What do you like to listen to when you write? (If Anything)

I always listen to music when I write. It's always whatever happens to be in my playlist at the time.

Actually, that's a lie - for one novel I was only listening to Cradle Of Filth and Chalice.

But generally, if my computer's on, I'm either watching a DVD or listening to music while doing something else. The playlist changes periodically.

For instance, for about a month I only had metal on the playlist. Then I added all my old goth CDs. Then last week, female-fronted pop groups.

On my laptop, my playlist is every CD I own.

Top bands, though?

(Metal)
Cradle Of Filth
Astarte
Chalice
Arch Enemy
Nightwish
Within Temptation
The Agonist

(Other)
Sisters Of Mercy
Bauhaus
Lily Allen
Katy Perry
Madonna
Lady Gaga
The Veronicas
Paramore

Music with energy and a good beat.

Beck
Bernhoft
Dave Mathhews and Tim Reynolds
John Mayer (old guilty pleasure)
LCD Soundsystem
MuteMath
Radiohead
Red Hot Chili Peppers (old, old writing buddy here. Possibly 1million words to them)
The Chemical Brothers
The Dear Hunter
The Killers (Hometown band)
The Mars Volta

I've been listening to Grimes's Visions and loving every second while writing lately.

It depends. If I'm trying to block out external noise anything will do. I prefer to write in complete silence with just the keyboard clickity clacking in the background. That and the air conditioner.

But sometimes music helps me inspire me through certain scenes. This can range anywhere from metal to hip hop. I'm partial to playing Evanescence the most whenever I want some background noise. I also like to play Opera music in the background. These two are my go to as first music choice for general background noise. Classical and New Age also work well. Mythos is the best for New Age music. ^_^

KylaRoxYourSox said:

I mention The Red Hot Chilli Peppers in the prologue to the book I've just started writing.

Click to expand...

They were much better back when they were doing drugs.
Now it's a fifty something in tight shorts prancing around with their experiences in a stripper bar.

Times change I guess.

I usually listen to podcasts versus music when I write- I get distracted singing along to the music, but podcasts seem to be the happy medium between complete silence and complete distraction.

I don't always listen to music when I write. Sometimes I vary it up--yesterday, for instance, for some pretty intense scenes, I listened to ACDC. Generally, if I'm having a hard time writing, I can listen to the Harry Potter soundtracks and find motivation/inspiration. That's my go-to music pick if I feel like I'm just bashing my head against the keyboard.

ETA: I also like listening to Gaelic Storm when I'm in the mood to listen to music as I'm writing.

I made a book theme super mega mix on my itunes. Threw in a bunch of songs that seem to fit the general feel of my book. And away we go.

I listen to classical. A lot of it's relaxing and there's no words to distract me. I just can't write in silence.

Weirdly love silence when I write. It really works for me.

I can't listen to music when I write, but I prefer to have the TV on in the background as white noise. It's basically something to concentrate against.

To concentrate against? Interesting. I like that.

Usually, nothing appeals to me more than silence. But on the odd occasion that my brain needs background noise, I listen to movie soundtracks or really mellow stuff that I can easily ignore if I choose to.

Hmm. Funny how this thread topic has never come up before.

I listen to music after I write. It's my reward for writing. I'm into Adele these days and some classic rock stuff.

The strange little critters yammering inside my brain. Silence. Or a fan or A/C.

KylaRoxYourSox said:

I agree completely, although the song I reference is Scar Tissue because it has one of my favorite lines in it that one of my characters thinks of when she is high.

Click to expand...

My MC's name is Emma. She's named after the Bon Iver song, For Emma.

On my dedication page, it simple says "For Emma". For both the song and my character.


I'm still amazed there isn't many people that listen to music while writing.
I don't pay attention to the music, so I choose stuff I really know well and can block out. But it keeps me at a beat and kinda influences my mood.

Maybe it's a practiced skill? Or maybe I never stop listening to music. I'll wake up whistling a song and go to bed singing one.


Speaking of Bon Iver, they (he) just came out with the Itunes Session. Which is pretty good and I wrote my Summer Fantasy Challenge to it.

Right now I'm listening to three boys argue while constantly turning up the volume to Cartman singing I Swear on South Park so they can hear it over their own voices. Not inspiring.

Lately, this - it has the additional benefit of keeping small people out of the room while the album is on...

The sound of ten Tu-95s taking off and landing right outside my door.

I usually just listen to whatever I'm in the mood for. (Lately I've been on a 3 Days Grace kick, so a lot of that.)

Goldenleaves said:

To concentrate against? Interesting. I like that.

Click to expand...

Yeah. AADD. One learns all kinds of tricks for that.

oh gosh, I listen to EVERYTHING haha.

Final Fantasy X piano collection, Ellie Goulding, Paramore, Parabelle, various J-pop singles and artists.

It depends on the story really, or the part of the story I'm writing. for slower parts, classical music is nice, or something ambient like BT. For fighting or darker sequences, something a little harder like Taproot or Evans blue/Parabelle. I kind of like my writing to match the music i'm listening too haha.

Kind of depends on the characters...

Evy and Gryph are into trip-hop and dubstep (and other genres along those lines that I'm not at all sure what they're called - Eurodance, etc.). Gryphon likes Massive Attack and Wax Tailor in particular and Evelyn likes artists like Cookie Monsta, Bassnectar, Mt. Eden, Trentemoller, Purity Ring, Nero, Feed Me, Sneaker Pimps, Deadmau5, etc.

Ray (because he's semi-sorta based on my celebrity crush Chris Cornell) is into Audioslave, Soundgarden, and he also likes classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin (who doesn't?) and The Rolling Stones. But usually, because he's this kind of depressed and self-deprecating guy, his songs tend to be masochistic or self-loathing, etc. That said, he does love oldies stuff when it comes to those romantic moments - "Only Have Eyes for You" by the Flamingos, "Let's Get It On," songs like that. To him, the new "love" songs aren't about love at all.

These are my strongest, most thought-out characters (I've been obsessed with them for quite some time now, I admit) so other characters haven't really told me what they like yet...