On more than one occasion, although no specific cases come to mind.
There's a scene in Diane Carey's Best Destiny that made me do that. And it surprised me.I like it when a story makes me cry.
Using alternate fonts for letters or diary entries.
I've done that myself, in my novel-in-progress. In fact, in the very last chapter, there's a letter, in Courier, on a letterhead bearing a logo so cheesy that (in the words of characters with graphic arts backgrounds) if [the organization sending the letter] got the logo free, they still paid too much for it.
I once was given a free assignment patch designed to look like that of the military unit in a series of books I was reading ("Discarded Heroes" by Ronie Kendig - I think she was offering it to someone who requested it, or answered a question, or something) That was pretty cool.
I suppose this is more TV/movie authors than book authors, but when the characters of a work all have first and last names with the same theme, such as in the Flintstones (named after rocks) and Jetsons (named after space objects). It's fun when they're doing it on purpose to see how creative they can get, even creating humorous names inspired by real ones for celebrities.
I know some of the authors like to mention the movie soundtracks they had running in the background as they wrote their novels. A very useful aspect of a Foreword.
Often, I will have a soundtrack playing while I'm reading a Trek novel. The most bizarre incident happened when I was sent the advance manuscript of "Andor: Paradigm" by Heather Jarman in late 2003. I was playing the then-brand-new "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" soundtrack. When events of the novel began to build towards the climactic Andorian funeral, the gorgeous "Into the West" song by Annie Lennox filled the room. I was sobbing as I read. The music really triggered me. The whole album just seemed so perfect for the book.
When I shared my review (the next year, when the novel was published), Heather stunned me that she had had the then-new "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" soundtrack playing while she wrote that novel. The music had somehow permeated her writing.
Often, I will have a soundtrack playing while I'm reading a Trek novel. The most bizarre incident happened when I was sent the advance manuscript of "Andor: Paradigm" by Heather Jarman in late 2003. I was playing the then-brand-new "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" soundtrack. When events of the novel began to build towards the climactic Andorian funeral, the gorgeous "Into the West" song by Annie Lennox filled the room. I was sobbing as I read. The music really triggered me. The whole album just seemed so perfect for the book.
When I shared my review (the next year, when the novel was published), Heather stunned me that she had had the then-new "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" soundtrack playing while she wrote that novel. The music had somehow permeated her writing.
Adding a bit of comedy. Sometimes Trek can be a little strait laced and serious, I like a little comedy. One liners, especially.
I've come across a few authors who put together Spotifiy playlists to go with their books. I don't know if any Trek authors have done it though.
The same thing happened to me with Reap the Whirlwind, I was listening to either one of the Star Wars or Lord of The Rings soundtrack and one of songs from one of the big battle scenes started during one of the Shedai attacks, and it lined up with the music perfectly.
I'm sure I've said this before, but during the climax of DD's The Wounded Sky, I hear the finale from Stravinsky's The Firebird in my head. The cymbal crash, quavering strings, and trombone fanfare at time index 2:30 in the linked YouTube video falls right as K't'lk utters "Let there be dark."
I’ve done a few in recent years:
Star Trek: CODA – Reading Music (background mood for the whole trilogy, especially Oblivion’s Gate)
Big Mood – Oblivion’s Gate (musical inspirations for the novel and its characters’ arcs)
Firewall | Musical Inspirations (my writing soundtrack for Star Trek: Picard – Firewall)
Ring of Fire – Inspirational Playlist (for my Strange New Worlds novel)
I also made playlists for each of my Dark Arts novels: The Midnight Front, The Iron Codex, and The Shadow Commission.
I might put one together for my new 60th anniversary TOS novel Echoes in Eternity before it comes out in October.
Fabulous. I shall investigate!
I must be the odd one out... I don't ever listen to music when reading.
That one was really detailed, as I recall. I enjoyed doing annotations way back when; they're quite time-consuming to prepare, however, and these days I never seem to have the time to do more of them. I'm glad you enjoyed the ones from the good ol' days, though!
I've found myself finding a mood music playlist, like medieval or ye olde spy music. A Very Dsngerous Pursuit has found itself with the Indy soundtracks
Cool, I'll have to check those out.
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