June of Doom & Gloom - Week 2 discussion and etc. post

[huinare]

Welcome to the second week of this thing!

How is everyone doing? Discussion, writers' angst, other stuff? Put it in this thread!

Also, discussion topic: Do you have music you're using or plan to use as inspiration for your stories or mood music during your writing process? This question extends to anyone, whether you are participating in the challenge or no: What are some songs, or types of music, that get you in the right mood for writing sorrowful or doomful fiction (or making art of the same nature)? Links or lyrics welcome!

Comments

[independence1776]

I wrote the first draft!

As for music: I have a playlist consisting of three Enya songs that I generally listen to, no matter the mood or tone of what I'm working on. I've listened to them for so long as my writing music that it's basically background noise. However, my dark AU (which I'm not working on for this) I get in the mood for by listening to Blind Guardian's "Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)."

[huinare.livejournal.com]

I wrote the first draft!

Excellent! =D

However, my dark AU (which I'm not working on for this) I get in the mood for by listening to Blind Guardian's "Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)."

YOUR BANE'S A TEARFUL DESTINY. \m/

I've loved Nightfall in Middle-earth since before I'd even read the Silm.

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

Still busy tapping away... we'll see what happens.

I have some 'newer' music (2000 +) that I listen to, usually looking up fanvids on Y-T. But most of what I listen to is *old* (1970 is about the latest I listen to, tbh.

Sometimes the right movie helps *if* I can find one but that can be really dicey and it can be too distracting.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Still busy tapping away... we'll see what happens.

TBH it sounds like you're getting a lot more done than I have on this thus far (but hey, the month is only 1/3 over...)

I've never had a movie on while writing. I'd probably get too distracted or end up tuning it out completely. What sort of movies have worked for you?

[zdenka]

-I made three or four false starts on a scene in the new plotbunny, none of which worked, and now I'm thinking I should leave it out altogether.

I've also been trying to work on thematically appropriate WIPs:
-I made significant progress on a Numenor-related fic I started last November and had stalled on, and now I'm tentatively hopeful that I'll have a finished draft by the end of the month. It's weirdly philosophical and I'm not sure how much sense it makes, but I would be very pleased if I could at least get it finished beginning to end with no gaps.

-I dug out a file that is trying to be an interrelated set of drabbles and poked at them a little more. I keep dithering over whether I should post what I have or wait till there are more of them. And also I can't think of a non-stupid title.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

"Weirdly philosophical" is a phrase that always gets my attention. I'll read what you've posted later this evening. The Thing I'm Supposed To Be Writing is also a Númenor thing.

Titles can sometimes be the biggest problem. A lot of the time I end up giving my stuff really literal titles (like my Istari story titled "Istari, circa 1040 T.A.") because nothing else comes to me. =P

[zdenka]

Thanks for reading the excerpt. :) I'll be pleased to read your Númenor story if your writing process cooperates.

Titles are haaard! Heh. One could do worse. I might end up taking a line from the description of the ring in the Silm or the Lays of Beleriand if I can't think of anything better.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I love music, but I need near silence to write in.I fear since getting Harry my Muses have been mostly hiding.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

I know some people work better in silence. I have music on so often in my daily life than I notice its lack as though something is wrong.

I fear since getting Harry my Muses have been mostly hiding.

It seems like he provides plenty of entertainment. He's quite an adorable creature. =)

[hhimring]

Progress is slow. Maitimo has said farewell to Curumo and is climbing the stairs. Really exciting stuff!

I have no music specially for writing gloomy things, although my taste in writing music generally veers towards the melancholy.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

You've made more progress than I have. ;)
I was avoiding responding to this thread because I thought I ought to be able to post my own progress first, but that seemed to do just the opposite of motivating me to write. Ah well, no law saying the progress has to be made at the -start- of June (that certainly would've been shooting myself in the foot). =D

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I wrote a paragraph while I was on vacation, but I have a long way yet to go. It's funny that you talk about music. Music is a central theme of my tale, but because of the spin I'm putting on it, I can't actually listen to much of anything while I'm writing this. That's a bit of a bummer because sometimes music is just the key.

Actually...Memento ( http://remyvankesteren.nl/ )might pull the trick here. He has a few tracks that are a bit bizarre for harp playing, and it might just work. I'll try tonight if I can clear up some of my pile of emails.

- Erulisse (one L)

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Given your hectic schedule, a paragraph while on vacation is laudable. Ah, music as a central theme? I'm intrigued!

Is there a music player on the Remy site you linked to? If so, my dear little laptop hasn't deciphered the coding for it. I'll go look for some of the tracks on youtube.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

No, I put the link in to show which (of many different) Memento albums I was referring to. He's an amazing harpist with a very modern flair and some fabulous stuff. I hope you can find some examples of his music.

- Erulisse (one L)

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Ah okay, so many artists' sites have music samples these days that I thought maybe I was missing something. I just found this on youtube; not sure if there will be any overlap with that particular album's content, but I'm about to have a listen (if Ori will stop being in a snit about being asked to open the tab).

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Here are a few more links for his music. He's really fun, the way he takes charge of the harp and makes it work both musically and with tonal dissonance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoDG2KpSLqE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPx3pWnr7Fw

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkKSHVdJCx0

- Erulisse (one L)

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I like his style, really expressive. He's also attractive enough to cast me into a state of mild ire. =p

[ladybrooke]

I'm attempting to figure out what to write. *flail* It's going about as expected...it might have to wait until "I Survived First Age Beleriand" is over, because trying to figure out what to write for Gil-galad, Elros, and Elrond is painful.

Strangely, pop makes it easier for me to write sorrowful and doomful fiction. I think it's because if I listen to sad stuff, it puts me into a real life funk, and then I don't write. :P No links, since I'm not sure anyone needs a link to that type of music.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you'll think of something; still ~20 days left! It seems many people are currently immersed in ISFAB week.

Strangely, pop makes it easier for me to write sorrowful and doomful fiction. I think it's because if I listen to sad stuff, it puts me into a real life funk, and then I don't write.

I can see where that could happen. Whatever works!

[ladybrooke]

I'm trying to, at least! :D It will probably end up Fingon or Maglor centered, since doom and gloom is like a default setting for me with them...

[zdenka]

I find that music helps me concentrate, so I usually have background music playing when I'm working or writing. For story inspiration, I try to find something that feels like it fits the mood and sometimes things with appropriate imagery in the lyrics. (Though fiddling around with playlists can turn into a way to procrastinate if I'm nervous about starting.) My playlists are mostly sorted by mood anyway, rather than by genre or decade or anything else. I have a "tragedy" playlist for music which is kind of despairing and dramatic and defiant, which seems relevant to this exercise. :)

I was thinking about posting links, but no one else has, and I'm self-conscious about my odd musical tastes.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

I similarly prefer to have music on while writing (whether creative or official/academic-type writing). I definitely need really upbeat stuff when I'm writing papers for school.

I rarely make playlists (not sure why), more like slap some music I'd deem thematically or mood appropriate into the media player before settling in to write. I've got several Pandora stations for different moods, but those are hit-or-miss since they can throw some real doozies into the mix.

Look, Wheelrider posted a music link below. I'll post one eventually. If you want to post one, go for it (if not, no pressure).

[wheelrider.livejournal.com]

Hm. I hadn't had a good idea for June of Doom and Gloom story (except for something... really bizarre and graphically sexual...? Where the hell did that come from?) but I have LOTS of gloomy music suggestions! :D

Actually, I've had a draft post about this subject stewing in my brain for a while... a list of all the black and death metal bands that take their names from the Tolkien legendarium, plus some other music that would be of the sort I'd expect the darker characters to enjoy. I'll just leave one of the latter here:

[huinare.livejournal.com]

I had a nearly finished reply to this comment and then, by some arcane sorcery surely invoked by that song, my computer froze and I had to reboot.

Anyway,
(except for something... really bizarre and graphically sexual...? Where the hell did that come from?)
Bwahaha do tell!

That does sound like something I could see playing in the background while people are getting high in Utumno; kind of...ominous drone-y.

[wheelrider.livejournal.com]

(except for something... really bizarre and graphically sexual...? Where the hell did that come from?)
Bwahaha do tell!

When it comes down to it, I find that I'm much more shy about putting this sort of thing out there than my personal outlook/history/reading habits would suggest. I've actually contemplated setting up another pseudonym just for this story idea.

So in other words, I might do it, but followers of June of Doom & Gloom might not ever know about it. Is that weird? Probably.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Ah. Frankly I'd probably feel the same way in that situation!