Super Obsessive Playlists and Welcome to the Medicine Tribe

If you don’t recognize me at all, it’s because I’m new to All the Write Notes. (When this post is over, you can thank--or blame--Jay Spencer for my arrival) I’m so totally not new to music and writing, though. In fact, they’re just a few of my favourite obsessions (you might recognize part of that last line—just a friendly nod to Frank N. Furter). I was going to do a playlist as my first post. Then I realized it wouldn’t quite work out. Then I thought, maybe I could do an interview. But that will have to wait for another day.

You see, I’m—in a word—swamped. Funny I should mention that word. One of my musical obsessions just happens to be Swamp by Talking Heads.

But I digress. I’m not here to talk about the Talking Heads.

By now, you might be asking yourself, “Why can’t he do a playlist?” Well, It’s because the playlists I create for novel writing mostly consist of ONE SONG. Yep, that’s right. I’m so obsessive that I will listen to just the one song—over and over again ad infinitum—for an entire novel. Don’t try to do the math, it will boggle your mind. 50,000 words x 3 minute song divided by 15 chapters…let’s see, carry the 4 and multiply by the number of years…yeah. Fugetaboutit.

There is a catch, though. I don’t spread my novel writing over years. I write my novels in 48 & 72 hour marathons. So, although it sounds like madness to listen to the same song on repeat for the entire duration of a novel…it really only amounts to 72 hours at the most. That’s only, like, 1,400 plays. That is NOT obsessive. I do a little thing called the Muskoka Novel Marathon every July. It raises needed funds for the local literacy network, but it’s also an amazing retreat wherein thirty writers barricade themselves into a room for 72 hours and attempt to write complete novels.

I’m an addictive personality. If you know me, you know this. So…for my first marathon, I listened to Anthem by Leonard Cohen for 48 hours straight. What came out of the marathon was a finished novel called Sebastian’s Poet. Now I could create a playlist link here for that marathon, but I don’t see the point. Nothing is sadder than a one-song playlist. If you were to scan the pages of Sebastian’s Poet, you would probably notice that the boy’s ‘poet’ is a reincarnation of Leonard himself. I mean, it’s ridiculous. Anthem is just such an incredibly awesome song, though. It drove me to write that novel non-stop for 48 electrifying-ly amazing hours.

After that marathon was over, I contacted Leonard Cohen’s people. I wish I could say I had my people contact his people, but I’d be lying. I received permission to use, ‘There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in’ (Anthem lyrics) as the epigraph to the novel. To go one step further, I then got it tattooed on my arm. Yeah, I’m not obsessive.

That novel also has a real-life celebrity in it. Gordon Lightfoot shows up in the last chapter. One of the last orders of business that Lightfoot’s agent, Barry Harvey, did before his death was provide me with permission to use Gordon as a character in the novel.

I should let you know right now that my tangents are so wide and chaotic, they require a bus route. So, you’re either on the bus or off the bus (my nod to the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test). This post is actually about my favourite NEW obsession. Let me introduce you to Medicine for the People (and the song I will have on repeat during this July’s Muskoka Novel Marathon!)

 (click on the album covers to go to MftP's website)

I stumbled upon Medicine about a year ago, and from that point on the obsession has slowly taken over my life. After I obsessed over their first album ON THE VERGE for several months, they were kind enough to recently release their second album DARK AS NIGHT. This band, and their peaceful reformative vision, really pumps my blood. They are FolkMusic2.O Or, rather, 11 on the volume knob of my obsession scale. Before I totally lose you, I’m going to leave you with something from their new album. ALOHA KE AKUA will inspire you to sit. To write. To marathon that next novel. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself suddenly writing Hawaii in as the novel’s setting.

Here’s a challenge for you. As a writer, can you pick just one song? Choose the definitive one-song soundtrack for your work in progress. And spin that puppy ad infinitum until you keystroke THE END on your novel. It’s transformative. Really.

You can follow NAHKO, the lead singer of Medicine for the People, on Twitter: @NahkoBear

 Nahko Bear & Medicine for the People

When you become a fan of MftP (and you will) you will call yourself #MedicineTribe on Twitter. And it will be good.

ATWN Weekend Covers - May Playlist

Preview of our new look
coming soon...

This past month we started something new on our Twitter account called "ATWN Weekend Covers." On the weekends throughout May we tweeted some of our favorite cover tracks along with the hashtag, #ATWNWeekendCovers. The obvious next step...a playlist for you! So, for those who are always in search of something new to listen to, we will be creating a monthly playlist on our YouTube channel from our tweets and posting it here at the end of each month.

***

In our inaugural #ATWNWeekendCovers playlist, we feature covers by artists such as Stereophonics, Gorillaz, The White Stripes, and The Joy Formidable. Enjoy, and keep your eyes out for our new look coming this week!

Query/Submission Playlist

CAN YOU SAY, "EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER?"

Querying to find an agent or being on submission to editors can be simultaneously 

heart-wrenching and joyful.

Scary and liberating.

Puke-inducing and fulfilling.

To help you survive as you dig your way through the query trenches, searching for that perfect agent, or endure weeks of awaiting news from editors who love your characters like their own children, as you do, I've put together a playlist. This playlist echoes the emotional trauma I endured while I queried and 

am currently embracing *sarcasm* as I have a novel out on submission to editors.

1. Beautiful Day by U2 - because the day you send your finished, polished manuscript that you've labored over for hours over and poured your heart and soul into is, indeed, a BEAUTIFUL DAY!

2. Dragula by Rob Zombie - the first three words: Superstition, Fear, & Jealousy. You're freaked out. You wish upon a shooting star, cross your fingers, say a prayer, stick needles in a voo-doo doll, you do anything and everything to bring you and your manuscript good luck. You're scared. And those witches who get a major book deal on their first novel and only querying 5 agents suck. (Besides, it's Rob Zombie.)

3. Shake It Out by Florence + The Machine - "And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back, so shake him off." You have a lot to be happy about. You've finished a frickin' book! Stop pouting, shake that devil off, and dance!

4. Dancing Queen by ABBA - You are elated. You want to celebrate. You just want to dance and sing.

5. It's the End of the World As We Know it by REM - It hits you - what if your manuscript sucks? What if you have no talent what-so-ever and you've just been fooling yourself? It's the end of your world.

6. Swim Until You Can't See Land by Frightened Rabbit - No. Stop being a Debbie Downer. Just keep going. Stay the course. Don't give up.

7. Faith by George Michael - Because ya gotta have-a faith, faith, faith- ah!!! (Have faith in yourself and your work.)

8. Gogal by Gonzales - This song plays in my head as I'm staring at a blank wall. I'm numb to all emotion. It's all so overwhelming I try to shut if all off. I shut down.

9. Get Up! by by Korn (feat. Skrillex) - Shut the *@#% up, GET UP! What are you saying? Stop it. Get your $#*+ together.

10. Alcohol by Brad Paisley - Self explanatory. You've gotten to the point where you just need a stiff drink.

11. Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys - After a drink, you can conquer the world. Your book is going to break records, you are going to be famous. This girl (or guy) IS ON FIRE!!!

12. Up In the Air by Thirty Seconds to Mars - Your not quite so on fire. You realize exactly where you are. You're up in the air. "Up in the air, chasing a dream so real. I've been up in the air."

13. This Too Shall Pass by OK Go - This will be over at some point. Not just the searching for an agent or editor, but the feeling that you suck as a writer, that your dream will never come true. It will pass.

14. Just Say Yes by Snow Patrol - At the end of the day, you want one person to JUST SAY YES!

This is the emotional roller coaster one can feel while querying/on submission....

And that's just the first day!

Just hang in there though. You can do it. Cheerleader out, yo!

The POSITIVE Playlist

The Positive Playlist

Sometimes we need reminded that we, as writers, are chasing a dream. We're working towards a goal. For most of us, that means publication in some form or another. No matter how different our paths are toward that goal of publication we have to remember that we're already winners. Why? Because we're pursuing  something we love. We're living examples for our families and friends that if you put in the hard work and don't give up, amazing things can happen! 

Writing, as a craft, is difficult. Then throw in jobs, families, friends, health. Sometimes writing is almost impossible. But if we stay positive, remember WHY we write, and know that our hard work and dedication will pay off, then it makes the day to day stuff more bearable. 

To aid you in staying positive in your writing endeavors, I put together a POSITIVE playlist. Sure, it may sound cheesy, but positive people get stuff done. (Yeah, yeah - some of you are going to call me out on "Hall of Fame" by The Script, feat. will.i.am, but listen to the words and visualize your printed book sitting front and center on a Barnes and Noble shelf. I dare ya.)

Remember the future is just around the corner. Give it your all. You can do this.

Now, GO WRITE!

Cheerleader out, yo.

Interview: Kelsey Macke, YA Author

Last week, the lovely Kelsey Macke announced that her amazing book, Damsel Distressed, has been picked up for publication by Spencer Hill Contemporary!

Kelsey Macke has been creative for as long as she can remember. From an early age she was on stage singing, penning poetry, and writing notebooks full of songs. When the idea for her debut novel, DAMSEL DISTRESSED, popped into her head, she was undeterred by the fact that she had no idea how to actually write a novel. Her bff, the internet, was her guide, and after much trial, error, and candy, she finished it, and set out to get it published… a process far more difficult than, the internet (now her mortal enemy), had lead her to believe.

Her whirlwind adventure was made even more unbelievable when she signed with fabulous agent, Jessica Sinsheimer of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency and, shortly after, Danielle Ellison of Spencer Hill Contemporary bought her debut.

This innovative, mixed-media art project has given Kelsey an incredibly unique opportunity to join two of her passions: writing and making music with her husband as half of the folky, indie-pop band Wedding Day Rain.

DAMSEL DISTRESSED, and the companion album of original songs, Imogen Unlocked, are scheduled for release in October 2014.

Did you catch that? Her book is being released with a companion album! How amazing is that? I cannot tell you how excited I am about this project. If you're curious about what it might be like, check out her vlog, where you get a tiny taste of her music intertwined with her book.

And now, five questions with Kelsey!

1. Tell me about Damsel Distressed. Where'd you get the inspiration for the story?

Damsel Distressed popped into my head shortly after I read John Green's The Fault In Our Stars. It was after reading THAT book and watching his vlogbrothers videos on youtube that I realized for the first time, that he was not some magical word elf. He was a regular dude, with a family, and an obsession with the internet, and he wrote books. It wasn't long after that that I got the inspiration to write what was basically a Cinderella story from the point of view of the "ugly stepsister". The Cinderella thread was all but forgotten, however, as I began to outline. What WAS emerging, though, was a girl, Imogen, who had a lot of baggage. I heard (and can still hear) Imogen's voice LOUD and clear... which was why the first draft came relatively easily. I wanted to write the story of a person who had problems, but those problems could not be glossed over as in so many books. I didn't want a  main character who was "sad." I wanted a main character who was clinically depressed, medicated, and who had struggled with self harm. I didn't want a main character who was constantly saying, "oh, I'm so plain and un-beautiful, but all the boys like me." I wanted a main character who doesn't match any of societies biggest requirements for stereotypical beauty.

2. How did you come up with the idea of Imogen Unlocked? Did you know you wanted to do the companion album while you were writing the book?

Imogen Unlocked came out of a collaborative brainstorming session with my agent, Jessica Sinsheimer. We were discussing the book, and also discussing my experience as a recording artist (in my younger days) and how much singing/songwriting is a part of my life. She thought there must be someway that we could tap into my own musical interests in connection with the book. It was like a bolt of lightning struck my head when I realized that my band, Wedding Day Rain, would be perfectly suited to create the companion album and that I would be able to enjoy the fruits of both writing, and also experience the joy that I feel when performing/writing/recording with my husband Daron as Wedding Day Rain.

3. What's your favorite band/album? Who are your musical influences?

I know that it's annoying when people can't name a specific band or album that is their favorite, but truly, it would be impossible to choose just one. Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and even before that. Through my life, I've listened to all sorts of music, from growing up on southern gospel quartet music, to my obsession with New Kids on the Block in elementary school, to emulating Mariah and Whitney with my hairbrush for hours on end, to my punk rock phase in junior high school when I wore baggy pants and saved my money to buy Green Day albums that were YEARS older than "Dookie". When I was in high school I was in a sequined-vest wearing, jazz hand waggling show choir, and I fell in love with broadway musicals, and in college, I became nostalgic for 80s hair metal and subdued alternative rock music like Augustana and the Fray. Now I listen to just about everything. In my car, I almost exclusively listen to 90s on 9 for my throwback jams, but at home, I listen to bands like Tegan and Sara, the Civil Wars, Bon Iver, The Temper Trap, Death Cab for Cutie, MGMT, Phoenix, Imagine Dragons, Of Monsters and Men, Metric, and M83... I really could go on for hours. It's best we stop here. 

The point is that art inspires art. 

Every word I've ever read, every painting I've ever contemplated, every song I've ever sung along to has inspired every single piece of art that I, myself have put into being. I think that's one of the most beautiful things about art, really. We NEED art to MAKE art. I NEED art to MAKE art. Art isn't made in a vacuum. 

4. Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what'd you listen to while writing Damsel Distressed? 

I am weird. 

I can't listen to music with lyrics... or truly, music with structure of any kind while I am actually putting new words on the page. I can't turn off the lyrics. I can't stop thinking about what the music is saying and free myself up to say what I AM saying. Even so, I could have music on prior to writing, or while editing/revising, and I had a playlist for DD that always put me in the perfect state of mind for working on Imogen's story. 

Playlist: DAMSEL DISTRESSED

5. Do you think of yourself more as a writer or as a musician, or is it possible to separate the two?

I think it's hard to separate the two, but certainly not impossible. I've been singing/writing songs for way, WAAAYYYYY longer than I've been writing. I've been singing my whole life and only really began writing fiction in 2012. That said, I think that writing is just another form of creative expression and for me, all creative expression is precious and useful and important. I see these experiences as a way for me to connect with a totally new side of my creativity. In truth, I don't really think of myself as a writer... unless I'm actually writing. Like, right now, I'm far more of an tumblr-wench than a writer, and when I'm teaching, I'm certainly more of a teacher than a writer. Being a writer is "in" me, but it's not all that I am, not at any given moment anyway. 

I think that everyone has creativity in them, and it just takes a bit of trial and error to see what the best ways are for them to get that creativity expressed! I'm lousy with clay and paint, but I draw a MEAN DOODLE, and I think that counts for something. I hope that everyone who already identifies as a writer or a poet, or whatever, would give songwriting a try, or slam poetry, or playwriting, because I feel that creative expression only makes you a more well rounded artist and human being. 



Thanks for taking the time to do the interview, Kels! Don't you guys LOVE HER?! Now's probably the perfect time to add Damsel Distressed to your Goodreads shelves, right? Right.

The Write Frame of Mind

I know a lot of writers really love the revision process.

In general, I'm not one of them. I love drafting (and I do it SLOWLY), and revisions are typically on a shorter deadline and I stress and I procrastinate and I write and I rewrite and I CRY.

(I do not actually cry.)

(I mean, not usually.)

I generally get to a point where I become a little insane and incapable of normal social interaction, especially when someone asks, "Are you finished with your revisions yet?"

Luckily, I know about this delightful personality trait of mine, and try to do what I can to make myself a pleasant person to live with while I'm revising. When I started my first round of post-book deal revisions on Between, I created a playlist to help me get into the right frame of mind for revising (or the WRITE FRAME HAHAHA WORDS ARE FUN)--just a mix of happy, upbeat songs that didn't really have anything to do with my book. I'd listened to my Between playlist roughly 435928405 times by the time I actually signed my contract with Spencer Hill Press, so I was a wee bit tired of it. I wanted a playlist I looked forward to listening to every day, that would play in the background and keep me happy.

As I dive into the second round of revisions this week, I decided to create yet another playlist and I'm pretty sure I've outdone myself with this one.

IT IS A THING OF BEAUTY.

Based on my research, you cannot be stressed and/or sit still while you listen to these songs. It is scientifically designed to make you happy. It's magical. And even if you're not writing or revising or doing anything you find stressful, it's a great mix to celebrate the end of dumb, gray winter and the beginning of bright,warm spring!



Hope you enjoy it! Do you have any favorite feel-good songs? We all know I could've made an entire mix of my favorite 90s rap songs and been just as delighted by that, right? Stay tuned for Monday--I've got an interview with the lovely Kelsey Macke about her amazing project, Damsel Distressed, a YA novel that includes it's own soundtrack, Imogen Unlocked!