There are two senses I try to enhance when I’m writing.

First, I like to listen to music.  This usually involves a selection from my extensive collection of movie soundtracks.  They’re great for setting mood, while shutting out the distractions.  I have a tendency to listen to action and adventure scores, since that’s the genre I’m writing.  I have my favorites, of course, so if you’re interested, you should check out some of the titles I’ll list later in this article.

My favorite composers are:

1. Jerry Goldsmith – my favorite, without a doubt.  Too many to list.

2. Hans Zimmer – a close second and coming on strong.  Transformers!

3. Ron Goodwin – Where Eagles Dare is my favorite soundtrack.

4. Elmer Bernstein – The Comancheros  & Heavy Metal score are awesome.

5. Alan Silvestri – Van Helsing & The Mummy Returns

6. Roy Budd – Wild Geese & Fear is the Key

7. John Barry – James Bond & Zulu

8. Basil Poledouris – Red Dawn & Hunt for Red October

However, since I have over 200 movie soundtracks to chose from, I really focus on the project and my mood, before selecting.  There always seems to be the perfect combination to help me along.

Likewise, there are movies I watch to help with specific book plots as well.  For instance, when I was writing Secret of the Dragon’s Scales – Book 4, I watched the following films.  When you read the book, you’ll understand the process.

Reign of Fire and Dragonheart – dragons, of course.

Operation Crossbow – The war against Hitler’s V-1 & V-2 rockets.

The Counterfeiters – Himmler’s elaborate plan to forge millions of English pounds.

Into the Storm – Fantastic movie about Churchill’s war years.

The Last Legion – A Roman spin on the King Arthur legend.

The Battle of Britain – Mood and setting, great music.

Sometimes the DVD sits in the computer drive for weeks at a time and I may replay a specific scene over and over.  I don’t always know what I’m looking for, but again, with over 400 movies on DVD, I usually can find what I’m thinking about.  This process is repeated for every novel I’ve written and it also prevents me from suffering from writer’s block, because I just overwhelm any resistance with music or acting and special effects.

So, while I’m pounding the keyboard and staring at the monitor, I’m usually surrounded with music and visual enticements.  There’s only one drawback.  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the movie or soundtrack, I stop writing.  Oh well, time for popcorn.