First 250 Words Smash! #9

Brave, Bold Author: Cee
Terrible, Horrible Editor: Victoria
Working Title: N/A

Long ago, there was a maid, not a maiden.  She is fair, but more importantly she is brave and canny and just a bit mad.  Perched on the bed, grimy with misuse, she listens for the step on the stair.  She breathes and her hands still, slipping the stiletto within the casing of her corset.  Whore’s get, they call her.  Maybe they’re right; maybe her road always led here.

The door opens and before it can close, she has the man pinned against the wall, her knife at his throat and fire in her eyes.

“I will not.”

Defiant, she stares him down.  He’s young.  She hadn’t expected that.  Youths, they think they should get it for free until she reminds them, scarring words written in silver and blood across their hearts.

His hands raise, the fear raw in his eyes, and she’s not yet cruel enough to ignore a cry for mercy.  She pulls the blade back, a single bead of blood staining the fine lawn of his shirt.  He’s pretty, really.  

“Please.”  His voice is hoarse. “I mean you no harm.  So don’t kill me; I’m really rather attached to this body.  I have a proposition for you.”

In a flash, the knife is back.

“Not that!”  He flails, trying to evade any further nicks or worse.  "If I swear to any God you wish that I have no intention of touching you, will you put the damn thing down?"

Strong Points--

 You wasted no time in getting to the action, which is a really good way to hook us into the story. It's all too easy to start a story with exposition that we think is important, but you didn't do that. Good! I'd much rather dive right into the story and find out what the heck is going on as we travel ahead!

Also, we get a good sense of character asap. Your lead female, her actions speak volumes about what kind of girl she is and what kind of awful things have already been done to her, as well as what they've turned her into. It also shows a lot about the boy that he's willing to do just about anything to not get slain, so he's kind of a pansy, but that's okay.

You've snuck a few good descriptor words in there, such as the 'grimy' bed and mentioning her corset (which can really set what sort of time period this may be happening in).

Some Tips--

I found a lot of telling. 'She is fair, but more importantly she is brave and canny and just a bit mad', 'defiant', and 'she’s not yet cruel enough to ignore a cry for mercy' for starters. These are things that would be so much more powerful if you showed us how she does this, as opposed to just outright telling us.

In fact, I think this article that WriteWorld did on showing vs. telling does a much better job than I could, so check that out! It will help strengthen your narrative and make this exponentially more wonderful.

Also, I would highly suggest changing your first line or two. They're right there in cliche territory, and it's best to avoid those at all costs. I do appreciate the comparison to a fairytale, and the stark contrast between a fairytale setting and what we have here, however, I would prefer to see it done in other ways, such as your themes, your situations, your characters, and some twisted tropes.

More imagery would also greatly help me visualize what I'm seeing. I already pointed out some good descriptors, now push that. What kind of room is she in? Is it dark or light? What does 'pretty' mean to your character in regards to a boy?  There's so much information a setting can give, so utilize that.

Would I Keep Reading?

I think I may, as I'm intrigued by your main character. Who doesn't love a bamf? I think that if you fix these things and resubmit, though, I will be begging you to read more. They will turn an okay opening into a punch in the face.

A good punch in the face.

Good luck, and please resubmit!! <3 <3 <3 <3  

Smashing of the Words! #8

Brave and Heroic Author: Jeremy Levine
Villainous Editor: Victoria
Working Title: N/A

I am writing this account because it helps me keep track of things that are true about this story. It all began on a boat. A ship, actually. I called it a boat once and some crew member with an intimidating hairdo told me off for demeaning the majesty of the vessel.

So it all began on a ship. We were spending the week doing goofy vacation stuff: sandcastles, beach volleyball, smoothies, all that. Melissa and I had a real great time of it, being young and goofy and all of that. It was pretty perfect.

Then, this one night, they were having a big party in one of the main rooms, and it was great. There was a live band playing all of this groovy jazz, some fancy finger foods with names that I can’t pronounce, and a lot of hilariously overdressed older folks. A great party indeed.

And the music was righteous. Melissa and I were right there in the middle of the floor, dancing and twirling around, keeping up with the best of ‘em. The tunes filled every part of us. Melissa’s smile would light up her face and work all the way up to her eyes until they got all squinty, but you could still sort of see how beautiful and green they were. The music sounded just like we felt, the trumpets rocketing into these elaborate solos and the drums pounding out a beat we could have danced to if only we had the time.

Strong Points--

Very characteristic voice. It dates this story without outright stating it, because, let’s face it, “groovy” is very time-specific. “Tunes” and “goofy” sort of contribute to this too.

“Intimidating hairdo” I love this. I laughed, and I got to picture whatever I wanted to.

“…if only we had the time.” OMG. What happened? You just got a huge question mark out of me and that’s the best part, because now I want to know why they didn’t have the time, and what cut this sweet lover’s vacation short.

I love that last paragraph all together, because the narrator’s description of Melissa is so heartfelt and so much in the little detail of her eyes and her smile. This is great showing. It’s not overly lengthy, but it’s just enough instead of just writing off the moment or the woman herself as “beautiful”.

Some Tips--

“There was a live band playing…” This sentence and others with similar structure can be made so much more powerful with just a little rearranging of the words. “A live band played.” Less words, more of an impact. You can also strengthen your verbs. You already have with things such as "the drums pounded", now apply that elsewhere, and get rid of all of the "could" and "sort of" and "kind of". I understand that people talk like that, and it sounds very natural, but we don't want to read it over and over.

Also, no "you".

There’s a bit of telling in here. “It was pretty perfect” and “It was great”. That doesn’t paint as vivid of a picture as the character’s description of Melissa in the last paragraph. I want to feel how great the moment is from our narrator’s eyes, not just have it told to me. Those moments will really contribute to his (or her?) characterization! Try to avoid “great” and words like that, since they’re so vague in meaning.

But the only part of the first paragraph I would keep is the line where the intimidating hairdo guy corrects him. Otherwise, I think your opening lines may need redone. They’re sort of falling into cliché territory, and no one wants that. They’re equivalent to telling us “I’m beginning a story” which we don’t need to be told. We just want you to start the story.

Would I keep reading?

That last line was a killer! It took a little while to get there, but you've done a good job at setting up our stage and god, that last line! That hooked me, and I would keep reading just to find out WHY.

Great job, don't ever feel shy about resubmissions either!

<3 <3 <3 

 

Back from the dead with Word Smashing #6!

It's November, and I'm sure all of you know what that means! It's the month of writing, writing writing. I hope you guys have met your word counts before reading this.

Writer: Sara Finnly

Editor: Victoria

The elevator was moving unusually slow that morning. A boy stood in a grey suit, his blonde hair astray, glancing at his watch every couple seconds. When the elevator came to a slow halt at floor three Jason Falcon let out a heavy sigh. He slumped his shoulders forward and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  The doors opened to reveal a middle aged woman that not even he could deny was beautiful, Jason moved closer to the left wall to make room for her. She smiled up at him and gracefully muttered hello. Jason however hardly acknowledged the fact that she was there.

Pulling out a small mirror the woman purposefully ran her arm against his slowly. Jason only looked forward. As the woman grew annoyed with his lack of interest she moved to the far end of the elevator, imitating Jason’s tense stature she too crossed her arms across her chest.

When he finally emerged from the building his fathers black car was already waiting at the curb. “Jason, not a good first impression.” Mr. Falcon was dressed in a crisp back suit. His black hair was starting to show signs of age however his hairdresser did an excellent job of covering it.

“You’ve lived with me and raised me for twenty years and you’re calling this a first impression?” Jason slid into the back seat without taking a second look at his father. The entire way to the office his father hissed on his phone, Jason lost count after the fourth call.

 Strong Points--

You did a pretty good job at starting the story in the middle of action, instead of with a ton of heavy, boring exposition. Instead, you've woven in the background information that we need as the story happens. That's good, it doesn't bog down your story from the very beginning, and it gets us going right away.

The initial interaction with the woman and then with dad really give us a good look at Jason's character. I'd call him a bit of a prat, really, but the kind of prat who says what everyone else is thinking. You've got some good body language going on too, and that says just as much as any dialogue could have, plus the fact that Jason notices how attractive she is and then fails to respond is actually quite intriguing. His interaction (or lack thereof) with his dad also shows a whole lot about their relationship (or lackthereof).

No dialogue tags! I'm so proud of you! It's so easy to fall into the trap of abusing dialogue tags, and you didn't!

And you have some pretty interesting description in here, such as dad's hairdresser doing an excellent job of covering it.

Some Tips--

That being said, you could afford a little more description, especially since you're writing from third person. In first person it gets tricky, because we have to write exactly what our character sees, but in third person you have some leeway and some distance to give a little more.

The woman is beautiful. What does that mean to Jason? His idea of beauty and mine may not be the same--in fact, what we find attractive may speak volumes about what kind of person we are, so you should describe exactly what about her is beautiful, what exactly he sees in her.

And with dad, you use the word black three times in one paragraph, that's why I highlighted them. Try to avoid word repetition like that. Surely you've got some better ammo in there than just black black black.

Also, adverbs. They're a tough problem, I know, it's another easy pitfall. Things like slowly, gracefully, hardly, those all become overbearing after a while. It's a way to really control exactly what your reader is seeing, but this is where you start to learn how to trust your reader to get the main idea themselves. If they have a slightly different image than what you did, that's what makes books interesting and exciting. But too many adverbs overpower that.

Would I keep reading?

I think so. I'm a little bit on the fence, but I think I would give you the benefit of the doubt, because even if I haven't gotten much of Jason, I think he's already endeared to me. Just because he's a prat. I know I've mentioned my weakness for characters that are assholes, and his smart ass personality has sort of gotten me. But to definitely get me, you may want to emphasize your hook more.

Thank you so much, Sara! As always, I highly encourage resubmitting it once you've edited. We love to see progress!

Super Special 250 Word Smash! #5

Sarah and I have had the best idea, and you readers are hopefully going to love it. It's no fair that we get all of the fun and you have to endure our awful stabs and backhands and endure the mean bullets we shoot at you when we trample all over your work and decide it looks better that way, right?

So we're about to change that.

In this newest edition of 250 Words, I will be smashing up Sarah's opening!

That's right, this is the first 250 words to Sarah's project Dance in Shadow and Whisper. This is tough, I'll have to pretend I haven't already read five different incarnations of this book and that I don't already have very personal relationships with all of the characters, so personal that I speak to them on a daily basis and have nicknames for them.

Oh god, this is tough. I don't know if I can do it.

Yes I can.


Author/Not an Editor this time: Sarah
Editor: Victoria

My chest tightened with one final deep breath. I stared at the door handle, simple brass and weathered from its once gossamer brilliance. This whole mission was a joke. I was the joke. There were so many others much more capable than me, others who could handle the foreign outside world. Damn it, I was lucky if I could handle silencing an incoming call on my brother’s cellular telephone gadget.

The doorbell chimed. A disarming melody lulled throughout the house and echoed shrilly in my brain.

It was too late now.

My arm lifted, but my moist palm stopped just short of the sweep of the handle when I saw how my fingers quivered. I hadn’t noticed until then.

There was no reason to be afraid—concerned, perhaps, for my personal wellbeing, but afraid?

No.

Certainly not.

If I had to, I could hole-punch this guy through the chest with my fist.

For now, I settled with clamping my fingers around the cool handle and very deliberately twisting. The door popped open. The fresh, crisp light of early morning flooded the hallway.

There he stood, the embodiment of my fear and apprehension and sweaty palms. He stood nearly half a foot over me, tall for something that had once been human, but his skin was so white that he could pass more for a glowstick than any human I’d ever seen.

(She gave me another version that stopped with the door opening, but I chose this one because the other stops short of introducing my favorite character obviously)


Strong Points --
You've done what you love best, and that's starting us with one hell of a hook. All of these questions, little tidbits of background information woven into Kali's thoughts so seamlessly, they're very natural. I'm not being pounded over the head with all this background information, I'm put right into the story.

Also, we have a great idea of Kali's voice and how she speaks. We already know some about her just from these first words, we know she's super strong, we know she isn't very comfortable with the world outside of her comfy little home, we know she has at least one brother. You've fed us just enough information to keep us wanting more, like WTH is this mission thang? And why'd she answer the door for a human glowstick that's no longer human?

I may be biased, but I also believe you've done a wonderful job with making Kali likable right off the bat. I mean, I'm already endeared to her, just from hearing her silly Kali thoughts. But perhaps this is a question for the readers instead.

I know it's not the action-packed opening you're used to, but I think you began this story just where it needs to begin.



Some Tips -- You did a whole lot emphasizing just how nervous Kali is, you could probably pull back on that or disperse it some. I see her sweaty palms mentioned twice just within this short passage. I get that she is positively freaking out, you do a wonderful job already in communicating such through the little gestures of her shivering fingers and her self doubt, and I know for a fact you can get a little more creative with describing her terror than just a double mention of sweaty palms.

Also, why is she standing at the door before it's rang. I know. I know Kali might have heard him approaching--then again, she might not have. Either way, it seems silly to start with her ready for action at the door before the action has entirely begun.

After that, my problems are nitpicking problems, things like "lulled" and "shrilly" contrasting each other too much to make sense (and, in all honesty, Kali's family might have a doorbell that's more friendly on their ears).



Would I keep reading?

I already have! Yes! This is one hell of a solid opening if you ask me. You've already started to build some tension and gotten me asking questions like why my favorite character hasn't spoken yet. It's not an explosion or something openly flashy, but this proves that a good introduction doesn't have to be in order to grab your reader's attention. <3

An Intriguing New Project Dripping in Spaghetti

A new and interesting project has fallen into my lap, and I'm so excited I'm going to tell you guys about it! Maybe it'll inspire your own juices. Or maybe you'll think it's silly. Let's see, huh?

First, some background info. My big Italian family decided to have a big Italian family reunion of sorts. It wasn't a legit family reunion where we sought out all of the DeRubi known to man or anything like that. Just an excuse to get everyone in the same place together. Mostly it was a bunch of grumpy, smoking old men eating their sausage and peppers and laughing at one another.

We even had an Italian flag frozen in an ice sculpture.

We really like being Italian, in case you didn't notice.

Sarah came to a family get together of ours. She didn't know so many types of noodles could exist in one house at the same time.

I guess in that way we're sort of stereotypical. We're always loud and everyone's in everyone else's business. We're pretty close knit. I mean, I saw my cousins as much as I saw my own sister, so in a way, they're like my little brothers. And that's how this idea came about.

My cousin says he wants to compile all of our old stories and pictures together and create a book from it. He's found a small publishing company, and it's not really publishing it so much as it is just printing the book, 15 copies or so, and just handing them out for the family to have. He handed out a letter to all of the family members, asking for submissions. Any stories they are particularly fond of, any pictures they want to share, that's what we want. We, because I've become the co-pilot in his operation.

I guess I'm so excited for this is because it comes in the wake of our grandmother's death, and when she died, a lot of stories and pictures we were never exposed to came out. We want more of that. We want it all before it's lost, as so many have already gone with my grandmother, things we'll never get to hear now. And preserving that is so important to us.

I'm having breakfast with my cousin tomorrow, and we'll talk more about the details. I don't know exactly how we'll accomplish this or in what manner it will be written or put together just yet. I'll keep you guys updated as it comes, how would you like that?

Would you undertake such a project? What sort of things would you put into your family's own story book? Do you have any ideas how to execute such a project?

First 250 Words Smash! #2x2

Word Smash is back! With a vengeance! Did you guys miss this? No? But we missed you!

Brave Author: Ambar Fernandez
Blarghblargh Editor: Victoria

You guys'll remember Miss Ambar's first submission here. I won't repost all of the love and terrible things I did to her, but at the very least I will give you the original first 250 words she gave us, so that your memories may be refreshed.

So, here it is, the original.

Rudolf James Bach, or my birth name Rudolf James Lin. After my mother and supposed “father” died in that accident the truth came out and it just so happened my mother had an affair with her first husband, thus I came into the picture. Very complicated, but that’s how it is.  

The man I grew up with was called Henry Lin. He was of Chinese descent and well if you haven’t noticed; my mom is of German descent. My father never knew about me not being his kid, what he thought till the end of his days was that my mom’s genes must have been super strong for me not to have had any Chinese traits. 

Enough about that let me tell you how I got here, to live in this house with Melody. I was five when my mother’s best friend I guess I could say “inherited”me. My mom had no family, the only family she had died the year before of old age, my grandmother. And since my real father, Ansgar Bach, didn’t know I existed, well I had nowhere to go; to top it off Henry’s family hated me because I was “half” German. Two weeks in foster care, I was finally handed over to Jennifer, she has been a great substitute mother, and to be honest a better mother than mine ever was. You see, my mother was always working, the only time I ever saw her was during the weekends.

Well, Ambar took out advice and resubmitted, as any of you are welcome to do, so here's round two!

I should have known something bad was going to happen that day. What should have made it snap was when my dad called, Ansgar Bach. Being his illegitimate child from his first marriage and all he doesn’t speak to me, due to his appearance, but here I am sitting in the waiting room of his stupid company. Why am I here again? Oh right Jennifer, the woman who has raised me since the accident, told me to come. The things I do to make her smile, honestly. 

The secretary looked up at me and smiled her, I’m innocent, smile. When we all know she is more than likely sleeping with my father, but whatever I don’t care it’s his life not mine. She picked up the phone and spoke for a bit, giggled then hung up and stood. “Rudolf.” 

I stood from my seat and smiled, trying not to seem like such a jack ass. “Yes?” 

“Mr. Bach, will see you now.” She opened the door and nodded for me to go in. 

I took my backpack and walked in and turned to see the door shut behind me. I turned over to my father who finished talking on the phone, something about a new line, and he hung up. He leaned back into his chair and smiled. 

His hair has gotten a bit more platinum since the last time I saw him, also his physique was still built for his age. My father, the owner of Bach Industries.

Strong Points: Already so much better! Now we're in a scene. Already we're right into what's happening, which is a huge improvement over last time. And you've woven background information into the action  fairly seamlessly. So much better than outright telling us. Now you can play with that way of delivering exposition, instead of dropping it on us like a heavy anvil all at once.

Also we get a much bigger sense of Rudolf's voice. Putting him in this situation has allowed him to flourish, and allowed us to see that he sort of is an ass.

Which is cool. I like asses. Sarah's aptly used Jason is an ass. So don't ever think characters who aren't very nice won't be liked, because that's not true

That aside, more of his voice is better in the beginning. It gives us a quick dive into his character and we know who we're dealing with sooner. Now, does he have a reason to be such an ass toward dad? Is he just feeling neglected? Rejected? Did dad do something to him? This raises all sorts of questions! And questions will keep me reading!

I also like the bit of description in there at the end with regards to dad, but I want more of Rudolf's voice in it. If he dislikes dad so much, I want to feel just a little bit of that when he looks at him. As it is, though, I do get a pretty clear picture of dad.

Some Tips: On that note, perhaps some more details. What does the secretary look like? What does the office and the waiting room look like? Is it swanky? Or is it a dump? I don't know, and that alone would give us a huge clue as to what kind of company Bach Industries is, and what kind of guy dad really is, both through Rudolf's biased goggles and without them.

You have some tense issues with verbs, but that's mere grammar and nothing some polishing and further editing can't fix. Just try to keep track of whether or not this is present or past.

You could probably just make the secretary smile an innocent smile, instead of the 'I'm innocent' in there. It's less wordy, more to the point and therefore it packs a more powerful punch to your reader, and it's less awkward to read. You can still make it snarky on Rudy's part, just not like that.

Try livening this up with some more powerful verbs. Instead of 'walked' in, let us know just how he walked in, or how he 'took' his backpack or exactly what Rudy is doing to 'try' and not seem like a jackass. These paint better pictures for your readers and help us understand your character more without you outright telling us.

Would I keep reading?

I am happy to say I would! You really, really improved, and I'm so glad you took the critique like a champ instead of sobbing about it in a closet like I would have. Now I have a scene, now I have an idea of what's going on, and the questions you've left me asking are good driving forces. Why does Rudy hate dad? What does dad do? Why did dad call Rudy out?

You've made me proud, Ambar! I look forward to another Word Smash from you!

And you still get hearts, of course.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

First 250 Words Smash! #2

Super Duper Author: Ambar Fernandez
Super Villain Editor: Victoria

Rudolf James Bach, or my birth name Rudolf James Lin. After my mother and supposed “father” died in that accident the truth came out and it just so happened my mother had an affair with her first husband, thus I came into the picture. Very complicated, but that’s how it is.  

The man I grew up with was called Henry Lin. He was of Chinese descent and well if you haven’t noticed; my mom is of German descent. My father never knew about me not being his kid, what he thought till the end of his days was that my mom’s genes must have been super strong for me not to have had any Chinese traits. 

Enough about that let me tell you how I got here, to live in this house with Melody. I was five when my mother’s best friend I guess I could say “inherited” me. My mom had no family, the only family she had died the year before of old age, my grandmother. And since my real father, Ansgar Bach, didn’t know I existed, well I had nowhere to go; to top it off Henry’s family hated me because I was “half” German. Two weeks in foster care, I was finally handed over to Jennifer, she has been a great substitute mother, and to be honest a better mother than mine ever was. You see, my mother was always working, the only time I ever saw her was during the weekends. 

Strong Points: You're introducing a very interesting concept here, this idea that the main character is from a tryst. The narrator/I'm guessing main character has a particularly strong voice as well, and already I can feel he's very passionate about how he came into this world.

My first question is about the real dad, and if we'll ever meet him, and if Rudy will ever establish that real father-son bond he's needed! Oh! I think I need a tissue.

Some Tips--

You're doing a lot of telling instead of showing. When you show us this sort of stuff, it's much more powerful than just rattling off a list of facts.

This is a ton of exposition. Background info like this, unless it's absolutely critical to the first scene (this isn't really a scene yet) should be woven in at later points. It hits me harder when I know Rudy and care about him to learn that dad wasn't really his dad and his parents died.

In fact, my suggestion would be to eliminate this and start us wherever the story actually gets rolling, then get back to this. Rudy can tell us about this along the way later. Right now I want an idea of the story I'm going to be reading, and really, this could be any genre, anything at all. Suck me in!

First sentence definitely needs to be strengthened, but that will come with you starting us off with the action. As it is, unfortunately your first sentence isn't really a full one, it's a fragment. I don't mind fragments here and there to really emphasize something that's happening, but this one's just confusing.

There's a lot of quotation marks. I don't think we need those, you can trust the reader to understand what you mean without drawing air quotes. Your tone should be able to imply that dad's not really dad and Rudy's not just half German, ect. So far Rudy's got his own voice, but if you push it, those quotes won't be necessary at all.

Would I keep reading?

Right now it's a solid maybe. I would definitely be interested to see what you do with this critique, and would recommend resubmitting once you toy with it. Actually, I'm asking you to. Please resubmit? Pretty please? Because I really do want a good idea of where this story is going! I just don't have enough of one as it is, and I know you can do it.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Is music important to your writing?

Rediscovering music is one of my favorite things to do. Recently on Pandora I started listening to the Malice Mizer station, and every time one of their songs or Gackt's or Klaha's or Moi Dix Mois comes on I go through this whole cycle of squealing and flailing, and then tears, then The Sighs (a chronic illness at times), and then regret when the song is over, regret that I don't listen to these songs more often.

And this is all within the span of one 4 minute song. It's like the seven steps of grieving or something, except not. The whole experience for each and every song is something along the lines of

Not to mention Pandora does the  whole thing where, if I listen to this Japanese music, I should listen to the rest too, right? Simple and Clean comes on every five songs in its variety of remix flavors. Some Cowboy Bebop, some L'Arc. And I'm a sucker who listens to all of it.

ALL OF IT!

Certain songs also just have that nostalgia for me, things that don't mean the same to others as they do to me, and I'm sure that goes for you too. For me personally, it's a lot of Japanese music, because that's what I listened to in high school, and it's the bulk of what I still enjoy.

Why Japanese music?

Because!

But I find I just don't have the time to listen to music as much as I used to. Either I'm at work or Sarah's at my side scowling at the music I choose. Most of the time my very serious music moments are when I'm writing, and then it's absolutely crucial to have the precise song and genre type picked out. If I'm writing that gut-wrenching scene that's pivotal to the plot and makes my readers sob with angst, I need a song that makes me sob with angst! Or action scenes need music that gets my heart pumping, like movie scores. Movie music works so perfect for this, the epic kind that gives you shivers and chills and such.

In fact, if my books are ever legit published, my website will probably contain a soundtrack for each novel. Stupid, right? It is. But I wish more authors would do that. If I could know what music Suzanne Collins listened to when she wrote The Hunger Games, or the songs that just make Gail Carriger stop and pictures her scenes or characters, that's a whole new perspective! Isn't it?

What do you think? Do you listen to music while you write? Do you have any music to share? Let me know!