tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post5646840350785904748..comments2024-03-29T06:34:11.109-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: ON EARWORMSJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67437863947298356852007-08-18T23:08:00.000-04:002007-08-18T23:08:00.000-04:00Aliasmo: Yes, I loved Daughter of Time. Didn't you...Aliasmo: Yes, I loved Daughter of Time. Didn't you? In fact, it may be in my top five. What a tour de force, having the detective be bedridden, solving a mystery from the past. Clever, smart, even, gasp, educational. You're so right--talk about history detective!<BR/><BR/>Ok--putting together next week's gender quiz. One fabulous reader (and you know who you are) sent in two diabolically impossible snippets--anyone else care to send in some stumpers?<BR/><BR/>Lisa, are you there? As reigning champ you may want to send me a couple..Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-29722535916149335482007-08-17T23:27:00.000-04:002007-08-17T23:27:00.000-04:00Oops. Posted in triplicate, deleted two. Honest. N...Oops. Posted in triplicate, deleted two. Honest. Nothing interesting was deleted.AliasMohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02215864597874551595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43821865335721310242007-08-17T23:19:00.001-04:002007-08-17T23:19:00.001-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.AliasMohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02215864597874551595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86363363751433685132007-08-17T23:19:00.000-04:002007-08-17T23:19:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.AliasMohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02215864597874551595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-51155078201454414762007-08-17T23:18:00.000-04:002007-08-17T23:18:00.000-04:00Lisa, I took my freshman calculus exam with "Brand...Lisa, I took my freshman calculus exam with "Brandi, you're a fine girl..." running through my head. Don't know how it got in there, since I've never been any good at mixing music with lyrics and concentration. Sometimes I'll listen to the Lord of the Rings CDs my kids gave me and long ago when I still had a record player in the same room, I'd put on "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" or "Pleasures of the Court"--lots of harpsichord and other 16th century instruments. And I don't write historicals!<BR/><BR/>I'm thinking of a new writing incentive: I'll put on my teenage sons' CDs and force myself to endure until I've written my quota of words for the day. No more checking e-mail endlessly or staring out at the yard for inspiration. My stories will probably get more violent.<BR/><BR/>Hank, those history detectives do seem to have all the fun. Has anyone read "The Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey? A British detective sidelined with a broken leg tackles the "cold case" of Richard III and the disappearance of the young princes.AliasMohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02215864597874551595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59867409457271221952007-08-17T10:47:00.000-04:002007-08-17T10:47:00.000-04:00Thanks guys, I'm going to try this cello thing. Ar...Thanks guys, I'm going to try this cello thing. Are there pieces -- either cello or any other instrumental -- that are particularly good for writing tension?<BR/>Can always use a good jump start!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-37456588960551781042007-08-16T23:58:00.000-04:002007-08-16T23:58:00.000-04:00Felicia, duly noted -- I'll probably have to get i...Felicia, duly noted -- I'll probably have to get it too. Solo cello pieces are so mournful, but so beautiful and I don't know why the cello is always the perfect accompaniment to writing for me, but it is.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00665632105920753931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-88312086115368042342007-08-16T21:07:00.000-04:002007-08-16T21:07:00.000-04:00Hank, you're hired! I'm sending you a pair of whit...Hank, you're hired! I'm sending you a pair of white cotton gloves as we speak.<BR/><BR/>History Detectives IS a great show. If only history had been that interesting all throughout my college years, I might have paid better attention. <BR/><BR/>Lisa, love Pablo Casals. There's just something about the cello that resonates emotionally with me. I've also been listening to the Yo-Yo Ma's "Inspired by Bach" series.Felicia Donovanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03556232226152556397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-54423459631082609642007-08-16T17:46:00.000-04:002007-08-16T17:46:00.000-04:00I can listen to only classical -- usually it's bet...I can listen to only classical -- usually it's better if it's a string quartet or just piano. Nothing too symphonic and definitely nothing with lyrics. Someone mentioned works in minor keys, and there's something to that. I love the Pablo Casals Bach cello solos.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00665632105920753931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-18814486287894287812007-08-16T16:20:00.000-04:002007-08-16T16:20:00.000-04:00Hey Amy--say hi to the gang at The Writers' Group-...Hey Amy--say hi to the gang at The Writers' Group---Lynne's Negotiation Generation is next to be released right? (Attention all parents..)<BR/><BR/>YOu know, I can see how the Mozart could have been an inspiration in writing your scene...hmm. That could work. Any more musical secret weapons out there?<BR/><BR/>Maybe we could make a library of them...Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-30323156887092934812007-08-16T14:36:00.000-04:002007-08-16T14:36:00.000-04:00My earworm is my personal mantra, we shall see, so...My earworm is my personal mantra, we shall see, sort of an OCD thing. Or a talisman.<BR/><BR/>And never can music play while I'm writing. Well, the only exception was Mozart's Requiem when I was writing a death scene.<BR/><BR/>AmyLynne Griffin and Amy MacKinnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11107479565926998943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74292287877608509802007-08-15T23:51:00.000-04:002007-08-15T23:51:00.000-04:00I LOVE History Detectives. I think the theme song ...I LOVE History Detectives. I think the theme song is terrific, and now, it's an earworm. Thanks, Felicia.<BR/><BR/>I also seriously considered sending them a letter, asking if they needed another reporter, or writer. I figured I'd write my inquiry in the History Detective style.<BR/><BR/>"I saw a show on Television. What was the title? I had to know. How would I find out? I turned to my local newspaper. The Boston Globe. Which, newspaper expert Sally Shmoe told me, often had current TV listings. Back in the recesses of her archives office, we looked in the index, and she showed me how to pull the file for yesterday's paper. Would the show I was looking for be there? I had to find out."<BR/><BR/>Think they'd hire me?<BR/><BR/>Anyone else seen this show?Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-37669274330982784702007-08-15T20:00:00.000-04:002007-08-15T20:00:00.000-04:00Hank, leverage those in-between-pitches conversati...Hank, leverage those in-between-pitches conversations for all you can! <BR/><BR/>Trouble with listening to music is that I love it so much, I can't focus on anything else. However, I will say that since I used Barbra Streisand's "Queen Bee" as the theme for the Black Widow Agency trailer, I play that whenever I need a pick me up.<BR/><BR/>Jan, I love "Watching the Detectives." My daughter and I sing along to it whenever we watch History Detectives together. Great song, great show.Felicia Donovanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03556232226152556397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-12563724681147950612007-08-15T12:11:00.000-04:002007-08-15T12:11:00.000-04:00My daughter made me a mystery mix to play as an in...My daughter made me a mystery mix to play as an intro when I hosted Reading with Robin's book show last year. And on it, she put Watching the Detectives by Elvis Costello, which I sometimes play before, but not WHILE, I write.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-88967846070713518742007-08-14T23:13:00.000-04:002007-08-14T23:13:00.000-04:00So, Felicia, you mean when my darling husband is w...So, Felicia, you mean when my darling husband is watching baseball on TV (and nothing wrong with that, gotta love the Red Sox) and I talk (only between pitches) about something else, and he has no idea what I've been talking about when I push for a response--it's possible that he actually literally didn't hear me?<BR/>Hmm. WOnder if I can use that to get him to agree to something...<BR/><BR/>And Susannah, I'm checking out Thomas Newman asap. ALthough as a result of your post, I'm singing RANDY Newman's "Every Man a King."<BR/><BR/>And it's clear music can inspire ideas--although once I had a great idea at the symphony,and could not bear the thought of forgetting it, and so I wrote it on my program. The guy in front of me apparently could hear my pencil writing--he turned around and hissed at me to stop writing. Yikes.<BR/><BR/>I guess he wasn't totally focused on the music.<BR/><BR/>Anyone else have songs or music that inspires them to write? That would be fun to hear about..Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85651811848317661162007-08-14T21:08:00.000-04:002007-08-14T21:08:00.000-04:00I generally write more readily to music -- instrum...I generally write more readily to music -- instrumental only and, depending on what I'm writing, often in minor keys.<BR/><BR/>Thomas Newman (<I>Meet Joe Black, Angels in America, American Beauty, Erin Brockovich,</I> etc.) can jump start me on a roll that no other composer matches, though some James Horner comes close. If I have to write to a deadline and with a minimum of time for revision, it's Thomas Newman all the way, baby. (I often start by playing the "More Life" track from <I>Angels in America</I>, and somehow start "hearing" opening and closing lines. Weird, huh?)<BR/><BR/>Apart from writing, I rarely listen to these composers.<BR/><BR/>I absolutely cannot write to music with lyrics, ever. But I wrote my Master's thesis to two soundtracks primarily -- <I>Brideshead Revisited</I> and <I>Splash</I>. My poor husband wins some kind of halo for listening to these two albums (days before headphones, it were) every night for six weeks.<BR/><BR/>As for ear worms, yes, I get them. Two days ago it was Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Dani California."<BR/>Not a good song to get stuck with, since it's a storytelling lyric.<BR/><BR/>:-/Susannah Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660387525544941776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-52809346900888873572007-08-14T19:00:00.000-04:002007-08-14T19:00:00.000-04:00Thanks for the support, Hank!I did a little Googli...Thanks for the support, Hank!<BR/><BR/>I did a little Googling around because I remembered there was a study that demonstrated a clear difference in how men process noise vs. women. This excerpt is from New Man Magazine (lest I be accused of being biased):<BR/><BR/>"The areas of the brain responsible for language development are larger in women, thus giving a physical explanation as to why little Joan is quoting Shakespeare while little Joe is still repeating nursery rhymes. The areas of the brain that process auditory signals also exhibit gender differences. Women tend to process sounds equally well from both ears, whereas men tend to have a dominant side to their auditory perception. This tends to allow women to process background noises more effectively, while men focus on a dominant sound. This adds to the tendency of men to be task-oriented because they intensely focus their senses on one thing at a time. "Selective hearing" in men may actually have a physiological basis!" Full article: http://www.newmanmag.com/display.php?id=815<BR/><BR/>No earworms there...Felicia Donovanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03556232226152556397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91965200573548132092007-08-13T23:32:00.000-04:002007-08-13T23:32:00.000-04:00Hey Felicia! Welcome! Yes, I agree it's incredibly...Hey Felicia! Welcome! <BR/>Yes, I agree it's incredibly interesting how we can train our brains to single out what's important. Or maybe it's not training--maybe it's hard wired.<BR/><BR/> It's like when you're at a party, in the midst of the buzz and the clamor, and then someone across the room says your name in a normal voice. And you absoultely hear that, don't you? <BR/><BR/>It's as if everything else goes quiet.<BR/><BR/>I'd go look this up on the web and sound smarter, but I'm thnking there's a part of the brain that handles this processing. It weeds out what you don't need and discards it, and focuses on what's important.<BR/><BR/>How a mother can hear the voice of her own child over the din in a crowded playground. How your dispatchers can hear an "officer in trouble" call over the chaos of a bustling day. <BR/><BR/>We're big Black Widow fans, by the way...nice to see you here! (You guys, click on Felicia's link and check it out..)<BR/><BR/>As for you, devious Lisa! I've been singing "I think we're alone now" all day. Thanks, pal. (Although I know this was all my fault...)Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-23321314324886251682007-08-13T21:37:00.000-04:002007-08-13T21:37:00.000-04:00Earworms? I think I saw that on a corpse once... I...Earworms? I think I saw that on a corpse once... <BR/><BR/>I cannot write with a lot of ambient sound and if the music has lyrics, forget it. Classical is okay, but even that usually gets shut off. <BR/><BR/>I wanted to share a story that Hank, in particular, may appreciate. In my "day" job, I'm often called into the Dispatch Center where there is a clutter of sounds - police radios crackling, Nextels going off, a tv in the background, phones ringing, etc. I can be in the middle of chatting with a dispatcher and they will abruptly break away and respond to an officer calling that I never even heard. Just like Hank picks up on keywords coming from one of three TVs, these folks are so tuned to that radio that they can hear it and recall everything said, even in the midst of conversing on a completely different topic with someone else. It always amazes me. Many can keep several simultaneous conversations going at once, too, and process them all at the same time. It's a very special skill to be able to train your brain and your ear, worms or not, to function like that.Felicia Donovanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03556232226152556397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-1089997300112247152007-08-13T13:55:00.000-04:002007-08-13T13:55:00.000-04:00Almost anything from the Top 40 circa late 60's/70...Almost anything from the Top 40 circa late 60's/70's seems to do it. I think because they are simple and repetitive -- examples: "Brandi, you're a fine girl, what a good wife you would be", "I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning, like a whirlpool it never ends", "I think we're alone now", and I totally agree about The Clash and also, Talking Heads, "Burning down the house" stays with me...Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00665632105920753931noreply@blogger.com