WRITING PLAYLIST

I don't know about you, but when I write I HAVE to have music on in the background... It just gets my inspirational juices flowing.  I can't seem to write anything that's even decent without my groove tunes, not even school papers.  I know, I know, it seems like a problem, but it's not... to me, at least.  What I've done is made a bunch of playlists; one for school, and one for writing.  The playlist for writing has a bunch of subcategories intertwined...  For example, under writing music I have subcategories for genres in writing, such as action, emotional, ect.  It really does help, I've found, and I want to share some of my music with you. :)  And one big note, I do not always watch the movie from where some of these soundtrack songs are from... I usually find them by searching instrumental stuff... Some of the movies I listen to soundtracks from I do not agree with, watch, or even know.  Please keep that in mind as you go along with this list.  :)

So, without further ado...






(NOTE: Anything to do with the artist Audiomachine is background writing music worthy.  When you listen to them, you can just feel yourself soaring through different emotions. And Hans Zimmer, too. 'Nuff said right there.) 



Music for ACTION scenes



1. Hero - Kung Fu Panda OST  // This song is more fun than action-y, really. But it's inspiring, all the same.

2. Discombobulate - Hans Zimmer (Sherlock Holmes OST) // Anything from the Sherlock Holmes (the one from the movie with RDJ) soundtrack is AMAZING and totally worth listening to.

3. Wolf Suite pt. 1 - Danny Elfman // This is a sort of ominous and fast paced one.

4. King Arthur - Hans Zimmer // If you're looking for regal and righteousness with all the trumpets and horns, this is the song for you.

5. Septimus - Ilan Eshkeri (Stardust OST) // Reminds me of a horse riding scene for some reason...

6. This is Berk - John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon OST) // Not as fast paced in the beginning, but it gets more exciting after the first part.

7. Heart of Courage - TSFH // This song... no words... okay, maybe one: INSPIRING!!!

8. The Dream Is Collapsing - Hans Zimmer (Inception OST) // Embrace the dark side... the rush of a million heart beats crying for WAR! *battle cry* Ahem, great movie, btw...

9. Revenge of the Fallen - Transformers //

10. Road To Glory - Audiomachine // The name speaks for itself, peeps.

11. Catatonic - Hans Zimmer

12. Smooth Criminal - Dallas String Quartet // The instrumental for this song is great.



Uplifting mood music:

1. Carl Goes Up - Michael Giacchino (Up OST) // It's just a given, you can never not be happy when you're listening to anything from that blessed movie. Unless you re-imagine the scene... in that case, better grab a box of tissues, preferably the ones with the lotion infused into them.

2. Where's Hiccup - John Powell (HTTYD OST) // Beautiful soundtrack... beautiful music.

3. Another Dance - Dario Marianelli (Pride and Prejudice OST) //

4. Secrets - Dallas String Quartet

5. Hey Soul Sister - Dallas String Quartet

6. Peponi - Piano Guys

7. Baba Yetu - Peter Hollens // His version is the best.  I like to use this and Peponi when I'm writing scenes that are set in like African plains and stuff like that.



RIGHTEOUS music:

1. Time - Hans Zimmer (Inception OST) // This whole soundtrack is amazing and inspirational for just... anything. Seriously, check it out.  (P.S. 2Cellos do an amazing cover of this one)

2. I AM (Creation Overture) // From the album Music From the Story: Old Testament, this song just surges with RIGHTEOUSNESS... and INSPIRATION.

3. Honor - Hans Zimmer // This, just this, it's beautiful! *sobs* It makes me cry from explicit emotion.

4. A Special Bus - Murray Gold // Yes, this is a song from Doctor Who, but it's powerful, nonetheless

5. Redemption - Audiomachine // RIGHTEOUS

6. Winterspell - Thomas Bergersen

7. I Am the Doctor - Murray Gold // Another DW song... I know, I bet you're thinking "ANGIE, ENOUGH!"  I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry...

8. My Strength - District 78



Melancholy/deeply moving music:

1. Chairman's Waltz - John Williams (The Memoirs of a Geisha OST)// A lot of strings in this one.  Need I go on?

2. Illumination - Jennifer Thomas // This one is half melancholy half righteous.

3. Fall From Grace - Kerry Muzzey // I would describe this first as happyish, but then it gets darker and a bit more ominous.

4. It's Hard to Say Goodbye - Michael Ortega

5. Red Warrior - Audiomachine

6. Letting Go - Patrick Doyle (Thor OST)

7. Rain - Brian Crain



HEART WRENCHING SONGS:


1. Save a Place For Me - Matthew West

2. Last Night - Skillet

3. Without You - For King and Country

4. Saturn - Sleeping at Last

5. All of Me - Matt Hamitt

6. Fall Alseep - Jars of Clay




That's just a small notch in the compilation of songs from my "writing music library", just a few out of many.  You should seriously check some of the songs out, though, if you haven't heard them.  They are amazing.  Most of them.  :P  As always, thanks for taking time to read!


~Angie

Character Personalities

Starting school two weeks ago Monday, I found that it's actually not as long and tedious and boring as I thought 12th grade would be.  It's actually been quite enjoyable.  British Literature is my FAVORITE subject as of right now, and I'm sure that won't change.  :)  As a part of my literature, I'm doing a vocabulary study and I'm enjoying it immensely!  While reading it last week, I stumbled upon ten different personality traits and their meanings.  Naturally, being a writer, as I came across the personality types and read through them, I compared them to my characters and placed my characters in the personality types.  It helped  me, in a way, see the actual MIND SET of my characters, but not necessarily their individual PERSONALITY.  Note the difference, my dear readers.  So.  Away we go.

Egoist

(Me first attitude)

This type of personality is basically, what it says in parentheses, me first.  Not necessarily conceited and stuck up, just me centered.  Not over the top selfish, but just thinking about "their" needs first, not others' need.  Self-seeking, but not over the top.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Abigail Blackburn, Nikki Taylor, Colton Flynn, Soleil Corsetti.

Egotist

(Height of conceit)

Don't get EGOTIST confused with EGOIST.  Egotists are more intense than egoists, more self seeking, definitely stuck up, over the top selfish, and - in a way - rude.  This type is all about them, with no room for other people in their thoughts.  This can sometimes even lead to more advanced and a more intense levels of egotistic behaviors, such as egomaniacs who are basically mad.  Literally... mad.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Owen Tracy, Alex Wayne, Alister Reynolds. 

Altruist

(Let me help you)

Altruists are the some of the kindest people, putting other's needs before their own.  They are the type of people who are always there helping, doing whatever they can to make others comfortable.  But sometimes this can lead to self negligence, not on purpose, of course.  They are so concerned with needs of others that they can forget about themselves.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Allison Beauregard, Gareth Corsetti, June Forwen, Theodore Yeshevsky. 

Introvert 

(Leave me alone)

Think of a turtle who hides in its shell and doesn't want to see people.  That's the introvert.  The introverted personality likes to be alone, or with a small selection of close people (and when I say small collection, I mean small collection).  They're timid, shy, and quiet people, and personally one of my favorite personality types.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Jemma Corday, Jagger Bachar, Elsa Altobelli. 

Extrovert

(Let's do it together)

Now think of the opposite of introvert - the exact opposite - and then you have the extrovert.  Extroverts are loud (and when I say loud, I only mean it in the best way - being an extrovert myself :P), exuberant, excitable, and big people lovers.  They like being with others and can't be alone for too long or else they'll go through withdrawals.  Very people oriented, extroverts are need socialization, it being crucial to their survival,

Characters of mine that I would place in this category: Mallory Steele, Riley Blackburn, Aggie Lennox. 

Ambivert

(Neither extreme) 

Neither and introvert or an extrovert, Ambiverts are a happy medium.  They're not extremely outgoing, and they're not extremely closed off people either.  They're a good balance to anyone.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: David Cruse, Edwin Anniger, Jadon Ross Ives, Samantha Reynolds. 

Misanthrope

(People are no darn good)

Misanthropes believe that people are stupid and "no darn good!"  Everything people do is not good enough, complain worthy, and far less better than anything they could do.  Whatever someone else can do, they can do better.

Characters of mine I would place in this group: Alister Reynolds (again)

Misogynist 

(Women are no darn good)

Women haters, women dislikers, women scorners, annoyed by women... Shall I go on?

Characters of mine I would place in this group: Alex Wayne (if I had to place a character here, it would be him.  He doesn't hate women, he just thinks they're quite annoying.  Pft... Shows what he knows.)

Misogamist

("Marriage is an institution--and who wants to live in an institution?)

Free spirit is the word for this personality type.  They don't want to be tied down by obligations or priorities.  They prefer short term things, such as in the the case of relationships.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Alva Callen 

Ascetic

(Self-denial, lonely contemplation) 

I see this type as either "woe-is-me", or the deep thinker and philosopher who contemplates life very deeply.  Self denial and living alone is the story of their life.  I wouldn't call them hermits... Well, yes I would.  They're a bit like introverts, except lonelier.

Characters of mine I would place in the category: Elsa Altobelli, Kaliana




So that's my list.  What do you think?  Where do your characters fall in these categories?

Thanks for reading!


~Angie <3

Author Interview with Hootie Olson

Today we are very honored with a very special guest author, who, in fact, is my very good friend and the finest author there ever was.  Hootie Olson, an accomplished author, has graced us with her presence and has kindly agreed to let me interview her.  *Ahem*  Now let's being my version of twenty questions.

AZ: Hootie, thank you so much for allowing me to interview you and taking time away from... what you're supposed to be doing at this moment and talking to me.  My first question would be: How long have you been writing?  And what really inspired you to take up the art of words?

HO: Well, when I wrote my first creative piece of work I was somewhere around seven or eight. I remember it was something to do with a runaway little girl and her two sisters chasing after a kitten, and there was something in there about a magical flute. What really inspired me to start writing was Anastasia Cross. We grew up together, and when she began writing the Cycle of Time I took an interest in her work and started creating stories of my own.

AZ: What was your first serious writing project?

 

HO: It was a short novel in which a young girl named Megan was moved into her great uncle's old mansion and, while snooping around in the attic one day, was transported through a magical picture into a fantastic land filled with elves and dragons. I remember thinking all my old elf names were so clever, like Syllver. Haha.

AZ: How many books have you written so far, completed and uncompleted?

 

HO: I have written two (is that it?) completed books. One being a spy book and the other being The Orion, The Deadlands. Uncompleted? That's a little harder. Let me count...  There is Isles of Ruin, FearStrong, The Uprising, another Untitled Story, I'm coauthoring CODED with you <3 (Angelina), Ty Skyy's Guide to Life, Blue Skies, and I believe that's it. I have a lot of work to do to become published, though, of course.

AZ: I know that feel... definitely.  And I'm sure any writer does.  Okay, now here comes a tough question.  Out of all the characters you have written about, who is your favorite.  Don't blow up, I know, it's hard. 

HO: *EXPLOOOOODE* UUUUUURRGGGGAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH...... UGh...... ugh..... I don't know. Oh, Angelina.... Uhm.... To be completely honest? It depends on my mood. When I'm feeling inspired about a certain book I tend to be in love with the coolest character in that book. At the moment my favorite character I've ever written about has stayed pretty steadily on Tyler Skyy (my baaaaaaaby). But if I'm feeling really happy, it's Willow Vetti. If I'm feeling very smart, it's usually Corra Staunton or BJ Stauton. Sometimes it's Nicholas Calhoun. Sometimes I just suddenly start loving Vance Wilcliff and I barely even know him yet, or Marley Joseph, or Anderson Forwen. As you can see, this is a very tough question for me, but I will answer in the moment and say it is (at this moment) Tyler Skyy.

AZ: I had a feeling you were going to say that.  Could you tell us which book he is from, and maybe a little synopsis on it?

 

HO: Most certainly! He is from the book Blue Skyys, which is sort of a sci-fi type novel with two galaxies at war with each other over the matter of slavery and invasion. Oddly enough there are no aliens appearing in this book, it is simply a war story set in an interesting time with an interesting family, the Skyys (who pretty much run the military for their galaxy), trying to make it through with their lives and their faith in God. 

AZ: I, myself, have read some of it and it invokes a lot of emotion, from both the reader (and I imagine) the writer.  Tell me, how many books have you co-authored, and what is it like?

HO: I am currently coauthoring the series The Orion, I am a small part in the CODED series, I'm coauthoring Blue Skyys, The Iris-Windr, Il Coniglio del Romanzo, and two other untitled novels/series. I have to say, coauthoring is easier than it should be. It's almost an addiction to me, because I enjoy the interactions between characters written by different authors clashing on the page. The only bad thing is that most of the time coauthoring tends to be more dialogue then story progression. You can write out a rough draft pretty well, but woe to the editor, they will have a ton to cut. 

AZ: What is your favorite part about co-authoring?  Or even writing in general.

HO: My favorite part about co-authoring is, like I said in the last answer, the interactions between characters made by two different people. You get a lot of character development when you face your hero up against one of your sisters characters and expect them to hash out their differences because they are forced to work together. It's interesting to watch play out. Writing in general is a bit more tricky. I guess I like just the feeling of reading my own writing, reading what I think, getting words down on the page. I enjoy the poetic sense of it and the ability it gives me to think more clearly about the world I live in by looking at it through someone else's eyes.

AZ: Do you have any tips for aspiring writers or any warnings?  Something for us to remember?

HO: One tip I can give you is to never stop writing. When you start a book and it stinks, finish it. No matter what, just get that first draft down and it's somewhat smooth sailing from there. Just keep writing, as Dory would say.... JUST KEEP WRITING.

AZ: Thank you so much, Hootie, for giving up some of your time to let me interview you.  The time that I'm sure you could be writing.  *wink wink*  It has been a pleasure, as always.

HO: Same here. Great talking to you all!

Agelina Zoe out!  :)