Music is such a huge part of the process of creation for me. I keep forgetting that. I’ve gotten back to listening to music on a more regular basis since I got the Mac book. It’s lead to some rewrites and other ideas cropping up and that really is a good thing.
I suppose one of the earliest instances of this was Dream Theater’s album “Images and Words”. Every single series I’ve written has in someway taken an idea from the music from that album. EA and Mailbox included. “Take the Time” is still one of the most epic songs I’ve ever heard and it still makes me get all goose-bump-y when I hear it and picture action sequences happening set to the song. Another song that changed everything was “Greenman” from XTC’s “Apple Venus Vol. 1”. I’d had the idea for Errant Apprentice for many moons. The idea of a knight and magic in a modern setting has probably been done to death in one form or another, though I personally have never seen it. The problem with the series was I had no real direction or reason to tell the story. I’d gotten the title for Errant Apprentice from an Irish song I’d heard Jim Flanagan perform, but other than that I had nothing. Then I heard “Greenman”. In the span of about twenty minutes I had the whole reason for all of it. I suppose Andy Partridge deserves a co-writing credit on the series just for that.
Something else about music that is interesting is that it’s not always the lyrics. A LOT of times it’s just the flow of the song. The feeling and colors that come from it. I can see what’s happening to it. The mood effects the mood of the story. I suppose the funny thing is that all these comics are just a substitute for my inability to do an animated series. Ah well. The point is, take your brain off the hook every now and again and see where the music takes you.
PS: I’m currently absolutely enthralled with Imogen Heap’s work, so let’s see what happens with that.
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