A Community of Artists

December 15, 2015Leave a comment

Once is a touching movie about musicians and art and connection. It’s now a stage musical, and recently the touring company invited amateur musicians in to sing “Falling Slowly” with them.

Walt shared the video with me this morning, and it got me kind of teary, seeing all these musicians of all ages and backgrounds and levels of professional status in the same space, sharing their art and making something wonderful together as a little community.

Writing and publishing as a career can be hard. But one thing I’m always grateful for–the people. I’m so grateful to be part of a community of writers and readers and librarians and educators and bloggers and fans. From across the world, from all kinds of backgrounds, from major bestselling authors to first draft-ers, from experienced bloggers to people who have just found YA, it’s uplifting and exciting to share our stories and our experiences, either in person or online.

So no matter where you are in your writing journey or your reading life, thank you for being part of this community. Your voice matters.

“Heads Will Roll” on Halloween

October 31, 20132 Comments

Happy Halloween, everybody! In case you couldn’t guess by my Twitter feed today (or really, this month), I’m a big fan of Halloween-ish music. Who needs Christmas carols when you have classics like “The Monster Mash” and the Ghostbusters theme song?

One of my current favorite creepy songs is “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The video is really fun, too:

Similarly, I like when Halloween pops up in books/movies otherwise not about Halloween. The Chance You Won’t Return has a Halloween scene, and has been there since the first draft. So much of the book is about who you present yourself as and who you really are, which meant that having a Halloween scene seemed necessary. Other favorite books with Halloween scenes include:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Class halloween parties are great until there’s a troll in the dungeon. Who doesn’t love the moment when Harry, Ron, and Hermione become friends?
To Kill a Mockingbird
So much of the book feels like summer to me, but the last terrifying and beautiful scene is set on Halloween night.
The Egypt Game
Halloween is when the group takes its full form, with Toby and Ken joining. This book feels like fall to me.

Hope you all have a fun and spoooooky night!

Composers and Writers

October 30, 20131 Comment

People closest to me know that a) I’m not musical, and b) I really wish I were musical. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take inspiration from famous composers! Here’s a collection of great quotes from composers about making art. A few of my favorites:

“To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist.”–Robert Schumann

I love this idea and this image. I feel this connects especially well to YA, which is so often about first encounters with despair and grief and pain, but ultimately also hope and love.

“The old idea of a composer suddenly having a terrific idea and sitting up all night to write it is nonsense. Nighttime is for sleeping.”–Benjamin Britten

Okay, everyone’s process and schedule is different. Some people work late into the night, and others get up super early in the morning to get work done. But a) I love sleep, and b) for me, lots of writing happens when I make myself sit down and work, not when inspiration suddenly strikes. The “feverish writing all night” image is kind of romantic, but I think it neglects the work that writers put in day-to-day.

“Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.”–Johannes Brahms

In a similar vein, I love this focus on craftsmanship. You can have the best idea in the world, but it takes work and craft and thought to bring it to life on the page.

Click through for more composer quotes.

(image: crazybobbles)

Unintentional Book Soundtracks

August 2, 20135 Comments

This morning I was headed into work and “King and Lionheart” by Of Monsters and Men came on:

I started singing along, and about halfway through I realized that this song reminded me so much of Tamora Pierce’s The Song of the Lioness books, particularly the relationship between Alanna and Prince/King Jonathan. They go through a lot together, including defending the kingdom, and I feel like the song really captures a sense of love and loyalty.

However, I’m guessing Of Monsters and Men wasn’t inspired by this fantastic series. (If they were, please let me know because that would be so freaking awesome.) But it made me think about the songs that remind me of books, even if there isn’t a direct tie or inspiration. A few other songs I inexplicably tie to books:

“Middle Cyclone” by Neko Case
Makes me think of: The Hunger Games
Why: Because it’s about someone who knows that, despite having to stay strong and appear cold, deeply needs to be with someone who loves them. Which is why, even though I was totally Team Gale, I think Peeta is the right choice for Katniss.
Key lyrics: “I can’t give up acting tough / It’s all that I’m made of / Can’t scrape together quite enough / To ride the bus to the outskirts of the fact that I need love”

“Some Night” by Fun
Makes me think of: Hamlet
Why: Having a ghost hanging over you.
Key lyrics: “But I still wake up, I still see your ghost / But, Lord, I’m still not sure what I stand for, oh / What do I stand for? What do I stand for?”

“Man on Fire” by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Makes me think of: Tuck Everlasting
Why: This one’s probably the most random. It’s not about everlasting life or death, but I feel like there’s a sense in the song of being someone outside of society, who wants to make people understand what it is to truly live life. I feel like that sense of appreciation for life is very much apart of the Tucks, particular Tuck himself.
Key lyrics: “Only one desire / That’s left in me / I want the whole damn world / To come and dance with me”

Are there any songs you associate with books, even if there’s no actual connection?

Books, Ghosts, and “The Stars”

July 9, 2013Leave a comment

A pop-up book art project tribute to Jukebox the Ghost? YES PLEASE.

Jukebox the Ghost is also the unofficial soundtrack artist to one of my future projects, so their music has a special place in my heart. And I love this use of an old book in an art project.

(H/T Walt McGough)

New Musical Inspiration

May 30, 20131 Comment

If I’d known about Basia Bulat when I was writing QotA, she would have been all over my playlist. Especially “I Was a Daughter,” which you can listen to:

I love when songs remind me of a character or capture the tone of something I’m writing. What songs connect with your work?

Previously about playlists.

Links Galore

November 26, 2012Leave a comment

A few more links to get you through Monday:

Sometimes parents do understand.
Time travel tv shows + famous literary figures = awesomeness. (Make sure to check out Colin Firth as William Shakespeare!)
Great book-to-movie scores/soundstracks. My favorite has to be “Kindle My Heart” from A Little Princess.
Speaking of adaptations, here’s a list of excellent movies inspired by classic books.
I think novel playlists are essential. But maybe you prefer something more generally instrumental.
Comparing voice and pace in YA and adult fiction.
Use old books in your holiday decorating.

Song Books

October 15, 20122 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that I like creating playlists for my writing projects, but I never thought of making playlists for beloved books. Fortunately, Tapes on Books is on the case. What a cool way to delve deeper into classic novels and discover new music.

One suggestion from their take on Lord of the Files is (I’m) Stranded by the Saints:

The boys might have fared a little better if they’d had some tunes and rocked out.

(H/T Doubleday)

Jazz Up Your Quotes

August 14, 2012Leave a comment

A couple of fun blogs that take on literary quote matching. I’m feeling the synesthesia!

I’ve mentioned before that I like to create playlists for my various literary projects. But I’ve never tried matching songs to previously created works from the literary canon. Enter literary jukebox, which pairs famous quotes with thematically similar songs.

And this tumblr might leave you craving a sugary treat, but I think Dough Country for Old Men, which pairs pictures of donuts with literary quotes, is pretty fun. The title puns alone get my approval. My own attempt at donut quotes: