Music in Your Writing

Corpus Thomisticum · Dec 19, 2008

I am a lover of music, though I can't play a thing on any instrument. I do frequently have music playing in the background while I'm writing, however, and that sometimes helps set the mood for whatever I'm writing, even non-fiction or technical business projects. I love many kinds of music -- maybe even most? -- but I've gone as far as write fictional scenes where characters have a radio on with a specific song playing or are somehow in the presence of music themselves, just to add color to the scene. Now, including lyrics has to be kept to a minimum because it can get in the way if over-done, and there are copyright issues as well, but has anyone else done this? I find it can be very complimentary to a scene.

Anyone else do this sort of thing?

Maybe I should mention that, as I live in New England and spent some time over the past two weeks without power, that I was listening to Captain Beefheart's song "Electricity" while writing this.....

Severian · Dec 19, 2008

I often write with music playing in the background, and I also include music in my writing to provide a sense of realism, but I tend to stay away from actually including lyrics unless its a song I've made up myself for the purpose of the story.

AnonymousWriter · Dec 19, 2008

Yup, I nearly always listen to music when writing.
I've never used lyrics in a story though. If a character was listening to music then I would describe the beat, rhythm or style, but I'd never actually use the words of the song. I don't know much about the copyright issues etc. so I find it best to avoid it if it's not key to the story or plot.

tehuti88 · Dec 20, 2008

I don't tend to listen to music while writing--I find that I tune it out, so what would be the point?--but I do envision scenes from my stories when I listen to music. I love big dramatic soundtracky-type music for this very reason.

I also have a main character who's supposed to be a famous pop/rock singer and musician...I wrote some of his (fictional) songs and quoted a couple in my stories a few times. I keep that to a minimum merely because I suck at writing stuff that rhymes.

And the stories aren't really about him being a singer, he just happens to be a singer in the story.

I don't tend to quote real songs much in stories because I find they could get dated quickly, plus, they don't seem to have much to do with anything I write. (I don't have characters who tend to sit around listening to music much, I guess.)

ETA: Wow, excessive use of the word "tend"!

Corpus Thomisticum · Dec 20, 2008

You hit the nail on the head with the soundtrack reference, T88. I've thought about this a bit and it may be that we've become so accustomed through TV and Hollywood for stories to have soundtracks that I may be invariably providing my own as I picture and write each scene. On some level that's kind of disturbing to me, but on the other, it does help (me, at least) establish the mood in a scene.

Cranky · Dec 20, 2008

I avoid using lyrics in my writing, period. I don't want to mess with copyright issues, to be frank.

But I do everything with music in the background, including writing. It's a big part of how I live day-to-day. Listening to Mary J. Blige as I write this, as a matter of fact.

GirlWithPoisonPen · Dec 20, 2008

I have musical references in my WIP. My characters find themselves at parties and nightclubs--and sometimes dancing. There's also a scene where they end up having a somewhat drunken sing-a-long around a piano. I had to do some research to figure out what songs would be appropriate for certain characters to know the words to.

I stay away from citing lyrics, but mention the type of music or composer and how the music makes the characters feel (in some cases).

eyeblink · Dec 20, 2008

You're wise to avoid quoting song lyrics - at least under UK law, people have been sued for doing so without permission.

Exceptions are of course song lyrics you write yourself, or songs in the public domain such as those written by "trad." - "House of the Rising Sun" is an example of that.

Shadow_Ferret · Dec 20, 2008

I listen to music when I write and I have at least 2 scenes that I recall where the characters are listening to a specific song.

psykeout · Dec 21, 2008

My whole novel is based on two-lines of a song.

I agree with everybody else on here, though. Having the lyrics in the story is a bit overboard. But, mentioning their song is a nice touch. It also helps open up people to music they may not have heard of, just because you mentioned it.

MisterEThoughts · Jan 21, 2009

I sure do! I love music and love listening to it, when I write.

firedrake · Jan 21, 2009

My second book has quite a few references to songs of the period (WW2) in it, because it helps set the scene and one or two of the songs are quite important to the main characters... e.g. 'Moonlight Serenade'.

While I was writing it, I listened to a lot of music from the 40s, it helped me get a feel for the time.

I like writing with music in the background too and there are certain songs that put me in the right frame of mind to convey a certain emotion.

Nivarion · Jan 21, 2009

tehuti88 said:
I don't tend to listen to music while writing--I find that I tune it out, so what would be the point?--but I do envision scenes from my stories when I listen to music. I love big dramatic soundtracky-type music for this very reason.
<Cut>

i listen to music when writing because i drown it out. can't hear any of the annoyances through it, and don't really hear it.

but on the subject of using the lyrics of a real song in your books, do so only if they summarize the events in a way otherwise unavailable. i can cause your music to get dated though.

Kathleen42 · Jan 22, 2009

There are copyright issues but another concern is that including the lyrics will date your work.

Depending on the work in question, this may or may not be an issue.

CharlotteAmbrose · Jan 24, 2009

Always have to have music - I make up my own soundtracks and scores!! Sometimes I need the words of a song to get me to make my point and then other times I just need my MC to fell pissed - heartbroken, and then go for score type stuff to feel that moment.

Zelenka · Jan 25, 2009

I sometimes have music on when I'm writing, and have a few playlists on my iTunes for specific projects, and I do use music in my writing quite a bit as well to set the mood or to add a bit to a character or some such thing. I don't have that much of an issue with copyright as my story is set in the late 19th century, but I do have to be very careful of dates, if I'm using certain operas or what have you.

I'm kind of waffling here, sorry.

The Rav · Jan 25, 2009

I always have music going in the background when I write. I tend to listen to instrumental music or heavy heavy metal (you know, the cookie monster bands where the lead singer sounds more like he's grunting than singing) because I don't want to get caught up in lyrics. Not so much because I fear it'll influence my writing, but because I'll catch myself sitting there listening to the song rather than writing.

As for songs in my writing, I very rarely if ever have done it. I've had ideas where music might play a role in stories, I just haven't gotten around to writing those yet. And if I ever do, I will used made up songs and lyrics rather than the real stuff. I don't know what the rules/laws are regarding actual song lyrics, so why bother giving an editor a clear reason to turn down my story, right?

Music in Your Writing

Corpus Thomisticum

Life Stares Back at Me

Severian

AnonymousWriter

tehuti88

Mackinac Island Fanatic

Corpus Thomisticum

Life Stares Back at Me

Cranky

GirlWithPoisonPen

Mata Hari

eyeblink

Barbara says hi

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

psykeout

should be writing instead...

MisterEThoughts

Writer

firedrake

practical experience, FTW

Nivarion

Brony level >9000

Kathleen42

crushing on fictional characters

CharlotteAmbrose

Zelenka

Going home!

The Rav