*I’ve decided to do something new for Inspiration Through Music Mondays. Instead of focusing on one musician and several tracks by them, I’m going to be focusing on one song per episode. It narrows the focus of the post and is easier for me to concentrate on it alone. I can concoct better scenes and more fantastical worlds when I’m not over-stimulated by multiple tracks.*
I’ve been working on The Wild Dark for a couple years now under various other titles. It’s premise is an apocalyptic character driven story of survival, acceptance, and perseverance. It has a very similar feeling to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, combined with elements of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, and the 1990 romantic fantasy film Ghost. It’s a strange but wonderful combination which I’ve been having lots of fun writing. Over the next several months, I’ll be sharing songs with you that have been inspiring me as I write, what about them triggers my imagination. It’s also a way for you as the reader (and possibly fellow writer) to discover music you may not be familiar with and possibly be inspired yourself.
This week’s track of choice? Jamie Sieber’s “Maenum” from the soundtrack of Braid.
The majority of the book takes place in the forest, where wildlife is unpredictable, the weather is harsh, and there is no one around except for the ghost of the protagonist’s friend. Grappling with the acceptance of his demise, of his reappearance, and the status quo of the world around her has driven her to a state of frostiness, of distrust, and utter confusion. She doesn’t recognize the world the way she once did. The song taps into the beauty and unreliability of her surroundings. It also forces her to look inside herself and recognize the pain and longing she feels for her dead friend. This subtle piece, guided by a lone cello, really hits home and helps me get inside the character’s head, helps me understand all the loneliness she is feeling. In addition to that desolation, there’s a thread of hope that things can change, that there is a way to set it right. Sieber’s music translates these two feelings beautifully and interweaves them into a gorgeous piece that I’ve listened to several times while working on this story.
Interested in learning more about Jamie Sieber and her music? You can find her official website here.
Stay tuned for next week’s Inspiration Through Music!
~KSilva
The Kat At Night 