A while back I was talking to a friend about how it would be kind of nifty to have a soundtrack to go along with my novel. Those so inclined could tune into what I had been listening to as I wrote a scene, maybe add another dimension to the story. I’m a big music person and there are certain scenes in HATSHEPSUT that morphed as a direct result of what I was listening to at the time.
And really, how cool is it to be able to listen to Yo-Yo Ma while running through the Valley of the Kings?
Now there’s certain songs I listen to that instantly remind me of what Hatshepsut was doing as I wrote. Kind of weird, but it works for me. And really I’m helping HBO out so that when they turn the novel into a miniseries they won’t have to search far to find the soundtrack. (Just humor me here…)
I don’t own a Kindle and don’t read books on my iPhone so I’m wondering if this is something that’s maybe already out there. I swear I’ve been bugged in the past and some of my greatest ideas have been stolen. (Oops All Crunchberries? I pegged that years before it came out.) Do any of you e-reader people out there know?
I know that Stephanie Meyer published "playlists" for her Twilight series on her website. It's more of a fan-driven thing, they can download her songs onto their iPods and listen while they read, etc. A lot of these songs/ artists are on the soundtracks to the movies, too, so HBO would probably use them 🙂
But– having it play automatically with the book as they read is an interesting idea.
I love the idea of a soundtrack with a book, especially the e-reader version. It'll give you a totally immersive experience. Which I love.
Lots of authors compile playlists for their stories and characters. Sherrilyn Kenyon has specific songs for particular characters. (She writes the popular Dark-Hunter paranormal romance series.) Laura Esquivel, the author of Like Water for Chocolate, released a book a few years ago called The Law of Love that came with a CD of music intended to be played at specific intervals in the book.
Personally, my writing is inspired by music. Ideas often develop when I'm listening to certain types of music I strongly associate with my characters.