I’ve written before (over at womensmemoirs.com) about using music to set the mood while writing. Yesterday’s blog post by Sharon Lippincott, “The Power of Song,” is a great example of how music can pull memories from the past into the present. Sharon’s experience resonated deeply with me; listening to “Hey Jude” by The Beatles still — all these years later — puts me right back onto the barstool at the Orange Julius across from my school, where I sat in a particularly teenage girl kind of nostalgic funk. Sharon’s journaling/memoir writing prompt, at the end of her post is a good one. So be sure to check it out.
Speaking of writing and memories (memory an endlessly fascinating topic), Dan Curtis reminds us of the importance of using our senses to unlock childhood memories. And he has some solid sensory prompts to help you bring your buried memories above ground.
If you love to journal and you’re hungry for more than the weekly journaling prompts here at WritingThroughLife.com, Melissa Donovan offers reading-related prompts in her post, “Journal Prompts for Bookworms.”
Ever wonder about other writers’ writing processes? I never tire of reading about them — maybe because they’re all so different, as individual as the writers themselves. Here’s an article by Sara Gruen (author of Water for Elephants
Do you have a blog about journaling or writing you’d like me to highlight on a future Blogtalk post? Send me a link via my contact form, and I’ll check it out.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Music is a huge part of my writing. Random songs are always a huge inspiration during the conception and formative writing stages. Practically every story I’ve written has found a creative catalyst in at least one song. And, then, of course, I deliberately use music (usually soundtracks) when actually writing to inspire me and keep my momentum rolling. Don’t you love how the arts inspire and influence each other?
K.M., thanks for the comment. Once you’ve found your “theme song” for a piece of work, do you tend to play it often while you’re writing? Or do you find other pieces like it and create a playlist? I’m always curious about how other authors create their optimum working environment.
Thanks for the mention, Amber. Much appreciated!
Amber:
I’ve found that when journaling instrumental music works best for me.
I’ve been playing a lot of Ludovico Einaudi. (He was featured in a time lapse video I saw of “The Mountain” out on Vimeo. Which incidentally is wonderful. Some of the best photography I’ve ever seen.)
Anyway, I went over to Amazon and downloaded some of his music. I especially like his “Una Mattina” album. Absolutely beautiful, pensive stuff.
…dave