I freely admit to many forms of obsession.
I don't see any of them as minuses in my life as a creative person. An obsessive compulsive disorder detracts from a person's life, getting in the way of doing basic things.
A driving passion, however, is not only to be embraced if you're going to master something enough to truly understand your creative medium (or your sport, if that's what you love to do) -- it's actually necessary.
If I told you someone repeated the same actions in the same sequence over and over every evening before he went to bed, you might think, wow, that person must have OCD. Yet, if I told you that person was an elite violinist and he was working on musical scales, perfecting his technique, you would have a much different view of that person than if I told you it was a guy who re-sorted his DVD collection into perfect blocks of color according to the packaging spines of the jewel cases -- but only if he looked behind each DVD three times.
If you asked hockey superstar Sidney Crosby how many hours he's spent shooting a puck into the net, he probably wouldn't be able to tell you. If he didn't obsessively practise his hockey technique, he would not be the player he has become. For artists and athletes, the word 'obsession' could basically be replaced with 'passion'.
One of my most enjoyable obsessions/passions is listening to music while I'm writing. It often has nothing to do with the tone or subject matter of the scene I'm working on. I just have to be obsessed with it.
I'll know I'm obsessed with a song or a piece of music when I end up choosing it as the first song of the writing session, playing it about six times in a row, and then returning to it a few times during that writing time.
Often, that song will go through my head while I'm riding the bus, and I'll hum it through the day, only to race towards it once again the next evening.
For me, I find that my musical obsessions act as a short-cut to placing me in the head-space I need in order to write fiction. I'm telling my brain 'Write NOW' with my obsessive selection.
So, here are thirteen of my current and former musical obsessions, all of which have led to the scenes that become my books.
1 - I'm Your Boogie Man -- KC and the Sunshine Band
2 - Assassin -- Muse
3 - Princes of the Universe -- Queen
4 - Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? -- Moby
This version specifically, with all of the Dean and Sam voiceovers from Supernatural
5 - Lies -- The Pierces
Also, this version specifically, because there are Guy of Gisborne scenes in this one that I will stop to watch.
6 - I'm Crying -- The Animals
I guess I can see a bit of a pattern here (LOL!) Guess that's why I'm obsessed with these ones.
7 - I'm a Man -- Black Strobe
8 - And Your Bird Can Sing -- The Beatles
9 - Sex Crime -- Eurythmics
10 - Peace Frog -- The Doors
11 - The Song Remains the Same -- Led Zeppelin
12 - Closet Romantic -- Damon Albarn
13 - So High -- Elvis Presley
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8 comments:
oh Elvis what a talent
I'm just the opposite. if there's music or human voice, writing is much harder. wind in the trees, traffic, fine. I can listen to a song I like once or twice a decade and be content.
I guess I'm one of those authors who has to have it extremely quiet while I'm working. I've tried listening to music, but it ends up distracting me, or I get up from my desk and start dancing, which gets nothing done. LOL! Happy Thursday!
That's quite a mix of music. I've been playing a lot of Moby and Muse lately, especially when I'm writing. As to passion vs OCD, don't get me started.
When I'm writing, I definitely need music in the background, but it needs to be instrumental. Any lyrics and I get too distracted! I usually pick video game soundtracks because I can find the right mood for the scene I'm writing. :)
A friend of mine who's son is diagnosed autistic / OCD relayed just how good he was at learning languages. He just wouldn't stop until he at least had the basic conversation ability for their boat trip through the countries on the itinerary. He was amazing. There are positives everywhere if you look for them.
I'm glad you wrote the essay to explain and clarify. I also find that I need to tell my brain what it's time to do. Otherwise I'm much too easily distracted, especially as I get older.
My triggers are phrases. I look for interesting or rhythmic word patterns and start listing them. Those are telling my brain to slow down and feel the sound of the language.
I write to both silence and music, it really depends on my mood. Sometimes I like the big scope of a theatrical music line, like from Lord of the Rings, when I am working.
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