Soundtrack

Do you soundtrack? Is there a needle traveling the surface of your soul; playing heartsongs to your head, even if your ears aren't tuned to it?

There was an LA radio station in the 70s that claimed to be a soundtrack to the California day. I always liked that. I pictured my self a gritty narrator setting the scene. That's why I soundtrack. My day is filled with music. It helps my mood and even puts me in character.

I read an interview, ages ago, Sandra Bullock said that sometimes she smoked flavored cigarettes to get into character. Something about the flavor helped her identify. I like to think I'm doing the same thing. I'm not nearly as attractive doing it, but in my way, I'm trying to find the soul of a character through sensation.

While writing Steamtopia, I set a playlist on my iPhone. When I worked out dialogue, I used smaller lists. Songs that gave me the attitude and verbal cadence of the character. It wasn't exhaustive, just enough to put me in a place.

This is the playlist I created for for Rowena, my Morlock girl wrestling with others' expectations vs. her heart's sense of justice. The songs don't say all that, but they moved me to a place that put me in mind of her goals.


What about you?
Do you soundtrack?
What puts you in your creative space?