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Ring Psychology

by Aaron Hall

Volume One: The Soundtracks of Our Lives Writing, like any other artistic or creative undertaking, is far from an exact science. I in no way believe myself to be a master of the game or a voice of authority on the dos and don’ts of writing. This column is simply me sharing with all of you some of the things that I’ve picked up along the way that seem to help me out. Use them, abuse them, make fun of them, or sell them on eBay. Now, on to the article! “The Soundtracks of Our Lives” Mood. Ambiance. Atmosphere. Aura. Not only do three out of four start with the letter A, but they all describe what in my opinion is one of the most important aspects of storytelling. Think about your favorite scene in your favorite movie. Can you hear the exact song that was playing? The pulsing techno of the lobby scene in the Matrix, the twangy guitar as two gunfighters face off in The Good The Bad And The Ugly, the sweeping orchestration as Maximus faces off against Caesar in Gladiator, the tense building music of pretty much every horror movie. The unfortunate fact is that comics don’t get a soundtrack. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still work towards setting a mood as you write them though. One thing that I do is invent my own soundtrack. If I’m working on car chase I’ll throw on some techno music or fast paced rock. A brutal showdown between hero and villain, I’ll put on some hard rock or some gangster rap. A meaningful conversation, maybe some Rod Stewart (don’t ask) or classical music. I find that by setting up the musical atmosphere as I write it’s easier for me to convey that same atmosphere in the scene that I’m writing. You can even take it as far as letting your artist know the songs you were listening to when writing a certain scene. I’ve found that by sharing this information I can give an artist a better sense of what mood I was going for in the scene. By taking extra time to set up a good atmosphere you can give your scenes just a little extra emotion and power. And you know what they say comes with great power… Wait a second, that doesn’t make any sense at all does it? Until next time, this is your resident morale officer and king of the high seas Aaron Hall, signing off. If you have any questions or comments about creating comics feel free to email them to freejenkins@gmail.com and I’ll answer them right here in this very column because yes, I care about you that much.