Last month's blog chain was all about meeting one of our characters. I chose to have a conversation with Noelle, the female lead in a web series in development titled End of the Line. This time the blog chain is "What does your story/character(s) sound like?" My own interpretation of this is to create a "playlist" of music which captures the essence of someone, in this case Roy Istvan--the other lead in End of the Line.
I should mention Roy is a twenty-two year-old college student, who's working two jobs to live and pay for school. He's estranged from his family, not least because he resembles most the father who abandoned them. More, he's a dreamy person, who lives in his imagination and spends a lot of effort finding bridges between this world and that of his mindscape. Hence music, such as this list.
"Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen really sums up how Roy sees romantic love. Or not "see" so much as "feel" because deep down in his bones he longs for a girl who will rock his world, turn him into something new. Interestingly, it also hints at how he sees religion--Roy is a mystic who takes faith seriously (unlike his family who attend Church but little else).
Meatloaf's "I Want My Money Back" is pretty much the anthem of Roy's rage, which has gotten him into enough trouble he was forced to control it. This is really a symptom of how passionate Roy can be, despite his seemingly calm exterior. At the same time, he's likes rhythm and melody, even in his darkness.
"Crucify" by Tori Amos strikes a chord in Roy because of his homelife and childhood. Not a good situation overall. His mother had profoundly mixed feelings for him, especially as he grew up more and more like the man she so desperately loved yet vanished without a trace. His older brother wanted to protect him, but this meant having Roy obey him and do exactly what was most unnatural to Roy's sensibilities. The middle sister played mediator for years and years, until she finally escaped via a teenage marriage. After that, the balance collapsed.
Concrete Blonde's cover of "Everybody Knows" embodies how Roy at his darkest feels the world is and will always be. Of course this doesn't mean he is a cynic. He cares and cares a lot, but at times he gives into despair. This song kinda/sorta is a way to vent.
"Cloudbusting" by Kate Bush probably has more to do with Roy's longing for a father than he realizes.
"Pennies From Heaven" sung by Bing Crosby is in some ways the anthem of Roy's hope.
The AW May Musical Blog Chain's Fantabulous Links Are:
Aheïla: http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/ and direct link to my blog chain's post
Stefanie Gaither: http://stefanie-gaither.blogspot.com/ and direct link to the blog chain's post
AuburnAssassin: http://clairegillian.wordpress.com/ and direct link to her post
xcomplex: http://arielemerald.blogspot.com and direct link to her post
Proach: http://everythinghistorical.wordpress.com and direct link to her post
8thSamurai: http://digitalisdreaming.blogspot.com/ and direct link to her post
vfury: http://helencorcoran.wordpress.com and direct link to her post
CScottMorris: http://cscottmorrisbooks.com/ and direct link to his post
Hayley E. Lavik: http://hayleyelavik.blogspot.com and direct link to her post
FreshHell: http://freshhell.wordpress.com and direct link to her post
LadyMage: http://www.katherinegilraine.com and direct link to her post
DavidZahir: http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/
Aimée Laine: http://www.aimeelaine.com/writing/blog/ <<<>
egoodlett: http://wordlarceny.blogspot.com/
Semmie: http://semmie.wordpress.com
Sbclark: http://sonyaclark.blogspot.com/
Razibahmed: http://write-translate.blogspot.com/
ArcticFox: http://picaresqueblog.blogspot.com/
Lilain: http://abigailschmidt.blogspot.com/
Truelyana: http://expressiveworld.com/
CowgirlPoet: http://frontnotes.blogspot.com/
defyalllogic:http://tavialewis.com/hyperbolicallyspeaking/
circlexranch:http://www.whyifearclowns.blogspot.com/
IrishAnnie: http://superpenpower.blogspot.com
Anarchicq: http://anarchicq.com
13 comments:
Ooh, nice list of songs. Cohen, Amos and Concrete Blonde all in one post.
That's great that you can summarize your characters personality into sound, as it shows how much you know the character. Excellent descriptions. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. :)
Can't remember the last time I heard a Kate Bush song. That takes me back. Nice grouping of artists there.
Crucify and Cloudbusting...'nough said. Applies stamp of approval.
I definitely love the character development shown here, as well as the overall eclectic quality of the mix.
(also, could've sworn that I've commented before, but it's not shown up.. Odd...)
I love that you have a song dedicated to the 'hope' side too. :) Always a good way to end. :)
Very nice character development and diverse playlist that tells a story in and of itself. Me like!
And I was welcomed to your blog by Portal's Still Alive so it's an instant win for me (I'm a video game designer.)
Both Leonard Cohen and Tori Amos - excellent!
Agreed. The playlist is extremely diverse. I like that. I should give that a try when I'm writing--to spark up some stronger differences between my characters.
A very eclectic list. I like it!
I love your variety! You obviously listen to a wide variety of music...I like it!
Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts.
Tint
Never thought of assigning songs to show character development! Fascinating!!
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