Soundtrack of Your Manuscript: What Song(s) best Describe Your Story?

Hm, if I had to pick one song to describe my MS, it would probably be "Opposite Direction" by union of knives. I can't really explain why, but I played it quite a bit when writing and it fit almost every scene. It matches my MC's personality really well.

Almost any song by Something Corporate (favourite band in the world), but especially "Airports," "Miss America," and "Cavanaugh Park."

For A Ghost of You: Fast Car by Tracy Chapman and Ghost of You by Good Charlotte.

For Indiana Jones Never Mentioned This: Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark

For The Sword of Troy: Remember by Josh Groban

For Spell Dancers: The Beginning: Cell Block Tango from Chicago (for the time period)

For Ghosts of My Sister: Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

Becca C. said:

Almost any song by Something Corporate (favourite band in the world), but especially "Airports," "Miss America," and "Cavanaugh Park."

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oh god, now I'm listening to "down" and I'm gonna cry probably :')

For my current WIP, it'd be Not a Pretty Girl by Ani DiFranco.

I don't know where I'd be without Ani. Her songs have been inspiring me forever. She's amazing.

Anything by Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Bon Iver, Birdy, Passion Pit. But one song that connects with the theme of my WIP would have to be Benjamin Francis Leftwich's Sophie. makes me cry every time. I mean, if it was legal to marry a song, that's the song I'd want to marry.

missesdash said:

oh god, now I'm listening to "down" and I'm gonna cry probably :')

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Ahhh, "Down" is really good too. Have you heard "Konstantine" or "Me and the Moon"? Those ones are definitely teary-eyed, shiver-inducing songs.

Smish said:

For my current WIP, it'd be Not a Pretty Girl by Ani DiFranco.

I don't know where I'd be without Ani. Her songs have been inspiring me forever. She's amazing.

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Ahhhhh, I looove Ani. I saw her in concert a couple years ago and it was amazing. I'm actually wearing the t-shirt right now, haha.

Hmm...

Well for my newest one it would have to be Unwell by Matchbox Twenty.

For my other WIP I'm not sure...

Debris Dreams: The Sun's Gone Dim and the Stars go Black by Someone Whose Name is Hard To Spell

This is a book about the space Afghanistan war, against Space Osama Bin Ladin, with Space Oil on the line and space IEDs. It seemed to fit.

Here is the playlist for my current WIP:
1. You Be the Anchor That Keeps My Feet On the Ground, I'll Be the Wings That Keep Your Heart In the Clouds - Mayday Parade
2. Fall a Little Harder - Stages and Stereos
3. She's a Lady - Forever the Sickest Kids
4. Check Yes, Juliet - We the Kings
5. Can You Find Me? - The Summer Set
6. That Girl - All Time Low
7. Love Me? - LM.C
8. I Must Be Dreaming - The Maine
9. She's Killing Me - A Rocket to the Moon
10. Adorable - Artist vs. Poet
11. King for a Day - Forever the Sickest Kids
12. Keep the Change, You Filthy Animal - All Time Low
13. CheaterCheaterBestFriendEater - Never Shout Never (LMAO not my type of music, but the song describes him so f*cking well....)
14. Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass - All Time Low
15. I Guess You Can Say Things Are Getting Pretty Serious - Forever the Sickest Kids
16. You Do, You Don't - The Friday Night Boys
17. If You Can't Live Without Me, Why Aren't You Dead Yet? - Mayday Parade
18. Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off - Panic! At the Disco
19. Miserable At Best - Mayday Parade
20. Why - Secondhand Serenade
21. Bruised and Scarred - Mayday Parade
22. Oh Well, Oh Well - Mayday Parade
23. Stranger - Secondhand Serenade
24. Picture Perfect - Every Avenue
25. Tough Love - Forever the Sickest Kids
26. I'm Not Okay (I Promise) - My Chemical Romance (favorite band in the whole world; I wish more songs fit the WIP)
27. Cry Your Eyes Out - Hit the Lights
28. Vulnerable - Secondhand Serenade
29. Always - Panic! At the Disco
30. It's Not A Side Effect of the Cocaine, I Am Thinking It Must Be Love - Fall Out Boy

Music is a HUGEHUGEMEGAHUGE part of my writing. I must have it or I cannot function properly, writing or otherwise. And with this playlist, when I listen to these songs in order I feel like it tells my MC's story, I feel like it recites it perfectly.

There ends my rant xP (props on the Panic! song by the way, new album is awesome eh?)

I, too, have a playlist while I write, but I'm going to just name a few of the songs here.

"Sail" by AWOLNATION, "End Transmission" by AFI, "White Flag" by Dido (and the cover by Fall of Envy), and various songs by My Chemical Romance like "The Sharpest Lives" and "The Ghost of You."

Haha, strategic_tragedies, almost every MCR song (their old ones, at least) fits the novel I'm working on. It's kinda strange, really, since I only started listening to them when I was almost done with the first draft.

For Sunrise Caye, it would have to be Jimmy Buffett's Cheeseburger in Paradise

For my current WIP, the song that would best describe my novel and MC would be Refuse by Android Lust.

For my WIP, I think I have three songs that really would be the core of any soundtrack - "Ghosts" by Ladytron, "Disappear Here" by Hybrid, and "Damage" by Kosheen. But I actually have a full soundtrack that's over four hours long with 51 tracks, LOL. I put a lot of thought into it.

I don't understand the question. It's a book, not a movie. Books don't have soundtracks.

Shadow_Ferret said:

I don't understand the question. It's a book, not a movie. Books don't have soundtracks.

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Actually, many do. I've seen several musicians and songs in the Acknowledgements section of books, and lots of authors have song-lists for their novels on their blogs/websites.

Music can be very inspiring.

ETA: And it's just an exercise. Use your imagination.

Wolf Eyes
1. Dead Bodies Everywhere by Korn
2. Crawling by Linkin Park
3. Monster by Skillet
Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne
MC's favorite band: Korn

No Leaf Clover (no order)
No Leaf Clover by Metallica
Papercut by Linkin Park
Number One (vocal version) by Hazel Fernandes
Princes of the Universe by Queen
MC's favorite band: Metallica

Like a Frothing Rabid Dog is Adorable
Tourniquet by Evanescence

All
most songs by Linkin Park

Shadow_Ferret said:

I don't understand the question. It's a book, not a movie. Books don't have soundtracks.

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What Smish said. People are influenced by all kinds of things when they write. Music has def influenced novel ideas and/or scenes in my work, as has art, and dance and all kinds of things. Books influence the writing of other books and if I for one am HIGHLY influenced by movies. Think of it this way--you write a book, it gets made into a movie and the movie needs a soundtrack and you get say in what songs are included. What songs would you feel fit your novel based on the overall story's theme/plot or for certain scenes in your book.

then again, if you are not someone who is influenced by music in your writing, then i guess this question just doesn't apply to you.

I have the soundtracks for each of my books up on goodreads (where my review would be if I were creepily reviewing my own stuff) if you want to check them out.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/100543153 Invincible Summer
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/116359908 Gone, Gone, Gone
aaand Fishboy:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/184391435

I cannot write without music. I wrote NC and two sequels(lol) to these songs:

Rock The Boat By Aaliyah
I Care For You By Aaliyah
Miss You By Aaliyah
One In A Million By Aaliyah
4 Page Letter By Aaliyah
Let Me Know By Aaliyah
Teenage Love Affair By Alicia Keys
Diary ft Tony Toni Tone By Alicia Keys
Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready) By Alicia Keys
Baby By Ashanti
Airplanes (Feat. Hayley Williams) By B.o.B
What Is It By Baby Bash ft. Sean Kingston
You Are My Rock By Beyonce
Halo By Beyonce
Sweet Dreams By Beyonce
Scared Of Lonely By Beyonce
Ego By Beyoncé
Bring It All To Me By Blaque Feat N'sync
Full Moon By Brandy
Fall By Brandy
Brokenhearted By Brandy and Boys 2 Men
Everytime We Touch (Radio Mix) By Cascada
Super Human By Chris Brown Feat. Keri Hilson
Oh By Ciara
So Hard By Ciara
Like A Boy By Ciara
One Two Step By Ciara feat. Missy Elliot
Speechless By Ciara ft. The Dream
So What By Ciara/Field Mob
Crush By David Archuletta
Lately By Divine
Find Your Love By Drake
Shawty Is A Ten (Remix) By The Dream Ft. Fabolous
I Love Your Girl By The Dream
Rockin That Thing By The Dream
The Love that We Had By Dru Hill
You Are Everything [Remix] By Dru Hill/Ja Rule/Sisqó
You Be Killin Em By Fabulous
When I See You By Fantasia
Stuttering By Fefe Dobson
Take Me Away By Fefe Dobson
My Life Ft. Lil Wayne By The Game
Lost By Gorilla Zoe Ft. Lil Wayne
Ribbon in the Sky By Intro
Replay By IYAZ
Always On Time By Ja Rule feat. Ashanti
Mesmerize By Ja Rule ft Ashanti
Whatcha Say By Jason Derulo
Down (Feat. Lil' Wayne) By Jay Sean
Ride It By Jay Sean
Tattoo By Jordin Sparks
Until The End Of Time (Remix) By Justin Timberlake ft. Beyonce
Heartless By Kanye West
Welcome to Heartbreak By Kanye West feat. Kid Cudi
E.T. By Katy Perry
Already Gone By Kelly Clarkson
Slow Dance By Keri Hilson
Energy By Keri Hilson
Pretty Girl Rock By Keri Hilson
Day 'N' Nite By Kid Cudi
Everything By Lifehouse
Want You (ft.Lil' Wayne) By Lloyd
South Side By Lloyd ft Ashanti
Girls All Around World By Lloyd ft. Lil Wayne
Breakdown By Mariah Carey & Bones Thugs-N-Harmony
A Dozen Roses By Monica
Just A Dream By Nelly
Right Thru Me By Nicki Minaj
Your Love By Nicki Minaj
Touch By Omarion
Entourage By Omarion
Ice Box By Omarion
Comfort By Omarion ft. Lil Wayne
Say (All I Need) By OneRepublic
Apologize By One Republic)
Sober By Pink
Say it By Rihanna
Rude Boy By Rihanna
Diamond Girl By Ryan Leslie
I Like It By Sammie
If I Ever Fall In Love Again By Shai
When I Close my Eyes By Shanice
Impossible By Shontelle
Kiss Me Through The Phone (Ft. Sammie) By Soulja Boy
Always On My Mind By SWV
Rain By SWV
Can't Get Enough of You ByTamia
Say Something By Timbaland ft. Drake
Love In This Club, Part II by Usher feat. Beyonce & Lil' Wayne There Goes My Baby By Usher
OMG (ft. Will I. Am) By Usher
Everything You Want By Vertical Horizon
No Letting Go (Diwali Riddim) By Wayne Wonder
Black And Yellow By Wiz Kalifa
Cupid By 112
Can We Get It Together by 702
Steelo By 702
Like You By Lil Bow Wow & Ciara
Back and Forth By Aaliyah
Aston Martin Music By Rick Ross Ft Drake & Chrisette Michele-
Can We Talk By Tevin Campbell
Every Little Thing I Do By Soul 4 Real
Suga Suga By Baby Bash (Frankie J)
Slow Down By Bobby Valentino
Days Of Our Lives By Bone Thugs N Harmony
Look Into My Eyes By Bone Thugs N Harmony
Let Me Hold You By Bow Wow feat. Omarion
That Girl By Pharrell Williams feat. Snoop Dogg
Always Be My Baby By Mariah Carey & Da Brat
At your best (steppers ball remix) By Aaliyah
Tender Kisses By Tracie Spencer
Umbrella ft. Jay-Z By Rihanna
Call On Me By Janet Jackson ft. Nelly
I Like The Way You Play the Kissing Game By Hi-Five
Promise By Ciara
Meet Me Half Way By The Black Eyed Peas
Get It Shawty By Lloyd
Cupid By Lloyd
Lay Your Head On My Pillow By Lloyd
Dilemma By Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland
Who Can I Run To By Xscape
Do You Think About Us(Remix) By Total
Break Up By Mario ft Gucci Mane & Sean Garrett
I need You By Lloyd
Let's Chill By Lloyd
Don't You Wanna Know By Lloyd
Things I Like About You By Lloyd

Nice! I love Ellie Gouding.

Lovely Decadence said:

For my current manuscript, two songs come to mind Ellie Gouding's "I'll Hold My Breath" is the first one because the words feel like a dialogue between an important friend of my MC (who in himself is sort of the inciting incident) and my MC. The second song would be Panic! at the Disco's "Trade Mistakes" because it feels like an abstract poetic description of what that important friend's feelings toward my MC are.

Okay now your turn. I'm really excited to see what songs you guys think of!

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Adele's Setting Fire to the Rain
Frou Frou Breathe In
Tina Arena Everybody Hurts
Kelly Clarkson My Life Would Suck Without You
Britney Spears Love is a State of Grace (would rather have the French guy's version but it's not avail in the US)
Ke$ha Blow
Trisha Yearwood She's in Love with the Boy
Gwyneth Paltrow Turning Tables

I have full playlists, chapter by chapter, for all of my stuff as well. But if I had to choose one song, for the last WIP-now-MS it'd be "Run Away" by Rookie of the Year. For the current WIP, probably "With You Around" by Yellowcard.

@strategic_tragedies - "Can You Find Me?" by The Summer Set is on the playlist for my current WIP, as well as "I Swear This Time I Mean It" by Mayday Parade. You didn't have that one, but you had a ton of others by them lol. I had "Jamie All Over" on my last WIP's playlist.