My muse: a bunch of tattooed rockers
If you’ve checked out my facebook page, you’ve possibly noticed I’ve included a shot of the Foo Fighters in my photos, with an explanation the band is my muse.
And I don’t mean they swan about in Grecian robes, half-naked (although, after seeing the promo clip for their latest US tour, I wouldn’t rule it out) – there’s just something about their songs (loud and soft) that works for me creatively.
It’s not so much that I listen to the guys while I write (I’m OK with mindless TV in the background, but as soon as I put music on, I get caught up in that, instead of my story). It’s more that I’ve imagine a lot of my scenes and plot developments for The Rephaim series while driving around listening to the Foo.
I can be trying to kick start a stalled scene in my head, or trying to solve a plot issue, and – more often than not – time in the car listening to the guys is enough for me to figure it out. I play out a lot of scenes in my head before I write, so this process generally works well for me.
I listen to a lot of music from a lot of acts – from AC/DC to Adele – but there’s just something special about the Foo.
I should point out, I was listening to the guys long before I started writing Shadows 18 months ago, and even back then they were taking me somewhere else in my head.
There’s nothing quite so therapeutic as driving home after a stressful day at work, screaming out the lyrics to My Boor Brain, Wind Up or All My Life (although it was possibly frightening for other motorists).
And, yes, I may have played All My Life once or twice after getting a rejection from a publisher…
Looking forward to seeing the stadium show on the Gold Coast in December (after the awesome “small” show in Brisbane earlier this year).