Letting The Sound In
Everyone has their idiosyncracies when writing. I’m not too fussy, but I know what I like. I like a room with no windows. I like a split keyboard. I like a big monitor, I like a bulletin board with my index cards up with clear thumbtacks, I like a baseball within arm’s reach (a nice soft training one because I toss it up and down and if it gets away from me, it’s nice to limit the damage).
What I have never liked is listening to music while writing.
I’ve always been a quiet worker. I find music distracting when I work, to the point where I feel frustrated…like a neurological patient who suddenly can’t find words he knows but can’t quite get out.
This isn’t because I hate music. It’s because I love music. I love it so much, it tends to grab my attention completely, and suddenly I’m adrift.
I’ve been playing music pretty much my whole life. My first instrument was the piano, of course, because I grew up in a middle-class Jewish home, and that’s what middle-class Jewish kids played. I wish I could say I enjoyed the piano. I didn’t really. I had some aptitude for it, and I remember doing pretty well at a recital, but I didn’t love it. For me, piano sounded great but felt forced. It never flowed for me.
My next instrument was the clarinet. Why? See Jewish home, middle-class.
I was actually quite good at the clarinet, and as a 10 year-old, I played in the Staten Island Borough-Wide Intermediate orchestra (which drew from the best of the orchestral players in the middle schools on Staten Island). The only problem with the clarinet was that it was a freakin’ clarinet. Don’t get me wrong. I loved being part of an orchestra. I really did. It’s just that…I mean…is it too much to ask for an instrument that doesn’t remind everyone of fellatio?
By the time I entered high school, I had left the piano and woodcock…sorry, clarinet…behind. I started concentrating on my singing, which I enjoyed far more, and which also got me girls. This was a far better pursuit, and I still love to sing.
But singin’ ain’t playing an instrument. You can’t lose yourself while singing, because you’re singing.
And then, one day………I met the drums.
Hallelujah. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had found my instrument. I had a natural feel and improvisational ability with the drums that I never had with the piano or the penisflute, and I threw myself happily into lessons.
I became obsessed with drums, drum gear, drummers…all of it. I bought myself a sweet kit made by Spaun Drums, a custom maker here in Southern California who does terrific work on par with DW and the other high-end bigshots. I bought Zildjians, Sabians, DW double-brace hardware, Pearl Eliminator double kick pedals, Remo heads for my snares and toms, an Evans EMAD for my kick…
…I could go on for hours about all this. But I won’t.
Because five and half years ago, I had my first child, and the drumming sort of stopped there.
It’s not my kid’s fault. I just have this thing about not drumming and waking up a sleeping baby. And then we had another kid. And the last five years have also been the busiest of my career.
Drumming had to take a back seat. So, what filled the gap?
What else?
Guitar, like the drums, is one of those instruments I just have a feel for, although without the benefit of lessons, I’m just a happy strummer. If you’re going to buy an electric guitar, and you’re going to buy one electric guitar, you’ll be buying the American Fender Stratocaster (Deluxe, if you can), and that’s that.
Unless you buy the Telecaster. That’s acceptable.
Nothing wrong with buying other guitars. Some great ones out there. But you have to have a Strat or a Tele before you go any further. Pair it up with a nice amp (tube amp only, please…we must be civilized, no?), find a fun multieffects pedal, and you can rock the brains out yer skull…and yes, quietly enough that the kids don’t wake up.
Still, electric guitars are for fun. Acoustic guitars are what make me happy. I’m self-taught. I can’t solo really, my technique is probably quite dodgy, and I have an annoying habit of playing without a pick, because I like the feel better than way. Still, I know a goodly sum of chords, and my fingers have gotten pretty strong over the years.
So yesterday, I treated myself to a reeeeeeally nice acoustic guitar. The latest addition to the Mazin instrument family is this bad boy.
It’s a Martin HD-28VE. Just a gorgeous guitar. I played some Taylors and a Takamine and a few other Martins, but this one just sounded so great to me. Such a joy to play.
But this article isn’t just about me and my love of music and my latest gear obsessions.
It’s about a major shift that’s occurred in my writing routine.
For the last few weeks, and for the first time ever in my career, I’m writing to music. I’m working on Superhero!, and even though spoof requires plenty of joke construction, this genre just feels so part-and-parcel with music. I can’t hum many film scores, but I know the score to Superman, I know the score to Burton’s Batman, and I can even hum parts of Spiderman.
So I decided to give it a shot. I downloaded Elfman’s Batman, Zimmer & Howard’s Batman Begins and Elfman’s Spiderman. I found pieces that fit the tone of the scenes I was writing (because in spoof, we never ever ever do “funny” music…I hate “funny” music…the music works as a serious counterpoint to the comedy, perhaps never better than with Elmer Bernstein’s original score for Airplane!), and then I just put them on repeat play.
I loved it.
It’s a pretty big breakthrough for me, because after ten years of a routine, any change seems like a breakthrough. The music doesn’t necessarily make the dialogue sharper or the jokes funnier. What it does is help me shape the feeling and purpose and pace of the scene as I write.
It also motivates me to think about which scenes require music and which don’t. The scenes that seem to work best without score are the snappy patter dialogue scenes, and this is really a “duh” sort of observation, because when it’s time to score our movies, those are the scenes we don’t score.
And yet, when you’re writing everything for the first time, all these cues help.
I don’t know if I’ll think of every movie this way, but something tells me I should. I know enough about my own creative process to know that I know very little about my creative process. Anything that helps me stumble to a scene that feels right is worth using.
Funny…I’ve always visualized the scenes. Saw the costumes, saw the faces, imagined the space, determined the angles, heard the sound effects…
…but never the music. Until now. For a guy who loves music so much, it seems like a strange bias to have had.
I blame the dickhorn!
I’ve always tried to write to music … but as with you, it has to be music that fits the work. This can be a challenge in some cases, but overall, I think, beneficial.
Holst to action… works wonders.
I mostly write to sports talk radio, which probably explains why my scripts have so many references to Babe Laufenberg.
I do tend to come up with lots of ideas for scenes/stories/etc. when listening to music, but it really only works for me when I’m in the car (and, I’m telling you, writing out notes at 95 miles per hour on the Tollway just before rush hour can really get the blood pumping).
I love writing in silence. I do, however, use music to manipulate my emotions from time to time. Music that fits the mood of a scene helps me set the tone in my mind.
BTW, yesterday my son randomly started a discussion on the merits of “Rocketman” on the way to school. He loves that movie! He just might be your biggest fan!
Heh. As long as he’s not a junior in high school, everything’s fine. :) Tell him I’m happy he enjoys it.
Interesting - I write to music sometimes myself.
I should probably do it more often -
I even included ‘appropriate to the mood of the scene’ soongs on a couple of drafts of two of my spec scripts, but I get so many complaints that ‘You’re not supposed to do that! Amateur!’ (well, duh: I’d say if I were a pro) that I took the titles out.
But I wonder: why shouldn’t I?
After all, it’s not in production with licensing issues: I’m just trying to set mood for readers.
It seems to me it’s like any other trick:
if you do it well, it helps the read, and if not, it hurts it.
Craig:
This is probably something of a tangent but I remember from a previous post you mentioned you gave up smoking soon after you entered the industry. I seem to almost quadruple the amount of cigarettes I smoke during the writing process and recently I’ve taken up the guitar to try and punctuate my creative bursts as opposed to smoking like a trooper. It’s not really working and I was wondering how you overcame your own addiction during the stress of writing (the only time I find it nigh on impossible to resist not lighting up). The nicotine rush seems to actually heighten my writing process, but the realisation that I’m destroying my body is a huge concern. Was it through music?
Travis:
If it feels good, do it.
Doug:
Quitting was hard for lots of reasons, but yes, you’re right to be concerned that it’s a relief valve during writing. If you don’t have that relief valve, then where does the stress and recrimination and doubt and madness all go?
Well, I finally figured out how to better deal with all that stuff, but I actually had to go into therapy.
So I guess my answer is…quit, but be prepared to deal with some changes.
Thanks Craig, great insights for developing writers, as always. Two, in particular stood out for me, “I know enough about my own creative process to know that I know very little about my creative process. Anything that helps me stumble to a scene that feels right is worth using.” And, “I found pieces that fit the tone of the scenes I was writing…”
On a slight tangent, I found one example of using the soundtracks, to create humor where there was none at http://www.i-am-bored.com/boredlink.cfm?linkid=19974 (benny hill fans only)
Any listening suggestions for writing crime-dramas?
My son is twelve. The perfect age to fully appreciate a good fart joke! :)
I’m preparing myself to go down that avenue as well; if I carry on writing whilst smoking It’s a sure-fire way to a Bukowski ending, it needs to be licked. Thanks Craig.
Getting back on track, I think you’re deluding yourself with the Fender…If you’re going to buy one electric guitar it has to be the Gibson EDS-1275 Double Neck…the reasons are simple, no other guitar can melt your face the way a Gibson does on a solo: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECQbcDanAnU).
If you can substantiate your claims to the Fender with anything even close to the orbit of Jimmy Page I might consider your point…but it’s unlikely.
Broken Link…Read as:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECQbcDanAnU
Annabel:
Twelve year olds are my dudes. And I’m still twelve years old on the inside. :)
Doug:
All too easy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJqgxjUy7lc
Daniel:
I’m not sure what kind of crime-drama you’re working on, but I think Jerry Goldsmith’s score for L.A. Confidential is superb.
This could turn into something of a spinal tap marathon…for the sake of posterity though I’m gonna trump you with this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUqTGZIexn4&mode=related&search=
Yep, you might come back with Hendrix and the star-spangled banner…but did he play it on top of Buckingham Palace, I think not…and thus ends my substantiation that the Gibson Guitar is the choice of ROYALTY.
Annabel, I should have been more specific.
To the left of the “fart button” is a movie with the word/button “PLAY.” When you click it, the “song” made famous by Benny Hill (Yakety Sax) plays over Michael Jackson’s world-famous Thriller video. Hearing Yakety Sax never fails to bring a smile to my face (which also discloses my likeness to 12 year olds).
I must confess I do love a good fart joke - but I feel I am in good company. Sarah Silverman and Mel Brooks to name a few.
Craig, thanks for the suggestion. I’ll check it out.
Doug:
Sorry, dude, but… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFUS7FlYE_g
Wow…I could have written a lot of this entry myself (distracting music and all), although my musical track went piano->voice->guitar->bass.
Unfortunately, I had to kick the instruments to the curb — no time for them anymore (not if I wanted to write anything, anyway). Now my guitar, bass and synth are under the bed in the guest room waiting for my son to be old enough to learn them.
BTW, you all need to acquaint yourselves with the name “Paul Reed Smith.”
Oh, I’m a big fan of the PRS, but here’s the thing: PRS’s are beautiful, sound great, but kind of dorky. :)
I mean that in the nicest way. After all, freakin’ Santana plays a PRS, and those quilted ten tops are just gorgeousity.
But they’re guitar dork guitars. Sort of the way drum dorks go on and on about Canopus Zelkova snares. I’ve never played one, I’m sure it’s awesome, but it’s a drum dork drum. :)
BTW, since you were last a bassist…I was thinking about adding one to my collection. The path of least resistance is to just buy a Standard J, but a bassist once told me the Ernie Balls were the way to go. What do you play?
Thank goodness you got a Martin. Anything else and the relationship we don’t have would be over.
I write songs.
Craig knows this.
I also played clarinet despite not being Jewish.
Craig may not have known this.
But most importantly, I play drums like a mother-effing RIOT.
Craig knew this but chose to forget this lest I best him at his best.
Long story short, give me your drums, Craig.
Surely I deserve them by now.
(P.S. I have heard Craig sing live. Ever since then, I have believed in God and angels and fairies. But mostly just fairies.)
Tim:
I’m not going to give you my drums. Ever. Ever ever.
Do you have drums?
C.
I actually can’t write without music.
Before I even start writing, I “create” an entire score for the picture. When I wrote a spin-off for the Mummy movie series, the entire score was pretty much all John Williams stuff with a few pieces from Basil Poledouris. Serial was all Thomas Newman (he’s perfect for sad themes and procedurial stuff). I tend to write comedy to songs rather than a score. The comedy I’m writing now is comprised of stuff from Franz Ferdinand, Forever Thursday, Badly Drawn Boy, with a some nice Jon Brion for flavor.
Welcome to the music world!
And thanks for the cool post…
Currently, I do not own drums as I have no place to put them.
Best I can do is play through my keyboard on Garage Band.
But it’s really ‘effing difficult to play based on the drum layout on the keyboard.
So please reconsider and give me your drums.
Do it now.
NEVER.
Annabel: A good fart joke is so priceless. I consider myself a reasonably refined, sophisticated woman (I can raise my pinky with the best of them) and yet I can’t escape it, farts are funny.
As to music, when reasonably serious about getting something done, I find music ‘gets me in the mood’. It’s a great primes the pump, gets me out of my head and squelches the self-doubt and the writing-hate long enough for me to get into creative mode. Once the words are flowing, I find it a distraction, except for Dvorak or Astor Piazzola.
Speaking of which what the H-E-double hockey sticks happened to my Piazzola CD. Just so you know…I don’t find it, I’m gonna blame one of you…
I didn’t mean to put down fart jokes. I was simply saying that fart jokes are especially appreciated by 12 year old boys. I love a good fart joke as much as the next guy!
Bastard.
Just for that, I’m NEVER gonna share the song I wrote for/about you.
It’s called “Work My A**hole With a Rake” and it ROCKS BALLS, MAN.
But not yours.
You balls will not be rocked.
Annabel, I would never peg you as a put-er down-er of fart jokes. I meant only to apply for membership in the RLWLFJ (Refined Ladies Who Love Fart Jokes) Club. Why, oh oh why…are they so durned funny? Even the word…but nevermind
I often use Silvestri’s action pieces (and his wonderful themes) to find a fast rythm for action scenes.
But I don’t listen to music when I’m writing. I do it only when I begin to create some scenes in my head, laying on the bed. I close my eyes and some pictures come into my mind.
Doing magic (with card tricks for my part) is also a good help : * you’re used to build a coherent and surprising story (I don’t talk about “the king of spades is Sherlock Holmes” thing, but simply : “Some kings can turn themselves face down” and later, when you turn them face up “But they also can change into Aces”!)
*with 3 acts (see the “Prestige” trailer)
*you tell incredible things that have to look credible (eg : “I’ve got an ordinary deck of cards” / “A guy with an “S” on his shirt is able to fly”)
You can generalise that not only for one trick but also for all the show (find the rythm, do different type of tricks (cards, ropes, etc) to get the audience awake and interested, find the best climax that all people will remember)…
For my last four scripts, writing music has been an absolute essential for me. I’ve always had background music on when I edit too (unless the scene or vid has its own specific music already.)
My listening tendancies in general are pop and soundtracks/scores so I just throw iTunes onto shuffle and skip whatever is breaking my mood.
For my last spec and the current movie I’m writing, I’ve compiled huge 7 - 8 hour playlists of songs and scores that key into the mood of the film I want to write, so I can let them roll and keep myself constantly in the tone I want to be in. (Also I find it helps to write between 10pm and 6am - way fewer phone calls and distractions, even if my body clock rebels once in a while)
Occasionally I’ll have a musical piece directly on repeat to influence one specific scene (Pino Donnagio’s theme from “Carrie” was key to one moment for me before) but mostly it’s just about keeping in the mood. I honestly don’t know how I could write without music.
So many screenwriters, so many sad disassembled drum sets living in closets…. :)
I throw my Sabian (high) hat into the ring.
Dorkier than a local custom-shop kit? :)
Note that PRS licenses cheaper models now that can be had for under $500 (I think they’re Korean-made). From what I hear, they’re pretty good axes. That definitely reduces the dork factor!
Wow — I’m flattered! :)
Yamaha BB5000. I was looking at inexpensive new basses when I decided to pick one up, and the salesman showed me the old Yammy for a little bit more $$. It wasn’t long after I strapped it on and plugged it in that I forgot about the new models. :) It was about 20 years old, but in fantastic condition (according to the sales guy, the previous owner was a session player who pretty much kept it in the studio and took great care of it).
I’ve heard good stuff about Ernie Balls, but haven’t played one myself. Of course, it’s all about going to a shop and trying out instruments until you find the one that fits YOU just right. I hadn’t even considered any Yamahas until the salesman turned me on to it while I was trying out other things.
If I had to have one guitar, it would probably be a Tom Anderson or Suhr with two single coils in the neck and middle and a humbucker in the bridge.
As far as Ernie Ball/Musicman goes, they make great instruments at mass-production prices. I would go for a used musicman (you can find great deals on ebay and craigslist) over the production fender stuff any day of the week personally.
If you want an EBMM bass and like the feel of a J bass, check out the Sterling. The neck is a bit more slender so they feel like a J, whereas the stingray feels more like a P.
Tyler
Tyler:
Thanks for the tips.
Aaron:
Drums kind of lend themselves to lots of proshops. There are tons of places that buy Keller shells and then go nuts on the design aspect of the drums, but there are a few companies that are very small and crafty and dorky. Large custom non-dorky drums include Spauns, OC Drums, Ayotte (before they got bought). Drum dork drums include stuff like Canopus or Dunnett.
Again, though, the drum dork drums are excellent. Just dorky!
You want dorky? A couple of years ago, I purchased a Custom Shop Jackson King Vee guitar - a near-exact replica of the late Robbin Crosby’s “Big Red” guitar.
Though I guess that’s not the same kind of dorky.
Hey Craig,
I just zipped you an email … have you heard about this? Award-winning novelist http://jonathanlethem.com/freelove.html has a unique idea for the film adaption of his newest work … is that even possible, or a good idea?
What are your thoughts?
The one thing I’ve always regretted is that I didn’t stick with music class in middle/high school. I started on trombone, which I hated only slightly less than everything other non-percussion piece, before they moved me to percussion. I loved the drums (as my dad did), but since they start you small I had to tolerate one snare and the bells. I hated the bells. So I quit.
Now I’m almost 24 years old and I can’t play anything and it sucks. I’ve always wanted to learn piano, drums, and guitar at least. I have a natural understanding of rhythm and tone (even though I can’t sing to save my life), but I’ve just never put the effort in. My dad died recently and left me a pretty nice electric guitar, but I’m incredibly impatient and want to be good right now, so I always put it down, frustrated, half an hour into it.
I’m afraid it’s one of those forever-repeating ‘ill learn it next week/month/year’ things that’ll haunt me to my grave. But who knows…
Phoenix, I have three words for you:
PS2. Guitar. Hero.
(Soon you’ll be able to replace the “PS2” with “XBox” if that’s your fancy.)
Craig:
The Fender Jazz (along with its older brother the Precision) is the industry standard for basses. However, the Ernie Ball has a sound all its own and does indeed have a place in the Great Bass Hall of Fame.
But the best bang-for-buck bass, in my opinion, is an old US G&L. G&L was Leo Fender’s last company before his death. Leo pretty much invested the fretted electric bass and it is widely known in the bass world that Leo considered his G&L designs as the most evolved of his creations. Try finding an L-2000, a dual humbucker. The old US ones (pre-2004) are essentially hand made and go for around $600.
Just a thought from a guy who’s owned some 50+ basses.
Great website, btw.
erm….Leo invented the electric bass, and sort of invested in it too, I guess…certainly made good money off of it.
Fat Man:
Thanks for reading, and super advice on that bass. Never heard of it, but I tend to listen carefully to people who’ve bought 50+ basses.
You’re not the musician who goes by the name “Fat Man” by any chance, are you? The guy who did the music for The Seventh Hour?
Aaron -
Oh, believe me, I have warn my fingers raw on GH1 and 2. In fact, every time I get frustrated with real guitar, I pop in GH and fire off a few ripping chords just to make myself feel better.
No, Craig. I’m some other fat guy.
You ever get the urge to take a G&L (or a StingRay) for a spin, let me know…. I’ve got a couple lying around.
I listen to music a lot, esp. as I’m brainstorming ideas for my plot. It really helps define the mood for me, and my mind has always gone into “movie reel” mode when I listen to music anyway. I find that I can mentally project an amazingly sharp picture of what’s going on when I listen to music.
I like to get songs that fit the mood, and I almost imagine them playing on the actual soundtrack of the movie.
Right now I even have a theme song for one of my characters.
I find it impossible to write with music, TV or radio playing. But often I have music loaded up for frequent breaks while writing. I find that the emotionally stripped state I seek when writing drama is enhanced by music…
About 10 years ago, I wrote an episode of “Homicide” which was to include the old R&B hit “Hello, Stranger.” I must’ve listened to the song 100 times during the writing process… sometimes it made me cry. (The song in the script served almost as the voice of a murdered little girl.)
Another script I wrote, I listened to Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue” album maybe 50 times… Just step away from the keyboard for a few minutes, rinse the mind with the music, then back to the grindstone.
I need to get back to that, because the past couple of TV scripts, I started doing something way worse when I stepped away from the laptop: smoking cigarettes.
A man and his Fender:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-IzO30aF_g
I was with you until you said “double kick pedals.” They’re one of my pet peeves as a drummer.
If you want to play the drums without waking the neighbours look into the electronic kits you can get now- they’ve gotten way better in the last few years, and will certainly help you get out your percussive heebie jeebies. I have an electronic kit in my apartment and an acoustic kit stored at the rehearsal studio.