The Sounds of Fallen

I decided to start a new blog series.  Music is such an integral and fluid piece to my process that it only fits to reflect back on the songs and artists that propelled the inspiration into each of my books.  I want to start this series with the caveat that I am not receiving any incentive, monetary or otherwise, from any artist named nor any of their affiliates.  These are simply the people and the music that inspired my books to drop their shrouds and become what they were meant to become.

With that out of the way, I want to dive right into the songs and music that inspired my first novel, Fallen.

Fallen was written over the course of about eight years.  I took it slow and added to it whenever the feeling arose in me.  Obviously I don't write that way anymore, but at the time I didn't have an audience for my writing.  Fallen was written only for me.  

Over the course of those eight years, however, my music tastes changed.  I always relished the types of music that you could just close your eyes and escape to another place and time.  I remember listening to a lot of Adiemus, a Welsh vocalise-style group.  I don't even remember how I stumbled upon them, but my favorite song of theirs was the titular song, "Adiemus."  

Listening to that music in my room at night, and I could close my eyes and dream of all the things I would do, all the places I would go, all the people I would meet.  I'm deviating from the purpose of this post, but you get my point.  It was good stuff that touched a part of my soul nothing else did at that point in time.  And what else should music be doing other than touching a part of you that you can scarcely begin to put in words?

When I began writing Fallen, I became heavily influenced by Sarah Brightman.  In fact I would venture to say that during most stages of the writing process it was Sarah that was the voice of my book.  

But the one song that really summed up Fallen in a nutshell was "Figlio Perduto" which is roughly translated to "The Lost Son."  The song was based upon a poem by Goethe entitled "Der Elkonig," or Erl King.  About a son and his father who set out on horseback in the night.  The son complains about hearing the Erlking following them, wanting to attack them.  The father dismisses it as imagination.  When they arrive to their destination, the father looks down and realizes his son is dead.

The poem and the song touched me; it was the intense emotion between father and son that really drove the relationship of Gabriel and Loren forward.  If you notice, there is also a chapter titled, "The Lost Son."  

I could just listen to that song, knowing its meaning, and really be enveloped in Loren's pain towards his father's dismissiveness.  (And Gabriel's pain at knowing what he knows, if I'm being honest).  It helped propel the crux of the story forward.  

Music is truly my bread and butter.

Another song that I discovered after the fact that really reminds me of Fallen is Florence + The Machine's "Blinding."  It's beautiful but just listen to the lyrics.  The essence of Fallen.

So take a listen to some of those songs I mentioned while reading Fallen.  Even if you're not big into Operatic style singing or not.  

You might be surprised at what embraces you.  You may even be inspired to create yourself.  :)

~ Angela Darling

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