Tag Archives: Adele Astaire

Playlist for a Jazz-Age Dieselpunk Fantasy

Posted in Music, Movies, and other Muses by

Music is always one of my go-to sources of inspiration, and whenever I’m working on a story I put together a playlist of music and songs. Right now I’m working on a dieselpunk/historical fantasy series set in 1920s Los Angeles. A lot of my selections are not necessarily from the 1920s; since I’m writing historical fantasy, I don’t mind deviating from exact historical accuracy, especially for my personal playlist. I just want to evoke a flavor and mindset of the Roaring 20s to help immerse me in the glittering magical world of Mrs. Jones.

So here is some music to write by:

Theme from Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

I love this show, and it’s a fun way to get myself into Roaring 20s mode. While I’m not writing murder mysteries and my heroine is no Phryne Fisher (though they do have a few things in common), the music is a great thing to have on my playlist.

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Talent or Persistence – Which is more Important for a Writer?

Posted in Music, Movies, and other Muses, Writings about Writing by

Most people would agree that writing well takes talent. Some people are gifted with a great singing voice, some people are gifted with a mind for numbers and equations, and some people are gifted with words.

But is talent or gifting the only requisite to becoming a great writer – or even an average writer? The most talented singer out there had to learn how to carry a tune, the most talented mathematician wasn’t born knowing how to count to one hundred. And the most talented writers started out by scribbling down a poorly-spelled variation of “It was a dark and stormy night.”

Talent is important for an inherently artistic pursuit like writing – whether you’re writing poetry, science fiction, or blog posts. But you’ll probably never be a great writer – or a famous writer – without persistence. Continue reading →