Write Novels Like Songs

It's nineteen days until I turn twenty, and that is freaking me out, so instead of writing about that, I'm going to write about the way songwriters inspire me.

I write novels, but I look to people like Lorde and Grimes for writing inspiration. The way other people work and weave words in fascinating to me. Carly Rae Jepsen scrapping albums and starting over with new concepts -something Grimes has done too- or Lorde creating each album as a quick snapshot of her life.

Drug-binge work sessions and caffeine-fueled bursts of word working, the places where people write and the things they surround themselves with, and why. I love hearing about that stuff. I love hearing people talk about their process.

So here's a quote about writing from from Grimes/Ella that I really like:

I often do my best work when I can be completely absorbed by it. It was the same thing in high school with math. It’s always been about losing myself and losing track of time. I remember meditating on a math problem for over four hours, and only snapping out of it when I had to go to the bathroom. Those were the times when I could really feel the progress. It’s always a good sign to realize that six hours just disappeared. To see how time dissolves can be a powerful experience, and it’s one I miss. Because it’s one thing to talk about stuff and it’s another to actually commit to doing it; to solve a math problem or make music. Not being too self-aware in the process is also really important. - Grimes