Music as Muse: 3 tips for writing emotional + immersive scenes
Here’s a fun fact!
In addition to being an author/book coach, I’m also a singer/songwriter. I’d always viewed these as two separate parts of myself, but it took me a while to notice just how similar they are. They both use words to tell stories, to engage and inspire…to convey emotions to those who would listen, or read.
Like many of you, I use playlists as a way to set the tone for my writing, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized music could be used for so much more.
I’d entered a writing contest at the last minute, and literally had about 3 hours to come up with 2500 words. For some, this may seem like an easy feat, but I have never been in that category!
Still, I had a plan! I knew exactly what I wanted to write because I’d taken the time to outline. I knew the scene and had a firm grasp on the character, but when I sat down to write, I struggled to get the words out.
Even worse, the words I did put on the page lacked feeling. There was nothing in them to pull the reader into the character’s world…to make them “see” what was happening on the page.
We’ve all had these moments—many of us have the unfinished stories to prove it. Because the truth is, even in times where we know exactly how a scene should go, exactly what needs to be said, we can get stuck in how to make the words on the paper match the “feeling” of what’s in our head.
This was what I felt as I struggled to write for the contest, and what led me to use music in a way I hadn’t before.
Instead of turning on a playlist like usual, I decided to be more intentional; to use one specific song to help me tap into the emotion of the character and scene. I didn’t win the contest, but I finished and learned how to intentionally use the power of music to write emotionally charged scenes.
And you can, too!
A good song is like a good book.
It grabs you and invites you in; especially when it’s one you can relate to. It makes us feel seen, like somebody else in the world understands the specific issue that you’re going through. And because music can be such an emotional experience for us, it’s the perfect medium to use to help draw emotions from your stories.
Here’s how you do it!
1. Active listening
Start by not just letting the music play in the background. Really take a moment to stop and acknowledge the emotions that come, and more specifically, the emotions that come up for your character. Practice actively listening as your character, or narrator, and really think about the scene you’re trying to create.
And don’t be fooled! Your writing doesn’t have to be fiction in order for this to help. This method works for all types including non-fiction, essay writing, academic papers, etc. Because all of these mediums seek to tell a story.
Though different in execution, the purpose is the same: to write in a way that connections with the emotions and thought processes of the reader. The idea here is to find the music that connects with the specific emotion you want to convey.
2. Find your Focus
Choose the specific aspect you want to focus on then write with that in mind. For instance, if you’re trying to describe the setting for a scene, use the music to help visualize the surroundings; consider where you might hear that particular song and if it applies to your story, use that to enhance your own setting.
If a character is the focus, let the music guide you in visualizing what actions that person is taking, or is involved in. Are they fighting with a friend or loved one? At a wedding they’ve been forced to attend? Or maybe they’re getting married to the person of their dreams…
3. Word association
This has become a popular game online where A-list singers are given words then must sing the song that first comes to their mind—with the word in its lyrics. To use word association to enhance your writing experience and draw out more emotion, try this game in reverse!
Instead of thinking up a song based on a word, first choose a song—instrumental versions usually work best—then write down the first 8-10 words that come to mind. Once you have your words, loop the instrumental for an additional 10-15 minutes and write what comes to mind, based on the words you’ve chosen.
The words don’t have to be included in what you write (unless you want to); it’s more about using the words as an emotional anchor to the scene you’re writing.
Incorporating one or even all of these methods into your writing process is a great way to ensure that it’s infused with emotional impact. But there’s another way I love that heightens your story in a slightly different way.
BONUS: Follow the Rhythm!
Rhythm can be defined as a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound; or as an ordered recurrent alternation of strong and weak elements in the flow of sound and silence in speech. We most often think of it in terms of music—the tempo, the meter, the accent…
But using rhythm in your writing is also valuable in creating a unique reading experience!
The next time you’re listening to a great song, close your eyes and consider the rhythms you hear, the steady beat of the drum, or the erratic riffs of a guitar. Ask yourself how you can infuse them into your writing and heighten the reader’s experience of your story.
This might mean varying the lengths of your sentences to make them flow more naturally. Or it could be chopping them up to create a sense of urgency, or action.
FOCUS IS THE MOTTO!
No matter where you are in your writing journey, there comes a time when getting the words down feels impossible. Whether battling what’s believed to be writer’s block (more on that here), or feeling stuck on how create a “visual” experience for readers, using music as your muse is a fast and powerful way to help inject emotion, urgency, and many other elements into your writing.
Give it a try on your own, or join me on Clubhouse, Monday nights at 8pm EST for Music Muse Mondays. We’ll listen to great music, write scenes that connect, and share (if you feel comfortable). Follow me there, or on Instagram: @gwenthecoach
Check out this excerpt created in our last session for the upcoming novel by participant Danny Goodwin, Jr.
The party was a drag, just as I assumed it would be. Almost as soon as we arrived, I proved no longer useful to Elliot and his friends. They left me by the bonfire and went on their way, socializing with people who included me in tag on the playground years ago but never gave me the time of day throughout high school.
I’m uncomfortable, and I’m wondering why I didn’t take the hit so that Lily could spend her last night before graduation at this kind of party—she would have appreciated it so much more. As I’m sitting by the fire, knees together and body slouched, I hear a voice from behind me.
“Doesn’t seem like your scene.”
I turn my head over my shoulders. Leland. He hovers behind me with a beer in his hand, dressed in an all-black hoodie that looks similar to the one he wore to school yesterday—I know it’s different because this one has a heavy metal graphic on it, and yesterday’s was plain.
I recognize his shaved head, but it seems so far removed from the long flowing blonde hair he had when we were growing up, when he wore bright colors and was one of the best people I knew.
Leland’s so different now, not just in style but in body language. Everything from him feels less inviting than I once knew, and I can’t help but feel like prey when he’s watching me like this.
“Elliot asked me to get us out of Senior Night,” I explain.
Leland scoffs, and he takes a few steps closer until he’s standing beside my chair. “You and Elliot hang out? I thought he was done with community service.”
My head sinks. I won’t miss Leland’s cruelty when I leave town after graduation. I don’t respond, so he turns his head down at me. “You need thicker skin.”
“I just don’t think you need to speak to anyone like you do,” I tell him. I’m surprised I have the courage to push back, but I chalk it up to this being our last night seeing one another.
I hear him chuckle. “Some of you deserve to be spoken to exactly the way I speak to you.”
In the seconds of silence between us that follow, I try to think about what changed in him. When he came out in freshman year, I wanted to be kind to him. I wrote him a note and passed it to him in the hallway, telling him how proud of him I was while explaining I’d always be there for him.
He thanked me for the note the next time I saw him, and I thought we’d reconnect. We walked home from school together that day, and that was the last day I remember feeling like he was the Leland I grew up loving. I thought I’d go back to the clubhouse with him, but I was shocked when he suddenly told me he wanted to be alone and left me behind.
Connect with Danny on Instagram: @dannygjr