Plus, creating a playlist is a great way to procrastinate when you should be writing.

Coming soon: my playlist for TOUCHED