Music Pieces

    My parents are mega fans of Downton Abbey. When new episodes aired, the family would get together and watch, then talk about it later. During those conversations, my father always liked to point out small clever details about the show--like the way colors and light contrast were used. And one of the nice touches he particularly liked to point out how lots of the main characters have their own theme music.
    Which is really an interesting concept. A music piece that perfectly summarizes a character, place, or scene taking place in the story. There are lots of intricate aspects involved.
    Like, for example, the way instruments can reflect special details about a character. NBC's Heroes has a villain who used to work as a watchmaker, and sometimes during his main scenes, you can distinctly hear a ticking noise. Various instruments were being used to imitate the ticking of a watch, hinting at his rare skill and his old occupation. In another show, where the main character is a lady usually tasked with running errands, her music is calm but purposeful, a soft kind of sound with strong undertones. The choice in music not only perfectly characterizes her daily duties, but it also sums up her own personality as well.
    Music pieces can also set the mood for different places and societies. If you've watched The Hobbit movie trilogy, you know that the music sounds different when the plot takes the group to the Woodland Elves' territory than it does at the Shire, or at the Misty Mountains. Because the Hobbits, Elves, and Dwarves are very different peoples, and their music reflects the different values of their cultures. Hobbits are homely and value keeping peace, so their music is pleasant and almost sleepy. The elves value beauty and dignity, so their music is serene and elegant. The dwarves, finally, value strength and glorious building accomplishments, so their music has loud notes and a grandeur tone. The music serves as such a perfect reflection that a person could easily picture these places just by listening to its respective musical piece for just a few moments.
    Sometimes, certain music pieces can also signal a break in the action, the "normalcy status" in a story. They do this quite a bit in Downton Abbey, and also in Sherlock. This is usually snippets or variants of the main theme, played at a break in the action or between scenes, where the characters aren't directly pursuing their goal or working hard. It's kind of relaxing, actually; like taking a nice, deep breath before pushing on with the excitement.
    It's true that all of these things are generally applied to movies and TV, but I think they could also be applicable to a novel. A friend of mine was able to construct a setting, scene, and characters from one good instrumental song she heard, and another writer-friend even wrote a song to characterize her main protagonist. Lots of others like to listen to music while writing because it helps them get in the mood of the scene.
    So what do you think? Do you ever pay close attention to musical pieces in movies or shows? Do you have specific songs that fit characters/settings/scenes in your story perfectly? :)

Writing Games: What Would They Take?

If an unforeseen disaster struck, what items would a certain character
take before running for the hills?

    There's a very classic writing prompt that basically goes like this: The house is on fire and you have five minutes to grab some important items before fleeing, so describe what you would take and why. It's good for describing objects and for prioritizing what's really important to a person, and with a little spin on this writing prompt, it could also be great for developing characters in a story-in-progress.
    If there was a sudden emergency at a character's home (it could be something like a fire or a tornado, or a need to go on the run before the hour is up), and they had five minutes to grab some items, what would they take? How long would it take them to get these things, and would they have any difficulty getting to items? If the house is on fire, going up into the attic or down into the basement would be highly dangerous, and if one item is locked in a combination safe, it might be better to leave that item and take four others instead.
    The prompt could be even more interesting if the character doesn't have a house though, like if they live at a campsite or if they're staying in a hotel room temporarily. This could make their ability to reach items easier and quicker, but it could also make leaving the area more difficult, and change their priorities. For example, someone staying at a hotel wouldn't have the space in a suitcase to fit a blanket or more than one spare set of clothes, and someone living on a mountain might need a lot more time for getting away from the area.
    So which character would you pick; the protagonist, antagonist, or a minor character? Which items would they choose? Would they actually pick the most important ones, or forget vital items they'll need? What are the character's priorities, and how prepared are they for the unexpected?

Writing Games: Rewriting the Day!

Doing this writing challenge, one could say that this beautiful tree is
metallic, its usual sheen waning as the horizon swallows up the sun.

    Do you ever write down a specific moment in life like it's a scene in a book? It's a great way to preserve memories and to remember a different time. And it presents an interesting writing game.
    Try to remember a specific moment in life (special or ordinary) and how it could be written as a short scene. Then write it with one major difference: change the setting from the real world to a fantasy or science fiction one!
    Who hasn't ever wanted to live in a different setting like that for a little while? Enchanting countryside castles, floating cities, towns with local superheroes. Those places sound awesome! Rewriting a moment with this kind of backdrop makes it possible to be there in a way.  With the actions in the scene being things you actually did, it makes it easier to picture. Reading a scene like this can make a person feel like they're actually there, or that they were there.
    In history class, you could be listening to a hologram teacher while scribbling notes onto a tablet. You could be serenely watching the sunset with your friend through the window of a castle tower. On a public bus, you could watch the passenger in front of you, the cyborg adjusting his hand. Sitting in the park, you could be listening to the birds and to the singing flowers. Just about anything is possible in writing.
    Do you like writing prompts like this?

Clothes!

    Clothes are a daily part of everyone's lives, whether it means a lot or little at all to them. Some books include descriptions of the character's outfits--though creative description isn't the only purpose clothes can serve in stories.

I knit a cardigan to wear around the
house--it's really cool to read
about hand-made clothes in books!

    For one, they show the personality of the character. People pick their own clothes, and those choices can reflect something about them. A favorite color, for example, might show up in most of their outfits, or a favorite style (flowing sleeves, dark colors, stripes, a particular brand, etc.). A bubbly girl with an eye for cute things might wear a frilly blouse, bright-colored skirt, and quirky shoes, while a teenage guy with a sense of humor might wear regular jeans, a baseball cap, and a T-shirt with a pun on it.
    Clothes also show the financial condition of the character or their family. Not always, but at the very least it gives an opportunity to write about any money issues the character has. Are the character's outfits cheap, mismatched, or hand-me-downs? Where do they go clothes shopping, and do they love it or dread it? Do they donate clothes whenever they start to get tiny holes, or do they keep wearing them even when their friends mention growing tears?
    In many situations, a working character has a specific outfit that they end up wearing all the time. In Kiera Cass's Selection series, the girls of the Selection were always wearing fabulous dresses (which had great descriptions!). And it wasn't just to make the girls look pretty; as competitors for marriage to the country's prince, it was their job to look royal and beautiful. Their outfits pertained to what they were doing and what they were training to do.
    In addition, clothes can showcase an aspect of the setting--particularly if the character's government is different than the reader's. If the genre is historical fiction, depending on the time period, clothes could be handmade. In a dystopia, clothes made for the wealthy would definitely be different than the clothes of the poor/ordinary citizens, and sometimes clothes are linked directly to other forms of social classes (like how in Veronica Roth's Divergent series, people wore outfits that had the color of their faction). And of course, if the character's world is different than real life, there's an opportunity to create a completely new fashion style.
    On some occasions, outfits can also be used as tools. A jacket could cover something up, you could catch a scurrying creature/device with a hat, glasses can be used to start a small fire. And I've read more than one novel where the character cuts strips of cloth to use as a makeshift bandage when they have a cut.
    And if you're writing an action/adventure/suspense story where there are fight scenes, clothes can be grabbed or yanked by the character's opponent. It's an option for when punches and kicks start to get overused.
    There are things to keep in mind, of course, when writing about clothes. For one, they've got to match the story's terrain. Someone living near the top of a mountain probably wouldn't be wearing thin clothing. The style should also be in tune with both the character and the situation--if a female character hates girly things, she would try to avoid dances where she'd have to wear a dress. A writer's also got to keep in mind that as action or events happen in the story, clothes can get affected. When you tumble down a steep hill, there's going to be dirt/grass stains on those jeans; if you're wearing the same jacket for a long time, it's going to get worn out, particularly at the elbows. Also, when writing about clothes, unless it's linked to the plot, genre, character, or the setting, one might not want to include too many detailed descriptions. To some people, what the character is wearing isn't very interesting, and they'd skip over entire scenes thinking it wouldn't be important.
    So there are a few observations. What do you think?
    Do clothes play a significant  role in your story? Does your character have a favorite outfit? What is it? :)

Weather In A Story

    If you've read the Under The Never Sky series, you know the important roles that the storms have. Not only is it a unique factor in the book's world, but it also makes things happen. It affects what the characters do, where they go, and it causes them to depend on one another.
    And if you've read the Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound Of The Baskervilles, you may notice how the weather affects the setting and the characters and the story. It gives off a sort of mysterious atmosphere that hints at danger, which can be ideal for that type of story.
    If a character is in a car chase with a bad guy, there would be a huge difference between the weather being sunny and pleasant and it being rainy with dark clouds blocking out the sun. The action could go in a dramatically different way. Being accurate with the weather is important too--it probably isn't cold enough to freeze snot during autumn in a beachside town, and when it's summer in Florida, it's not likely that a character would wear a scarf and long coat.
    Weather can be pretty important in a story. Not only does it add to description, but it can be used to prompt events, influence characters, and create a sort of mood in the story that the readers experience as they read.
    Does weather play a large role in your writing? What is your favorite type of weather to write about?