by Mayumi-H | Mar 5, 2012 | Fearless, Process
I do a lot of my initial writing (and drawing) to music. I like putting on my awesome headphones and queuing up my playlist, to help put me in the mood: to write a particular scene, or just to get the feel for the story in general. Part of that is also because I can’t write while I’m distracted; television or an engrossing videogame draws too much of my attention. So, when I put on my headphones, the family knows it’s time for me to write.
Now, for those times when I really need to concentrate, I will actually lock myself away in my work room, get under my toasty kotatsu, and work to no distractions. I highly recommend this approach for anyone who feels they need some space, for writing or drawing or whatever floats your boat. It’s just that it’s terribly anti-social of me to do that as often as I’d like to write, so the headphones become a compromise.
The first time I created a writing playlist was back in 2007, for Sixes and Sevens. Since the story took place in London, circa 1996-97, I listened almost exclusively to Britrock from that era and earlier; basically, music my protagonist would have listened to.
Good old classic British rock. Nothin’ beats that.
The second writing playlist came for 1 More Chance!, which takes place in modern-day Japan. That was actually about four different playlists, but all of them consisted of Japanese artists. That really got me into the groove of writing for another culture, let me say!
For Fearless, I wanted to use music to get a sense for the story rather than the location or the era.
When I drafted my original plot in the weeks leading up to November 2011, I had a mostly specific idea of the emotional and dramatic “waves” of the story (no pun intended as regards to the plot). So, I planned the music to help me remember how the story should flow, while I was writing it. Of course, the direction of the story changed a couple of times from initial outline draft to what finally was put onto paper, but I still listen to this playlist whenever I need to settle into the mood of writing for Ross (especially after watching something drastically different on the television, or playing a videogame, or – most importantly – reading another author’s work).
Since the story’s about a surfer, you’d think there’d be a lot of Dick Dale and Man or Astroman in this playlist, but there isn’t. (I did put some Los Straitjackets in there, though, so I’m not totally without my surf cred.)
I just thought I’d share the Fearless playlist here, for anyone interested.
Special note: Anything marked by artist “Kevin MacLeod” is available to listen to – free! – from Incompetech.com. If you like what you hear, why not even make a little donation?
“With the Sea” by Kevin MacLeod
“The Song Is Over” by Who
“1979” by Smashing Pumpkins
“On Melancholy Hill” by Gorillaz
“Here Comes The Rain Again” by Eurythmics
“Who Are You” by The Who
“Something About Us” by Daft Punk
“Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“I’ll Go Down Swinging” by Los Straitjackets
“Wild Wild Life” by Talking Heads
“Little Sister” by Queens Of The Stone Age
“Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz
“Let’s Go to Bed” by The Cure
“White” by Kevin MacLeod
“California Sun” by Los Straitjackets
“Stumble & Fall” by Razorlight
“Female of the Species [Fembot Mix]” by Space
“Lover” by Devendra Banhart
“Tell Me Baby” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Don’t Do Me Like That” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
“PDA” by Interpol
“Complete Control” by The Clash
“Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet
“The Look of Love” by Susanna Hoffs
“Digital love” by Daft Punk
“Behind Blue Eyes” by Who
“There is Romance” by Kevin MacLeod
“Mysterious Ways” by U2
“Rock This Town” by Stray Cats
“And She Was” by Talking Heads
“Come Into My World” by Kylie Minogue
“Accidentally In Love” by Counting Crows
“Lazy Eye” by Silversun Pickups
“Luminous Rain” by Kevin MacLeod
“A Jagged Gorgeous Winter RB2 Remix” by The Main Drag
“Friday I’m in Love” by The Cure
“Stages of Grief” by Kevin MacLeod
“Feel The Pain” by Dinosaur jr.
“Downtown Lights” by Annie Lennox
“Overkill [Version]” by Colin Hay
“Creep” by Radiohead
“Wake Up” by Coheed & Cambria
“The Dumbing Down Of Love” by Frou Frou
“Parting of the Ways – Part 1” by Kevin MacLeod
“Is There A Ghost” by Band of Horses
“Bargain” by Who
“Daybreak” by Kevin MacLeod
“Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)” by Lostprophets
“Let Go” by Frou Frou
“Let My Love Open The Door” by Pete Townshend
“Touching Moments Five – Circle” by Kevin MacLeod
“Life on Mars?” by Seu Jorge
“Don’t Look Back In Anger” by Oasis
“Hallelujah” by John Cale
“Gymnopedie No 1” by Kevin MacLeod
“The End of the World” by Los Straitjackets
“Stubborn Love” by The Lumineers
“Float On” by Modest Mouse
“Clear Waters” by Kevin MacLeod
“Have It All” by Jeremy Kay
“I Can’t Stay” by The Killers
“No One’s Gonna Love You” by Cee Lo Green
“Real Good Looking Boy” by The Who
“My Heart Will Go On” by Los Straitjackets
“Village Dawn” by Kevin MacLeod
“Beautiful World” by Colin Hay
“Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall
“Here Comes My Girl” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
“Eternal Hope” by Kevin MacLeod
“I Would Do Anything for You” by Foster the People
Remember that artists who make music are just as valuable than any other kind of artist. If you enjoy what they do, please support them the best way you can – with your wallet. Illegal downloading/sharing of artistic property doesn’t help anyone!
Do you listen to music while you work? What kind?
by Mayumi-H | Mar 3, 2012 | Fearless, Short Stories
Another entry for the 100-Word Challenge for Grown-Ups over at Julia’s Place (because, even though I have so much novel writing to do, these are just too much fun to pass up). Week 32’s theme was “take a leap of faith.”
Here’s my go:
He’s worn this armour a long time: hammered from the humiliating rejection of one woman seeking a diversion, buckled by the manipulation of another endeavouring to impress.
He doubts it will ever come off.
But then, one day, a pretty, gentle girl smiles at him, and the metal strains. She takes his hand, and the straps creak. And when she finally pulls him close, pressing her lips to his with honest, heartfelt love, all he knows is that he wants this, he wants her: warm, soft, cuddled to his naked chest.
He takes her in his arms.
The armour’s forgotten.
As I’ve done before, I skirt the edge of the theme a bit, here. But if you can follow my logic, hopefully you can see where the leap of faith comes in.
Readers of Fearless may recognise familiar details from the main story in these little challenge vignettes. I’m not going to make any excuses, there. These characters are so embedded in my life right now, I don’t think I could tear my brain away from them if I tried. (Though I’m not really trying, I admit. I just want to keep writing and writing and writing them!)
If you enjoyed this challenge, I suggest you take a look at some of the others, over at Julia’s Place! They’re only 100 words, so, why not?
by Mayumi-H | Feb 29, 2012 | Excerpts, Fearless, Process
The prelude to a bit of smuffy sex for my hero, in Chapter 6. What would a romance be, without it?
Ross took her hand with a rippling chuckle, pulling himself to his feet with her as anchor. He stood above her then, their hips and chests touching, and he dropped his head, his mouth seeking and finding hers for a kiss that began as just a delicate brush of lips but then, inevitably, became a heated exchange of passions as they wrapped their arms around each other once more. And while they must have made their way back to the shop, and they must have told Neville something when they arrived, and they must have walked up the rear steps to the eaves loft above the showroom, Ross couldn’t have said later how they did any of it. All he knew was Amber: the eager clutch of her slender fingers, the wanting clasp of her supple lips, and the raring flare of his desire as he held her to him.
Many thanks to those of you who have given these excerpts or the posted draft chapters a read (notably zer0-damage, Shade the Raven, fivereflections, thespooneytoaster, and Electric Monk); your support has been thoughtful, inspiring, and engaging, and I couldn’t have made it even this far without it.
by Mayumi-H | Feb 27, 2012 | Fearless, Process, Uncategorized
I’ve been told that one of the qualifying rules of a good romance is that it has to have a happy ending, where the hero (or heroine) gets the guy/girl (or whatever couples permutation the romance takes) in the end. But who decides what makes an ending happy or not?
I enjoy a fine romance, myself. Or, at least, I enjoy examining the relationships that exist between people, whether they be family, friends, or lovers. (Enemies count here, too, I suppose, but they don’t exactly fit into my topic of romantic relationships.) Just as relationships come in many forms, though, so, too, does what constitutes the “happy ending.”
Disney-fied romances tend to happy-end with the heroine (it’s usually the heroine on the quest) marrying the hero, the man of her dreams. Tragic romances, of course, end with the hero and heroine falling in love but then losing each other in some way, usually death. (Here it could be said that death ends all love affairs, whether successful or not, but that’s a topic for another day.) For my own tastes, I like seeing the hero and heroine finding happiness…but what brings happiness to one couple might be very different for another.
Ross, the hero of my (first? real?) novel, Fearless, starts out a rather typical self-centered young man, who finds himself falling completely in love with a girl, for whom he’d overcome damn near anything. (And he’s got to overcome a lot, over the course of the story. But then, that’s where the title comes in.) But sometimes the happy ending for which many of us long just…isn’t what’s meant to be. Life gets in the way; events interrupt. And people change. A hero should change for the better, through his story, and whatever his quest may be: a challenge from the heavens, a challenge from a rival, a challenge from without or even within. But even a changed hero sometimes just doesn’t fit into the stereotypical happy ending.
For the characters in this book, being fearless is about more than just facing up to the challenges that block your path to the happiness you seek. It’s also about letting go, even when it hurts you more than anything.
by Mayumi-H | Feb 24, 2012 | Fearless, Short Stories
Julia’s Place has a 100-Word Challenge going. These are always fun opportunities to write, especially for someone like me, who has a tendency to be verbose.
This week’s challenge theme is “The Flip Side.” Here’s my entry:
One of his students, a girl, lingers at his side, batting her lashes. “Thanks for the lesson, Neville.” She sucks a breath that makes her chest puff. “If there’s ever anything I can do…?”
“Just practise,” Neville says, before sending her on her way.
Beside him, Ross watches the girl go, too. “How do you do it, mate?” he asks. “Everyone loves you!”
Neville turns and looks at him, his friend with the luscious smile and the eyes so deep and blue he thinks he could drown in them. Then, he sniffs. “Not everyone.”
This little support piece for Fearless has been bouncing around in my head since I started the story’s initial plotting, back in October 2011. You can be the judge if it adheres properly to the “Flip Side” theme. (Hint: It’s not so hard to see.)
Hope you enjoyed it!
by Mayumi-H | Feb 22, 2012 | Excerpts, Fearless, Persona 4 Fan Fiction, Process
All heroes must remain fearless, yes?
Kinder-und Hausmarchen, 1865 edition.
Image courtesy squidoo.com
Ross nodded, his eyes lingering on her as she padded into the bathroom. Shortly, he heard the sound of shower curtain rings being pulled along a bar, and then the staccato patter of water, and then he turned his attention to the low bookcase beside the chest of drawers, in an effort to distract himself from the thought of Amber naked and wet no more than a section of hallway away.
A closer perusal of the book titles stacked side to side on the shelves didn’t give him any greater insight into the girl who’d placed them there…until he noticed one book – a tall, thick, weathered hardback – that was more worn and more beaten than any of the others, and significantly so. He wasn’t much surprised to realise that it was a book of faery tales (it wasn’t readily evident what “Märchen” meant, but “Grimm” was easy enough for him to recognise). Pulling it from the shelf, he opened it onto one supporting forearm with a creak of stiff binding.
The stories were written in the original German, which – with the exception of a few very simple words (yes, no, sorry) – he couldn’t read, but many of the crudely-coloured pictures were familiar from the bedtime stories from his youth. He wondered a bit absently why this particular book was so much more tattered than the rest; even the most misshapen paperbacks were in better condition than this old tome. And then, while flipping through the pages from back to front, a very familiar word written in black script on the inside front cover caught his eye, and he paused.
For Amber, my darling princess, the message read, and Ross paused, as he felt a sharp if short twinge of jealousy that made him frown. Was there some other bloke, then, for whom she longed more than any other, and for whom he’d now have to silently compete for her attention and affection, just like he’d done with so many other women over the years?
The inscription went on:
You are a more valuable treasure than any of prince or devil. Be brave, even in the darkest forests. With more love than you know, Your Father.
Sitting there on the bed, with the book laid open across his arm, Ross paused again, feeling abruptly stupid for his jealousy. Because of course such a gift from her father would be so tattered and used. He understood well the quiet desperation of a man- or woman-child trying to hold on to something so cherished lost; he’d spent a long time of his youth trying to be like his own father for that reason, like the good-natured husband and all-knowing dad that James Finch had been. But even the years at Torpoint and keeping a lifeboat rescue pager in his pocket wouldn’t bring back a dead man, any more than Amber’s wear and tear of a precious gift of a storybook would make her own father come home.
Staring at the written words on the inside cover for what seemed like a long time, Ross felt both privileged and despicable to have been given this glance into Amber’s secret innocence.
I guess some folks would consider this a lot of pointless detail into the past personal life of a character, but I enjoy these glimpses. I think that people are just as much products of their pasts as they are of the events that happen to them in the present.
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