Music can add richness to a scene. Whether the character is playing a musical instrument or listening to music or singing. Musical instruments themselves have character – they can tell us a lot about the musician.
Can you add a musical instrument or a tune to the story – that runs through the thematic throughline of the story? Can the same instrument play bouncy and sad music? Is it in sync with the character’s mood?
WRITE THIS
- Write a scene in which a musical instrument is important.
- Your scene could be written from the point of view of someone hearing an instrument being played, wanting to be able to play an instrument, listening to someone practice (happily or unhappily), or even, if you dare, from the point of view of the instrument itself.
- You could write about an unusual instrument, something from another culture; or about a musical instrument associated with an historical person or event, e.g., the little drummer boy, or bagpipers rousing men for battle, or a bugle playing Taps.
- Think about the emotions the character is experiencing when listening or looking at this musical instrument.
Here are some resources to help with this prompt.
https://memphisgoldprod.net/worlds-unusual-instruments/
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/21/10-strangest-musical-instruments
This is a prompt by Shyamala Shanmugasundaram.