For some authors, the writing process is a quiet, contemplative affair, a solitary journey into the silent corners of their imagination. They need absolute stillness to hear the whispers of their characters and the rhythm of their prose. I, however, am a writer who finds my muse in noise. My creative process is a full-on, high-volume experience, a symbiotic relationship between words and sound that begins and ends with music. Just as a film has a score to guide the audience’s emotions, my stories have a curated soundtrack that fuels every plot twist, every character’s internal struggle, and every climactic moment. Music isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing part of the story itself.
The “Get Psyched” Mix
Every single writing session begins the same way for me: with my Spotify playlist. Inspired by the legendary Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother, I have a meticulously curated playlist I call my “Get Psyched” mix. It’s a dynamic mix of everything from stadium-rock anthems to electrifying film scores, and it serves as a launchpad for my creative energy. This isn’t just background noise; it’s a tool I use to shift my mindset from the mundane reality of my desk to the boundless possibilities of the fictional world I’m building. The first thunderous chords are like a switch, turning on my imagination and getting me ready to step into the world of my characters.
From Sound to Scene
Once the music is on, the real work begins. I don’t just listen to music while I write; I actively use it to shape the scenes themselves. I’ll often find myself picturing a specific moment in my story—whether it’s an epic chase or a quiet moment of reflection—and then searching for the perfect piece of music to fit that scene. For instance, the epic, building feel of “Sirius,” the classic Chicago Bulls theme song, can perfectly capture a character about to face their fears or step up to the climax. The driving beat and soaring horns are the audio equivalent of a character’s rising courage, of gathering their strength just before the big moment. Similarly, the work of Hans Zimmer is a constant source of inspiration. His grand, sweeping scores: from the ominous, building sound of The Dark Knight to the iconic, mind-bending layers of Inception, allow me to craft a sense of scale and epic drama, helping me to build a scene that feels as cinematic on the page as it would on the big screen. The music becomes a direct guide for the emotional tone, dictating the rhythm and intensity of the words I write. If the song swells with strings, the scene swells with emotion; if the beat quickens, so does the pace of the action.
The Guitar Solo as a Climax
My deep-seated love for rock music has given me one of the most powerful metaphors that I use for my stories: the guitar solo. Think about your favourite rock anthem. The song builds, the rhythm section locks into a powerful groove, and then, the guitar solo arrives. It’s a moment of pure, unbridled energy and emotion that takes all the previous tension and releases it in a brilliant flash of sound. This is exactly how I see the climax of a story. The plot builds, the characters are pushed to their limits, and then the final confrontation or revelation hits with the force of a blistering guitar solo. It’s that one moment that you’ve been waiting for, the peak of the emotional journey that brings everything together in a single, powerful burst. The solo isn’t just notes; it’s a catharsis, just as the climax isn’t just action; it’s a release of all the built-up narrative tension.
So, the next time you’re reading one of my novels, know that there’s a good chance a rock anthem or a soaring film score was playing in the background. My stories are not just words on a page; they are a symphony of sound and story, where every beat and every chord is working in harmony to create a world that only I can tell.
A. R. Hurst 