After a hectic spring, I decided I didn’t feel like taking on a summer writing challenge, like Camp NaNoWriMo or Actually Finishing Something [in] July, as much fun as they would have been in other circumstances. I’m just not up to pressure, especially self-pressure (which is one of my weaknesses anyway). Anyway, I spent a little while waffling between three different projects, and I’ve finally decided to re-edit Corral Nocturne, my last year’s project from Actually Finishing Something. I’d had vague ideas about editing it for a while. But reading Five Glass Slippers (which was excellent, by the way; my review here) gave me some much clearer ideas about what it was lacking and how I might improve it.There’s definitely a distinct musical mood to this story, so once again I have a small playlist that I listen to when I need to get in the mood for working on it. I thought it’d be fun to share it the way I did for The Summer Country. You’ll notice there’s much more of a thematic connection between music and story this time. One piece, obviously, provided both mood and a title. The first and last tunes are featured in the story itself; “Cathy’s Theme” is the only one that really has no connection beyond being gorgeously romantic:
- “After the Ball” by the Romantic Strings Orchestra
- “Corral Nocturne” from Rodeo by Aaron Copland
- “Cathy’s Theme” from Wuthering Heights by Alfred Newman (I have the City of Prague Philharmonic recording, but this one’s gorgeous too).
- “It’s a Grand Night For Singing” from State Fair, by Richard Hayman and His Orchestra
- “At the Old Barn Dance” by the Sons of the Pioneers
- “Saturday Night Waltz” from Rodeo by Aaron Copland
- “Sunset” from the Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofé
- “Night Falls on the Prairie” by the Sons of the Pioneers
- “The Buggy Ride” from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1986) by William Perry
- “Night Shadows” by Roy Webb, from a Wagon Train episode
- “Golden Slippers” – this recording by Cliffie Stone and His Square Dance Band
Fascinating! Isn't it cool how certain stories demand certain music, and how other stories allow themselves to be shaped by music? I was struggling and struggling with a WWII story — literally for years — and I finally finished it recently by listening to the Thor soundtrack. The music had nothing to do with WWII, but it just worked.
Right now I'm working on a western fanfic story, and it insists I listen to one particular Bobby Darin album. Which does at least make a little sense, as it's a fanfic story for a Bobby Darin movie (Gunfight in Abilene, which… if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and get it. Fabulous B western!) However, none of my other Bobby Darin albums work at all.
So, thanks for sharing this! I'm going to listen to all of these this afternoon while baking pie and doing sundry other things.
Yes, exactly! Orchestral music which has no real connection to the story, but for some reason is just the right "mood," gives me the most inspiration. The one exception is a WWII novel idea that I have brewing…for that I put together a list of mostly 1940s popular songs that seem to fit it perfectly.
Some of these links are just to samples, unfortunately, since I couldn't find the whole songs online, but you get enough to get the general idea!
I've just been listening to the YouTube ones so far. "Cathy's Theme" reminds me of afternoons in college when I would get the communal lounge all to myself and watch whatever was on AMC between classes 🙂 Copland I knew already, and "It's a Grand Night for Singing."
Nice! I love thinking of what music goes with what story.
I'm curious about Corral Nocturne. I think Five Glass Slippers would have been improved with a western addition. 🙂
Much as I'd love to have been included in Five Glass Slippers, all through this latest round of edits I've been thanking the Lord that I didn't win—there were so many things in the story that I found could be made much better. So everything has turned out for the best. 🙂 I'm hoping to publish it myself later this year…
hey, that's a great way to look at it! 🙂