Inspired by the beat!

Sometimes, when my grandpa is out in his canola field, he listens to podcasts. Not just about farming, but other cool stuff too—like history, science, and pop culture news.

The other day, Grandpa and I were listening to a podcast about the history of pirates (argh!), and for some reason we had to stop halfway through. Talk about a cliffhanger!  So, when I went for my run later that afternoon, I started playing  the second half on my iPod.

Not a good idea.

The information was great, obviously, but I probably had my worst running time—ever. There is something totally un­­inspiring about listening to a podcast when training…or writing, as it turns out.

Maybe it’s the beat, but I’m really motivated by music. I have a dozen or so playlists on my iPod—one for sprints, one for distance runs, one for writing scary scenes, etc.—and I can always count on them to make me go faster, or longer, or write harder. (Did you know that there’s poetry with a rhythm that will distress you?)

Sometimes, I even play the SAME song over and over again. Like right now, I’m writing a spooky scene in my short story. Know what song I have on repeat? The theme song from the movie HALLOWEEN. * shudder * If that isn’t enough to send shivers up your spine…

What about you? How does music inspire you?

Gotta jet!

— Chase Superman Duffy