Writing to music...

I can't write without headphones on.  I need the soundtrack, and in fact have even created playlists specifically for whatever book I'm writing, even specific moods.

Here's my top three songs that were instrumental in my writing Under a Broken Sun.  Check them out - they're incredibly intense:

1. Mazzy Star - Into Dust.  Originally heard this on an episode of House, and instantly fell in love with its haunting simplicity.  Hope Sandoval's voice is quiet, and with minimal effort and few words, highly impactful.
2. Linkin Park - The Little Things Give You Away.  Some say the band's most emotional and powerful song ever.  Written after the band saw the destruction of Katrina, this piece also could be interpreted as a son remonstrating his father for ignoring him all these years.
3. Willy Porter - You Stay Here.  Although this is a cover of a Richard Shindell piece, Porter's phenomenal guitar playing again makes the complex sublime.  The lyrics are apropos enough for a post-apocalyptic book, but the force in Porter's voice adds a tremendous amount of anger, uncertainty, and longing in this dystopian future.

More music to write by in later posts, but in the meantime, give these three a listen and see what story pops into your mind.