what music do you...

Whatever I'm in the mood for, and pretty much what my typical musical interests are (rock, metal, industrial). Generally, however, I listen to music I know well; if I listen to a new album or artist, I tend to pay more attention to it than my writing.

The 13-CD set of Robert Burns' poetry and music. Magic!

It varies from day to day, from piece to piece, and from location to location. (I don't write in the same place every day.)

My music taste is as diverse as my writing genres. I'll cover everything from classical/New Age to Metal. Though I admit it's rare for Rap to make the writing shuffle.

I can't write with music on, especially if it has lyrics in English.

I'm pretty sure the act of comprehending someone else's spoken words uses the same circuits in my brain as figuring out what words I want to write down, because I cannot do both at the same time.

But even instrumental music is a distraction. I prefer silence. White noise would probably be fine.

jjdebenedictis said:

I can't write with music on, especially if it has lyrics in English.

I'm pretty sure the act of comprehending someone else's spoken words uses the same circuits in my brain as figuring out what words I want to write down, because I cannot do both at the same time.

But even instrumental music is a distraction. I prefer silence. White noise would probably be fine.

Click to expand...

Believe it or not, I have actually never tried white noise. That might help with some of my recent distractions and frustrations when I sit down to read. Thanks for the tip!

I get that language thing, too, which is why I hardly ever listen to German music anymore, even when I'm not wiritng. English isn't a problem for me. I understand it almost as well as German, but it seems easier to blend out. Either that, or it isn't about the language at all but about the fact that most German music I like is really text-focussed, whereas most English-speaking music I like is more about the music.
But it's more likely the language.

Any music that doesn't draw too much attention is fine. (Elvis Costello's more recent albums didn't work at all for me, for example, through no fault of their own.) Familiar music is slightly better than new stuff, but I like a lot of new stuff and it becomes familiar quick. No preferences feeding in from what I write - I like the part of my brain that tends to the music to be really independent from the part that thinks about the story, so I'll just let it play along its own lines. It's the whole point of it, after all. To give the part of my brain that wants to play and not concentrate something to play with.

I don't listen while I actually writing. But I'm a music person and I am constantly listening to music all the time. During my first draft, I do listen to certain music. Not when I'm writing but relaxing, or driving, or messing around the house. And the music matches what I'm writing. Something kind of creepy, psycho, or a supernatural type book, I'll have a playlist of something like, Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, old slim shady Eminem. Just to keep me in the mood when I'm away from my writing.

My current project deals pretty heavily with musical theatre and stuff, so, naturally, I'm listening to quite a bit of that -- especially from the show that my characters are putting on (A Man of No Importance, fwiw).

I've also found myself listening to a lot of stuff that I never thought I'd listen to, because it makes me think of them. Stuff like Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj, just for starters . . . also this girl from the disney channel, Sabrina Carpenter. It just seems to fit my story! It's an interesting adventure.

I usually can't listen to music when I'm writing. Sometimes I listen to film scores, or music in foreign languages, but silence works best for me.

I do enjoy finding songs that suit my story, though, and I listen to them a lot for inspiration or when planning.

I almost have to have music going in the background when I am writing and it sort of has to fit the mood of the scene. Big battle? Then I have on Halestorm and other hard rock artists for example.

Another go to is my youtube playlist that has a lot of stuff by Lindsey Stirling and Peter Hollens.

I mostly listen to either cinematic scores, or relaxing instrumental music.

Spotify's Music For Concentration playlist is pretty great!

jjdebenedictis said:

I can't write with music on, especially if it has lyrics in English.

I'm pretty sure the act of comprehending someone else's spoken words uses the same circuits in my brain as figuring out what words I want to write down, because I cannot do both at the same time.

Click to expand...

Bothers me, too. Only exceptions are a few Arabic songs if they're in the mood of what I'm writing, or really rarely, something I understand.

But in instrumentals, I like having what fits the mood of the story indeed, so I made this playlist for my current WIP:

Epic soundtracks. The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, songs from the MCU, The Elder Scrolls, Spartacus, Two Steps From Hell, M83, Star Wars, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Braveheart, Doctor Who, The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Harry Potter, Forrest Gump, etc. Anything beautiful and epic.

Hmmmm it usually depends on the scene, I love listening to sad slow songs when I'm writing a sad scene. I feel the scene runs faster in my head and the words flow quicker.

I listen to various Youtube videos that I find by searching "study music". Usually it's new-agey stuff combined with soundwaves that are supposed to stimulate your brain. I have to write in a room with a TV always blaring, which drives me nuts unless I wear headphones and listen to something soothing.

Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, Radiohead, Brand New, etc. A lot of it is considered indie rock I guess. Crazy good lyrics and beautiful songwriting.