In Search of a Soundtrack |

By Nick Hayden
May 28, 2015

Let me warn you at the start–this is a self-indulgent post.

Creativity and music have always been connected for me. Most of my best ideas come while listening to music. And by music, I usually mean songs from OverClocked Remix. If you don’t know what that is, let me explain: Overclock Remix is a depository for more than 3000 remixes of video game music (VGM). The standards on the site are quite high, so if it shows up there, it’s usually good. And since my day job is in an office, I often find myself listening to its ridiculously large collection of songs as I process paperwork.

Even before OverClocked Remix was a thing, I listened to Final Fantasy soundtracks for inspiration. Such songs capture so much emotional and story potential in a few minutes, it’s hard not to find something triggered if you’re listening for that purpose. In recent years, I’ve even written a number of flash fiction stories, many based on songs from Final Fantasy X.

So, when Nathan decided to share his ‘dream cast’ for a Jaysynn movie, it was only natural that I hunt down an appropriate soundtrack for Children of the Wells.

Now, nothing’s perfect when you don’t have a composer to do your bidding, but I think the following choices are at least entertaining, if for no other reason than they make a great playlist. So, I present to you, dear reader, a few highlights from my imaginary soundtrack:

Theme to The Well’s Orphan:

This is first on my list because I listened to this song repeatedly while writing The Well’s Orphan. It captures a plodding, inescapable destiny, a tragic journey to some unknown destination, which is exactly what I needed for that book. This song was especially helpful in the early chapters as I tried to find a voice for Calea and words to hold the urgency within her. Plus, the title is rather appropriate to Calea’s depressed state of mind in that book.

(If you haven’t read The Well’s Orphan yet, perhaps the music will intrigue you enough to download it!)

Calea’s Theme:

Speaking of Calea, finding a theme for her wasn’t easy, but I stumbled across this lovely, haunting, beautiful piece and it seemed to fit. I really enjoy Calea as a character and feel rather sorry for her. She’s complex and tragic, but there’s a lost innocence deep down within her. This piece touches upon some of that. Also, it’s nice that this song has a lot of similarity to The Well’s Orphan theme.

Bron’s Theme:

I really didn’t think I’d find a theme for Bron. He’s intense, but not quite in some action hero sort of way. There’s a slowness to his thought process, and (I like to think) a certain subtle nobility to his actions. This song captures some of that insistent, restrained strength that Bron evidences in the story. And, yet again, the title is rather appropriate for a post-Cataclysmic world. Perhaps not a perfect choice, but I’ve grown to really dig the song.

Dracon’s Theme:

I haven’t had a chance to write much Dracon, but he’s a powerful figure who hovers over both plotlines. I didn’t want to give him a big, nasty theme, but something ominous and subtle. This is what I found. I think it works well for the Dracon we’ve seen thus far.

The Wheel/Jalseion Theme:

All right, I know it’s been awhile since we’ve been to Jalseion, but I really love the city and decided to find a theme for it. The Select there are eggheads. They have utopian dreams and not much common sense. It’s a peaceful, pleasant place if you’re a Select or happen to live in the right Section. This song, I think, encapsulates some of the quirkiness and oblivious peace that the Select of the Wheel possess and view the world with.

Bonus: The Whispers Theme:

There are a lot more character themes I’ve picked out for my own enjoyment. If you, dear readers, enjoy this trip into my fantasy music land, I’d be happy to share more with you in the future. For now, I’ll just leave you with a wildcard. I helped Nathan coordinate the events in his short story “Whispers” (found in Destinies Entwined) and I thought a special, top-secret black ops group needed some kind of cool theme song. This is what I found. It’s experimental. It’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. But I like it.

If you don’t, you can find a song you do like. I mean, if you need an excuse to listen to good music. This was my excuse.

~~~

So, did these songs work for you? Why or why not? What would you suggest? (Granted, I purposely limited myself to OCRemix, but I’m sure there are plenty of other sources that would yield fantastic themes for an imaginary soundtrack.) Who’s theme would you like presented in my next post?