Setting the scene with our moods

As a writer, we play God to our creative worlds. We create something from nothing and make it seem real. But how do you set the mood for various scenes? These past few evenings Arkansas has been plagued with severe weather. My family was more fortunate than others and I was lucky to maintain power through the storms to continue writing. However, the mood of most of my scenes didn’t fit the dreadful fury outside my house. I had to forget the thunder, ignore the sounds of rain and hail and step into a royal homecoming ball in my young adult fantasy.

My answer to setting the mood for my scenes can be found in my iTunes library. Music is really the fuel for my life. I can’t do anything without it. I wake up to music, clean to music, cook to music so it makes sense that I write to music. It also comes as no surprise to my husband and I that our daughter all ready reacts to music. Back to my topic, I spend a few minutes looking through my extensive iTunes library prior to getting lost in my writing. Sometimes I just put on my Pandora channel when I don’t feel the need for anything too specific. I do only listen to musical scores of action films while writing fight scenes. I have found that this really helps in tackling such scenes.

I’ve seen that some authors set up playlists of the songs they listened to while writing a book. I love this idea and when I feel that a song really fits a scene, I write it down and file it away so that I can someday share it with readers.

Since I’ve begun adding mediation to my day in an effort to be a healthier writer (see my review and comments on craft book “Writer Wellness) I’ve started using music more as a relaxing launch into my writing sessions. Taking some time off to relax to music, so far is really helping me to clear my mind before taking on a new scene or revising a new one.

Our scenes are like people. They have endless moods and variations. How do you set your mood before you write a scene? Does your tactic vary by the scene or do you rely on a constant aide, like I do with music? Please share and happy hump day!