Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Heard it in a Love Song

I once wrote an entire novel around an idea generated by two lines from the Richard Marx song "Hazard":

I swear I left her by the river
I swear I left her safe and sound

There's also a fairly recent Trisha Yearwood song, "Georgia Rain," that just screams Silhouette Special Edition--it's about a woman who returns to her hometown years after she left to find everything different except her love for the boy she left behind. The mood is evocative and full of longing; I think it'd make a great story, but I don't write those kinds of stories.

What about you? Do songs inspire your story ideas?

3 comments:

MJFredrick said...

All the time! When I first started writing, particularly. Now I work the other way. I hear a song and think - wow, that fits this story! Then I buy it off iTunes or pester my SIL for it.

Carla Swafford said...

Too funny, Paula. My latest book that I hope to work on soon is based on a song from Leanne Rimes. Songs inspire me often. If no more than writing a good sex scene. LOL!

Jennifer McKenzie said...

That's a great question. The entire Evanescence CD that just came out inspired a very strange fantasy I decided to write. I play it to keep me in the mood.
I wrote two Christmas shorts (one released Dec. 1, one released Dec. 15) and I played Christmas music to get those going.
Music is a HUGE part of the process for me. I'm stealing this idea for a post, Paula. LOL.