Music and Writing

I'm one half of a writing team. My partner loves to send me links to music videos that fit her writing mood. She has eclectic taste, so I always enjoy it. We've been revising our current project. As we redid our outline, for every scene in the beginning she assigned a song to it that she considered set the tone of the scene. The songs represented everything from rap to ballad to rock. Some I really liked, some I winced a little, but hey, if these speak to her muse, who am I to say anything?

My partner will turn up the music loud, get in front of that keyboard and type away. She thrives on the beat and the music gets inside her and loosens up those creative juices that gets her imagination flying.

I am totally the opposite. I cannot focus if music is on. It blocks me. I don't know why. I love listening to the links she sends, but I listen to them as music. When I'm ready to sit at the keyboard, the music goes off. No matter how many times I have tried, listening to music distracts me, makes it difficult for me to concentrate and to get my muse working.

How about you? Can you have music on when you write? Do you listen to a certain kind of music or do you match the music to your current project or scene?

Tell me in the comments. I wonder if there are others like me that can't write with the music on. ( :

Dancing in the Mist

Mist dissipating over the Potomac River at McCoy's Ferry

Several weekends ago, I went camping along the Potomac River in western Maryland with my husband. Each morning we woke to a heavy mist. I loved it.

Well, that's sort of what I experience when I get into a writing groove. My muse takes the form of mist. I feel as if my mind is surrounded with a swirling haze filled with creative thoughts that come as fast as my fingers fly over the keyboard.

At other times, the mist lingers in the back of my mind where a seed of an idea takes shape and grows at a slower pace, often popping to the forefront just as I'm laying down for the night. Thus the need for a notebook beside the bed.

How do you describe the flow of ideas when you write, paint, compose music?

Thanks for stopping by. I expect to be off-grid for a few days and will respond to comments when I have access to the internet again.

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Dawn Marie Hamilton writes Scottish inspired time travel romance with fantasy and paranormal elements. DawnMarieHamilton.com You can also visit Dawn Marie at Castles & Guns on Tuesday November 8 & 22. Twitter: @DawnM_Hamilton

Celtic Inspiration

For those of us who write Celtic-inspired romance novels and can't spare the time or expense of traveling to the Scottish Highlands, the Emerald Island, Wales or Brittany, we must find our muse closer to home. Fortunately, it's festival time. Grab a hat and your sunglasses and find a Celtic festival, Scottish gathering or Highland games near you.

Last Saturday was the 33rd Celtic Festival of Southern Maryland at the beautiful riverside grounds of Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum in St. Leonard, Maryland, sponsored by The Celtic Society of Southern Maryland.

So much to see. So much to do. So little time.

Listen to a storyteller: As romance writers, we follow in the tradition of oral storytellers who mesmerize their audience with tales of passionate heroes and their fair ladies. Of course, ever-after might not always be happy. But it's unlikely to disappoint. Storyteller at right is Margaret Chatham.


Watch athletes compete:
In the 56-pound Weight Toss the athlete stands with his back to (and almost directly under) a crossbar. He grasps the weight with one hand, lifts it in front of him, swings it back between his legs then forward and up in a smooth motion to arc over the crossbar. When the weight lands, it is usually at the heels of the athlete. Gotta love those brave men in kilts!

Enjoy music and dance: Cheer for your favorites in the dance, harp and fiddle competitions then find inspiration listening to the many Celtic musical groups such as Iona, The Martin Family Band and The Rovers.


Discover history: Living history groups conduct demonstrations as Vikings, Swordsmen from the Welsh Court, Border Reivers and Highland Regiments.





Check out The Association of Scottish Games and Festivals to find an event near you.


Dawn Marie Hamilton writes Scottish inspired romance stories. You can also visit Dawn Marie at Castles and Guns every other Tuesday starting May 10.

Snowbirds

Last month I blogged about the birds on my balcony. At the time, I didn't know the common name for Juncos is Snowbirds. The little birds arrive at the feeders at the onset of cold weather and hang around until mid-March.

There is another kind of Snowbird—one of the human variety. They migrate from northern climes to the sunshine in the south. Might be Texas or Florida or maybe even Mexico.

I never thought I would join in this practice, but about five years ago, my husband and I were invited to a wedding in South Florida in February. Well that started it. We've been migrating south for a month every year since.

We camp and hike and bicycle and enjoy the warm sunshine. Our time in the south recharges our batteries, and for me my muse.

What do you do during the cold winter months to stay inspired?


Dawn Marie Hamilton

Positive Energy For The Muse

By Dawn Marie Hamilton

You know it's a bad day when the page in front of you remains blank. The more you try to think, the more your head pounds, the more frustrated you get. The thought of cleaning the bathroom all of a sudden seems like a fun thing to do.

What do you do when your muse refuses to whisper to you?

Chocolate? Helps for a short while. Take a walk? Gets you through the rest of the day.

When I'm really stressed, and the words won't flow onto the page, I need to get away and clear my mind.

Where to go? So many choices to choose from. How about an escape to nature, a hike to a waterfall? Perfect.

I'm not sure what it is about waterfalls that refresh the spirit. All I can say is when I hear the roar through the trees as I approach, I tingle with excitement and when the cooling mist teases my skin, I feel eased.

Some of my favorite falls are near the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Where are yours?

Dark Hollow Falls, Lewis Falls, Rose River Falls are within a hike from the Byrd Visitor Center and Big Meadows. The trailhead for Whiteoak Canyon Falls is located near Skyline Lodge. These are but a few options.

On weekends during the peak of the season, Shenandoah's trails can be crowded, especially the most popular falls trails. When I visit, I try to stay for a few days. Though there are lodges and cabins, my husband and I like to camp. We wake to chirping birds. Eat a camp breakfast while butterflies flutter by. And if we are lucky, we might catch a glimpse of a bear and her cubs as they lumber through nearby woods.

When I return home, my muse is energized, and I'm ready to write the next scene.

The park will celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary in 2011. To learn more about the waterfalls within Shenandoah National Park visit Shenandoah Online.