POLARIS AWAKENING PLAYLIST
We can't believe that Polaris Awakening has finally been released! From concept to production, it's been such a fun project to be a part of.
If you're a writer, you'll know that music can be a very important part of the writing process. Whether you listen to it while writing your story, or listen to it out about to get you in the mood, it can be a real driving force in getting an idea on to the page (or screen...)
Personally,
I don't have music playing while I'm writing, because I can't deal with the
distraction (for some reason, Rainy Cafe works really well for me), but when
I'm working on a story, I'll create a playlist that I can listen to out and
about to keep the inspiration alive. AND I WILL PLAY THOSE SONGS TO DEATH.
The other authors of the Polaris anthology are no different! We've put together a few tracks that inspired each author as they were writing the new Patchwork Press anthology. They're in order of how the stories appear (Kellie Sheridan, Erin Latimer, Erica Crouch, Janna Jennings, Hannah Davies,Terra Harmony, and Meghan Jashinsky) with Kellie's tracks bookending the playlist, since she wrote the prologue and epilogue.
We think it's a really cool mix; some of the tracks capture the haunting loneliness that can be found on Polaris and some reflect the rebellious spirit brewing among the inhabitants of the space station.
I had a longer playlist for my own story, but the
three tracks I chose are the most reflective of the spirit of my story. I
heard Warriors by Imagine Dragons first and to be honest, it
kind of spawned the whole idea of Seth and the Academy. I listened to it on
repeat for ages until I had a fully fledged idea, and whenever I would sit to
write, it was my trigger song. Not only do the lyrics remind me of the
Academy and how the cadets are all training to be 'warriors' but it also makes
me think about how they're waiting to rise, whether that's to fulfil Zeus'
grand plan, or to be part of a growing rebellion. Also, it has this thumping
energy that was so important for visualising the Academy, but more importantly
Seth, Astra and Orion.
Mars was an easy
chose for me too. I love Sleeping At Last, and they're Atlas albums
are all named after star related things so it was super inspiring. All the
stories in the anthology are based on constellations and the mythology behind
them. Mars is the Roman God of War (and counterpart to the Greek God of war,
Ares). When we were planning the anthology, we talked about the figure running
the Academy being a Mars/Ares type figure in the stories, which fit perfectly
with my story in two ways - the concept of an Academy of soldiers, and that
Scorpio's biggest star is Antares, or 'rival of Ares'. That fit perfectly in my
head ( don't you love it when that happens?) and set up the Major, and his
relationship with Seth. The song itself talks about the reality of war, and not
knowing what you entered into until it was too late, which fits so well with
the U.R.S.A and reminded me of Eury's plight in Erica's story too.
I found I Found by Amber Run last
of all (see what I did there?) but it quickly because the song that I listened
over and over again as I reviewed the conclusion to the story. It's one of
those songs that taught me something about my own story! Seth is very much a
character that needs to be grounded by the people around him; the whole story
kind of looks at how lost he is as a result of his father's death. Yes, he's
driven in his scheme, but it's not necessarily the best way to direct his
passion. Thinking about all the people in Seth's life, that he's either met or
heard of - Astra, Eury and Orpheus, Nara, his father - it's important for him
to remember what's important, and how he fits into the bigger picture. He'll
use what happened to them as a 'warning sign', or a 'makeshift gauge' to keep
his focus at the top, and to always be his father's son.
Bonus tracks for Scorpio include:
- We Have
It All by Pim
Stones
- Wolves by Rag N' Bone Man
- The
Draw by
Bastille
- Breath
of Life by Florence + The Machine
- Final Test by Junkie XL
Buy a copy of Polaris Awakening!
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