THE MUSIC OF ONCE UPON (meet my wip's playlist)

What happens when you forget that you switched posting days? 

You also forget to write a post, and realize you're going to have to post it last minute. THEN you don't post it at all because you've spent hours working on your blog design (*coughcough*) and are sick of looking at a screen. THEN the next week you forget AGAIN that you need to post, and end up still posting late.

Me. I did all that. xD Bear with me, folks, I don't do change well.

BUT ANYWAY. That is not the topic of this post- it's actually much more fun. (At least, I think so.)

I recently read through my current WIP, Once Upon, and wrote down pages and pages of revision notes. It was SUCH  fun time going through it and reliving the story and falling in absolute LOVE with these characters again because did I mention that I LOVE THEM?? (I don't know what it is, y'all. but these characters are my babies and I can't get over how much I love them.)

If you know me, you know that I LOVE making music playlists to go along with each of my stories. And since I'm working on Once Upon right now and this music has been on my mind, I thought I'd share a few of the songs from my playlist- as well as their meaning to the story and some of my favorite lyrics! 

"Happily Ever After" by Jordan Fisher and Angie Keilhauer

Okay, first of all, this song is seriously awesome and you need to listen to it ASAP. 

It fits this story SO well, because Once Upon (as well as the whole series it's the beginning of) is all about rediscovering the magic of fairy tales, embracing the reality that they exist, and- of course- happily ever afters. One of my favorite lines of the song just about gives me chills: "The battles, the stories, the losses and all the glories..." Because that's what Trentley and Jynnia are experiencing. They're learning firsthand about all the wonderful things that happened years ago in fairy tales. They're seeing history come to life.

This song could be the theme to this entire series. 

"Ever Ever After" by Carrie Underwood

I mean, of course. "Storybook endings, fairy tales coming true..." Again, that could be the theme song of the whole story. And then "Deep down inside, we want to believe they still do." That's Jynnia. She hears the stories of how magic may have existed in the past, how fairy tales may have actually happened, and she hopes and believes with all her heart that they actually did, because what a wonder that would be.

"Never Gonna Let You Down" by Colbie Caillat

The great thing about this story is that I can include love songs in the playlist! Most of my books don't have a romance at the forefront, so I never really need any love songs. It's been really fun putting them into this one.

While this particular song doesn't strictly have to be a love song, it works so well for Trentley and Jynnia. They're always there for each other; they complement each other and build each other up. This is such a sweet song of putting your all into a relationship and it makes me smile when I think Trentley and Jynnia. 

"Today Was A Fairytale" by Taylor Swift

Again... of COURSE this had to be on the list. Because not only is it fairy tale-themed, but it's a sweet love song that just makes me want to write allll the Trentley and Jynnia scenes. 

"Speechless" by Naomi Scott

You guys know how much I love this song from THIS post, so I was happy to be able to include it in this playlist. It works because this book is the springboard to a whole series where Trentley and Jynnia are trying to show the injustice of magic being outlawed, and doing what they can to bring it back to life. Jynnia is quite spunky and outspoken, so it's safe to say that she doesn't often go speechless; this song was a perfect addition to represent her passion for what she's fighting for and her determination to make a change. If Jynnia has a theme song, this is it.

1000 Years by KT Tunstall and Bleu

This one just about gives me chills. Again, it's a love song, so of course it's for Trentley and Jynnia. But what makes it so perfect for this story is the theme of a thousand years. No, that particular number isn't a theme in the story... but it's about fairy tales resurfacing after many years of being hidden in the past. It's about not letting their legends die because people are afraid of magic. And it's about Trentley and Jynnia's love lasting through trials and tribulations. 

So, this song is a beautiful promise that Trentley and Jynnia's love will last forever, and in 1000 years, perhaps people will be telling their story just as they do the fairy tale romances of old. 

Remember Me by Ivan Torrent

I've mentioned this song before. It's super beautiful, first of all, and I've come to love Ivan Torrent's music because it's so dreamy and epic and magical all at the same time- and it's great to write to. 

This song in particular is so perfect because the lyrics are a plea to remember the past. "Once upon a time there was a charming prince..." "Please remember it..." I mean, come on. How could this not be on this playlist? 

And that's it! There are a bunch of other songs on this playlist, but I could talk about them forever so I won't go there. xD If you haven't heard any of these songs, go listen to them!! This playlist is so fun and magical, and really gets me excited about this story. Funny thing, though... I rarely actually listen to it while I'm writing. Every now and then I will, but lately I've been needing to listen to just music when I write, because lyrics distract me. xD So, usually I'll end up listening to it when I'm driving to and from work (which results in a long, miserable day of missing my characters). 

Speaking of the story... happy Camp NaNoWriMo! July's Camp sneaks up on me every. year, and I was completely unprepared. Hehe. This month I'll be working on... you guessed it... Once Upon! It's time for revisions, so me and my pages of notes are going to become real good friends these next few weeks. (or enemies. I mean, it could go either way.)

And one more thing... *casually points up* I redid my blog header! And renamed my blog! *confetti* 

I LOVED "The Ones That Really Matter". It came straight from of my favorite books, from the mouth of one of my absolute favorite fictional characters. 

But... it was time to let it go. (Sort of.) I wanted a tagline that was a little more original, and I wanted to make my name more prominent on my blog. (which sounds super narcissistic but you guys know what I mean. xD) I came up with "Words That Really Matter" as a way to keep my original tagline alive, while also putting my own spin on it. We're all writers and/or readers here- so I don't think I need to explain to you all what I mean by words mattering. And since this blog is like a big conglomeration of things that matter to me, I think it's fitting. I hope you guys like it too! < 3

I hope you all have a most lovely July! Let me know if you're doing Camp NaNoWriMo! *cheers you on anyway*

Do you make writing playlists? Do you listen to them when you write or at other times? Any recommendations for great writing music? And who's doing Camp NaNo? Tell me about your project!