Music as Inspiration

I have always been inspired by music. Sometimes by the lyrics, but mostly the sound. For fantasy, I particularly like haunting sounds, such as Are You Sitting Comfortably by the Moody Blues, and Eres Tu by Mocedades.

The earliest inspirations for Swords of Fire came from a combination of dreams, interest and music. Fernando, by Abba, was one of the earliest song inspirations. The song is about a war in Mexico fought with guns, but the lyrics were less important to me than the music. Fernando has both the necessary haunting sound for fantasy, as well as a powerful battle cry. That the song speaks of defeat made it even better, for the scene it inspired was a scene of defeat. There was a time when Madatar was actually called Fernando. I liked the meaning. Fernando means "world traveler". It fit. But eventually I abandoned it. It just didn't fit. Especially when I trashed the original story and began at another point in time. That first version, The White King of Ladondo, may never be written.

I wrote a funeral scene while imagining Eres Tu in my head. I had to keep wiping tears so they wouldn't fall on the paper. Without the music the scene was just silly.

Music creates mood - for me - and it can sustain the mood for a long time. It is not unusual for me to listen to the same song(s) over and over and over again while I write a scene. The Moody Blues are probably most often represented, although there are others.

I have written song lyrics a few times for Swords of Fire. Probably my favorite is Elven Wings at Rest, which is posted both here and on A Voice in the Wind. Perhaps others will read the song and think, "What dribble!" But I hear the music, and the music supercedes the words. I expect that is why I tend to be wordy in what I write: the music is always playing - in my head.