YA Author Stacey Kade

Music

When I’m writing a book, or even before I start, I usually find a song, an album or an artist that I listen to for the entire book. Obsessively. Something in the words or the music just speaks to whatever emotions are going on in the story. For THE GHOST AND THE GOTH, I have to thank my friend Ed for introducing me to Tegan and Sara.

Below is the playlist I listened to the entire time for G&G, from my first full page of notes, all the way to the edits I made in the wee morning hours before sending the manuscript to my agent. There were other songs, of course, along the way, but this was the core.

I suspect Tegan and Sara is a bit more Will’s style than Alona. But if Alona could get past the whole “bad hair and screechy independent rock” thing, which would doubtlessly be her first impression, I think the lyrics would appeal to her. Particularly “You Wouldn’t Like Me” and “Where Does the Good Go?”

Anyway…check it out and see what you think. All of them are available on iTunes.

P.S. “I Know, I Know, I Know” was featured in a fabulous episode of Veronica Mars. And “Where Does the Good Go?” was on Grey’s Anatomy back when it didn’t suck.

Playlist for THE GHOST AND THE GOTH

Downtown by Tegan and Sara
Fix You Up by Tegan and Sara
I Know I Know I Know by Tegan and Sara
I Won’t Be Left by Tegan and Sara
Not Tonight by Tegan and Sara
Speak Slow by Tegan and Sara
Take Me Anywhere by Tegan and Sara
Walking With a Ghost by Tegan and Sara
Where Does the Good Go? by Tegan and Sara
You Wouldn’t Like Me by Tegan and Sara

Recommended Reads

I’ll keep updating as I find new ones, but also check my Twitter feed for recent reads and recommendations. (P.S. If it’s a series, the link here is to the first book.) Enjoy!

• PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen (Trust me, it’s worth it. iTunes also has it as a free podcast, if you prefer audio books.)
• THE SUMMONING by Kelley Armstrong
• THE DREAM FACTORY by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
• TWO-WAY STREET by Lauren Barnholdt
• TITHE and VALIANT by Holly Black
• The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot
• The 1-800-Where-r-u Series by Meg Cabot
• Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine
• The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
• THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins
• JUST LISTEN and THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by Sarah Dessen
• NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL by Justina Chen Headley
• CONFESSIONS OF A NOT IT GIRL and THE BREAK-UP BIBLE by Melissa Kantor
• THE BOYFRIEND LIST and THE BOY BOOK by E. Lockhart
• WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr
• WAKE and FADE by Lisa McMann
• The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer (Just in case there’s someone out there who hasn’t read this series yet! Though I must confess, I liked The Host even more. It’s one of the few books during which I consciously tried to slow down my reading to make it last longer.)
• LIFE AS WE KNEW IT and THE DEAD AND GONE by Susan Beth Pfeffer
• GOOD GIRLS by Laura Ruby
• UNDONE by Brooke Taylor

Television Doesn’t Always Rot Your Brain.

I’m a fan of good television. I think you can learn a lot about dialogue from hearing it aloud on TV and in movies. And I think you can learn quite a bit about story, character development and many of the other major building blocks of writing by seeing someone do it well (or really, really poorly) on screen. Books, of course, should be your primary source for this kind of stuff, but sometimes seeing it play out helps it click differently in your brain. So…that being said, here are some of my favorites:

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Seasons 1 and 2 particularly)
• Veronica Mars (Season 1 especially)
• Firefly (Season 1, which is, unfortunately, the only season)—yes, it’s science fiction. I was a geek in another life. Actually, in this one, too…
• My So-Called Life
• The O.C. (Season 1)

Movies You Should See

I’m a huge movie buff—the reigning champion of Scene It, as matter of fact. At least around my house! So, it’s hard for me to pick just a few favorites, but these are among those I would take with me if I got stuck on the proverbial desert island.

• The Molly Ringwald Triumvirate: Breakfast Club (my ultimate favorite), Pretty In Pink and 16 Candles.
• Disturbia
• Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
• Never Been Kissed
• The Sixth Sense
• The Matrix
• Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightly version)
• Ever After
• 10 Things I Hate About You (based on Shakespeare’s play, Taming of the Shrew, believe it or not)
• Clueless (based on another Jane Austen classic, Emma.) Need an English paper topic? Read the book, watch the movie, note similarities and differences. Sorry, the English major in me just won’t go away!