How To...

Choose a Theme Song for Your Character

A theme song is, predictably, a song that describes and personifies your character (or yourself, if you wish). I find it fun to pick themes for characters, and it helps you get a better grasp on their personalities. (And if you're like me, you take music to a spiritual level as well, but that's a different boat entirely.)

Before we get to choosing theme songs, you must know what a theme song is NOT: theme songs are not their/your "favorite" song!! It's cool if it is, but more often than not it's just a song you may like only a little.

Choosing a Theme Song

To really choose a good song for a character, you need to consider a few things: the meaning behind the lyrics (and I would choose one with lyrics) and how they relate to your character, and the "feel" of the song (Happy? Angry? Peppy?). Think about your character for a minute. Start simple. Are they fun-loving? Angsty with a dark past? Do they tend to "go with the flow" or stand tall? This will help you decide whether a song is appropriate or not for a character. A heavy metal song probably won't fit a happy, bubbly character, for instance. I also like to find female-voiced songs for female characters and vice-versa, but that's just me.

You may already have a song in mind for a character. Good, you've got a head start, but go check the lyrics anyway (I recommend SongMeanings, no spyware). If you have no idea where to start, here's a few pointers.

• Find artists with the kind of sound you're going for and check their songs first. If you don't find any you like, many websites will have a "If you like this, you might also like..." section to help you out. Pandora is also helpful in this situation.
• After you find lyrics you like, you need to hear the song. I can't tell you how many times I've found a great set of lyrics with a completely inappropriate sound for the character. XP You can sample songs on Amazon, or download them with programs like FrostWire or BitTorrent (note that those are less than legal options, though.)
• This process is most likely going to take a while. If you have the patience to go through with it, though, Kudos to you. =)

I really hoped this helped. Happy hunting!