Inspired by Music

Both of my currently active stories, Rehearsing Tragedies and Want is a Wasting Disease, are named after songs. My cousister made a suggestion, and it led to me gathering all the stories I’ve posted that have song names or lyrics in the titles. Enjoy!

Rehearsing Tragedies (Supernatural) - Rehearsing Tragedies by Seventh Day Slumber

I was teetering between this song and some lines from Ready to See by Nine Lashes. My biggest goal for this story was to show a traumatized Castiel that was violent, angry, and bent on vengeance. Rehearsing Tragedies, in my opinion, captures how Castiel is determined, 100%, that if he trusts the Winchesters, everything will go bad. Ready to See would more represent his mindset in the later chapters (that haven’t even been written yet oops), so it wasn’t as good of an opener or an all-encompassing description of what the story is about.

You Can’t Rule with a Broken Upper Hand (Supernatural) - A Broken Upper Hand by Demon Hunter

This was actually the first Supernatural fanfic I ever wrote, and I think I hadn’t been listening to Demon Hunter for very long. It was the beginning of an era, apparently. In this story, Heaven is the one trying to rule with a broken upper hand, and shockingly, it doesn’t work.

The Best of Kansas (Supernatural x Criminal Minds) - The Best of Kansas Album

This one is actually a whole series that started with the story Point of Know Return. I didn’t initially plan a series, but when I decided to run with it, given I had already used a Kansas song title, I kept with that theme and used song titles and lyrics from The Best of Kansas album for all nine stories. Writing Spencer Reid as a monster hunter working alongside Team Free Will was so, so much fun.

My Throat is An Open Grave (Supernatural) - My Throat is an Open Grave by Demon Hunter

I picked this because I felt the chorus fit, but years later it’s the most representative song for coming out of my most recent depressive episode. Every time I hear it, I think of my journey, and it’s kind of weird that I’ve known it since I wrote this story… but it didn’t mean the same thing when I wrote this that it does now.

Oh, Where is My Hairbrush? (Supernatural) - VeggieTales

…Yeah, we don’t talk about this one.

Riding With Airman Novak (Supernatural) - Riding with Private Malone by David Ball

One of my favorite country songs ever. Every time it comes on, I get a happy feeling, and now I think about this story as well. It’s the only Supernatural AU I ever wrote that was actually an AU. I do more universe alterations than alternate universes, but I liked the idea of Castiel being a soldier and Dean buying his car decades later, and… yeah. It’s one of my favorite projects.

We As Human (Supernatural) - Whole Freaking Band

I named both parts of the story (Take the Bullets Away and Bring to Life) after We As Human songs, and I put lyrics from their songs at the start and end of both sections. They’re a hard rock/metal band, so shockingly, their music was perfect for a Depressed!Sam story.

Smoke on the Water (Supernatural) - Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple

This is the song Dean hums early in the series when he’s trying to calm down the baby they’re taking care of trying to take care of. For a little oneshot where Jack gets de-aged and taken care of by Dean, it was perfect!

Hope For Every Fallen Man (Supernatural) - Hope For Every Fallen Man by Relient K

I love this song because it really captures the concept of betrayal not leading to abandonment. ‘You may be dead to me, but that don’t mean we can’t be friends.’ I wrote a mutual betrayal. Castiel betrays Dean (Season 6), and Castiel feels Dean, Sam, and Bobby betray him in this story… but have they? I love this song so much, and I think the imagery is spectacular.

Hello Hurricane (Supernatural) - Hello Hurricane by Switchfoot

I don’t know why this song jumped out at me, but I think the clincher was, “Hello Hurricane, you’re not enough. Hello Hurricane, you can’t silence our love.” So, I put Castiel through a Hurricane and decided to see if Sam, Dean, and Bobby’s love could be silenced (here’s a hint: it could not).

When the Blood Stains Dry (Supernatural) - To Know That You’re Alive by Kutless

This is the least popular fic I ever wrote, but it’s one of my favorites. Post-Hell, dark and psycho Dean tortures Castiel for information after On the Head of a Pin, and I think people were expecting a magical recovery, but… yeah, don’t read it if that’s what you want. To me, it’s still a happy ending, and I think it’s realistic, but it might leave a bitter taste in your mouth if you don’t like morally gray areas. But I think I put the entire first verse and maybe the chorus in the opening because it just fit so perfectly.

Separate Ways (Original Work) - Separate Ways by Journey

This takes place years before my book, Cataclysm. It’s literally about going separate ways (namely, someone dies), but it’s also significant because Faithfully by Journey is a recurring theme for two of the main characters throughout the book. I think this might be one of my favorite, if not my favorite, companion pieces for my first book.

Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (GOTG) - Guardians of the Galaxy Album

Every chapter is named after a song from Awesome Mix Vol. 1 in the order they are on the soundtrack (according to Google), and it follows Peter Quill’s life growing up with the Ravagers. I love me some found family, so it was a lot of fun to write!

Turn the Car Around (Supernatural) - Shattered (Turn the Car Around) by O.A.R.

This is the story in the Building Bridges series I felt really displays a bit of the mentality Xal (Demon OC) has, and how he will continually go back to people who use and abuse him if it means they will like or love him in return.

Lay Your Bets and Pay the Price (Supernatural) - The Things We Do For Love by 10cc

Next story in the series, and I picked it partly because it’s from the 70s, and there’s a hint of Xal’s 70s life in this that will come back in the future, and partly because the title is The Things We Do For Love and, as mentioned above, Xal will essentially do anything for love of any kind in any form. And I really do mean anything.

Want is a Wasting Disease (Supernatural) - i knew a woman (demo version) by Molly Ofgeography

Next story in the series, and it was suggested to me by the lovely @queenofthequillandink when we were fangirling about Xal and his intense suffering and the sustenance that it is for us. It’s the current, ongoing, multichapter story, and it’s going to be the last installment in the series!

So, yeah… If you want to see a list of all the songs mentioned in the stories (not just story titles) let me know!