I don’t tend to listen to much music while writing. Editing, sometimes — or, maybe during prep. But during writing, I like things quiet. Chill. Shhhhh.
But! But, I’ve been playing with music a little bit — not so much during the writing but before it to get pumped up and “in the mood” and then at punctuated points during the actual process.
Which makes me want to ask you people:
Do you listen to music when you write?
What do you listen to?
A deeper, more granular question would be:
Given that different music is valuable to different writing moods or to writing different scenes, what do you like to write when working on certain types of scenes? Say, when you’re writing action? Or drama? Or sex? Or ACTION DRAMA SEX? (That will be the name of my memoir, by the way. Look for it in the year 2034. Provided we all survive the Hyperborean Sharkpocalypse of 2032.)
So.
You.
Music.
Writing.
What’s the score?
Pun not intended until now.
Michelle says:
Definitely. It’s great for setting the mood, but it can’t have lyrics. Ludovico Einaudi is my favourite.
February 6, 2012 — 1:12 AM
Edward Frank says:
I must have something on in the background, Usually TV, sometimes music. The drone serves to drown out or to mitigate all of the disturbing unknown noises that otherwise occur. In the “silence” every little noise that breaks the silence interrupts me. This is true even if it is just a momentary notice, I must mentally surface from being fully lost in what I am writing in order to determine the source of the noise.
February 6, 2012 — 1:36 AM
Jane Rutherford says:
Music definitely helps me when I’m writing. Only on Saturday I was struggling with an action sequence (it’s not my strongest aspect of writing, I admit), but it became almost effortless once Linkin Park came up in my headphones. The fast, strong beat made writing kickass scene easier.
February 6, 2012 — 3:01 AM
terribleminds says:
While I don’t use during writing, for pre-setting the mood I’m a fan of any of the Reznor instrumental stuff — Ghosts, Social Network, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
— c.
February 6, 2012 — 6:27 AM
Kate says:
A long time ago I did a lot of rough-draft sprints where I’d put my music on shuffle, stop as soon as a song evoked an image for me, and keep the song on repeat until I’d written that whole scene down. I got a lot of interesting scenes that way, but nothing particularly coherent (though I’d love to try again sometime). Lately I’ve been doing most of my writing in silence, and listening to music when I’m able to really focus on it. I do like to go back and pick soundtrack songs for the scenes I’ve actually finished, though.
February 6, 2012 — 3:19 AM
Jonathan D. Beer says:
I generally have music on when writing, though recently I have found that the gift of silence (if I can ever get it in my house) is useful too. I rarely have anything with words, so there is a lot of classical music and film scores (although if I am in a metal mood something like Rammstein, since I find my brain doesn’t tap into the lyrics if they are German).
Off the top of my head, the obvious ones are things like the Gladiator OST and the Dawn of War 2 soundtrack (available for free; google it). I have recently been turned on to Two Steps From Hell – a lot of this music is for getting pumped up for big battle seequences etc, but generally any classical music is what’s playing when I’m writing.
February 6, 2012 — 4:27 AM
Madeline says:
I don’t listen to music while writing as often as I used to but to keep focused I usually play a CD that lasts an hour (Green Day is good for this). I don’t usually listen to certain music to set the mood for certain scenes because that never seemed to make a difference, unfortunately. Also, if I need a little motivation I listen to upbeat music (shocker, I know). Patrick Stump is actually really good for getting into the writing mood – or any mood at all, actually. Keeping with Mr. Stump: when I struggle with getting into the writing mood I also listen to Fall Out Boy.
February 6, 2012 — 4:56 AM
Gemma Buxton says:
I don’t tend to listen to music when I write, because I have a horrible habit of singing along, and I can’t concentrate on more than one set of words at a time. I do like to listen to folksy music, like Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons and Johnny Flynn when I’m brain storming because their songs are stories all in themselves, which helps with inspiration and filling in the gaps, I find. When I’m revising I find it helps to have a song that portrays the mood that I’m trying to capture in the scene – helps to make it concise.
February 6, 2012 — 5:49 AM
Yversa says:
Since I’m hypersensitive to sounds, especially high pitched noise, I’m doing most of my writing stuff with these: http://www.howardleight.com/earplugs/max
During research I listen to older Trance, Cosmic and experimental Electronic music, a.k.a. chill-out music.
February 6, 2012 — 6:01 AM
Misa says:
God Is An Astronaut and Explosions In The Sky – epic instrument bands that are great to write sci fi to.
February 6, 2012 — 6:09 AM
Alan says:
Lots of movie soundtracks. Lots of thrash and death metal, especially for action scenes and horror stuff. But my favourite general writing music is Ozric Tentacles. Great band. If you haven’t heard of them, correct that. Now!
February 6, 2012 — 6:13 AM
Rebecca J Fleming says:
Depends on what I’m writing. If it’s non-fiction/academic stuff, I need absolute silence. If I’m working on fiction I usually listen to symphonic/orchestral metal or film soundtracks, since that usually lends itself well to fantasy. I don’t really care if it has words or not. Also, when writing steampunk I have a few Abney Park songs that I listen to repeatedly (odd, I know, but somehow I don’t get sick of them)
Also, if anyone hasn’t checked out Two Steps From Hell, they should do so. Epic instrumental music.
I can’t have anything else in the background, like TV or radio. Not only does it break my concentration, it tends to send me into a homicidal rage.
February 6, 2012 — 6:13 AM
Jessica Meats says:
I don’t listen to music while writing.
I do however have an mp3 player that I wear while walking places. This is my main thinking time and I’ll quite often use this time to run through bits of stories in my head (and occasionally freak people out by muttering bits of dialogue). When this happens, the music fades to the background. I’ll suddenly realise that there’s a song I really like coming in my ears and I’ve just failed to notice because my brain’s been in storyland.
Like others have said, I think the music just drowns out potential distractions.
February 6, 2012 — 6:17 AM
Josin says:
No music. No TV. Don’t speak to me. Dog, if you want to make that noise, get yourself out of my room!
I have to have SILENCE when I write.
However, I have taken a particular song and used it as a tempo-setting template for specific scenes.
February 6, 2012 — 6:24 AM
Tim says:
I listen to music all the time when writing. I can’t seem to use it for mood, though, because I just can’t possibly predict how the music is going to make me feel at any given time.
I tend to listen to heavy music/metal when I write, but death metal seems to have always been the most effective to me. That was weird because I managed to write one of my favorite and lightest books while listening to Opeth albums for the most part.
I’ve usually got to have lyrics for the music when I write. I’m just a lyrics-focused guy in general, though.
February 6, 2012 — 6:45 AM
Sally Moore says:
I must listen to music when I write to screen out the rest of the household.
I use house and trance music (am I alone in this?) because it’s atmospheric with minimal lyrics and it provides beat and tempo. I do pure house for action, trance for drama and fantastic elements (I write sci-fi) and downtempo for the reflective/moody bits. Mostly it’s an intuitive selection – whatever works to make me write.
Editing is done without music.
February 6, 2012 — 6:49 AM
Jessie says:
Do I listen to music when I write?
No. I find it muffles the sweet seductive voices of the booze induced, extra terrestrial cephalopod penmonkeys that take up residence in my head when I sit down to write. All I need is silence, sweet silence. And help. I think I need a lot of that as well. Lots. Maybe medications….
Music comes later during the shock therapy sessions.
February 6, 2012 — 6:49 AM
N.M. Niskanen says:
I have multiple playlists set up according to mood (angry, victorious, etc) but mostly I just listen to my iPod on shuffle. I live in an apartment building and sometimes when people move about in the hallway, the sounds can be heard in our place. Music I can mostly tune out but the random noises that come out of living in the city I can’t. So I listen to music mostly to get rid of all the other noises. I listen to everything from classical to heavy metal and jazz to pop. Sometimes when I blog, I listen to podcasts but never when I’m writing fiction.
February 6, 2012 — 7:22 AM
Dan says:
Coincidentally, I just wrote a blog entry on that last week.
Short answer: movie soundtracks.
They carry an emotional context that can help set the mood, plus the music was designed to be IN THE BACKGROUND and not draw too much attention to itself. What more could I ask for?
February 6, 2012 — 7:25 AM
MittensMorgul says:
Sometimes. I usually prefer silence for writing, or I start typing the lyrics instead. Too many years doing medical transcription, and I type what I hear now. I can edit with the tv on, or music playing, without difficulty. I think it even helps sometimes. I experimented with writing to music a few times, and I like it more when its warm enough to work outside. It kills other random distractions, like car noises, dogs barking, or construction sounds.
February 6, 2012 — 7:31 AM
Amber J. Gardner says:
The same as Dan. I love movie and video game scores. They were composed with mood and a story in mind, so they’re perfect.
Hans Zimmer, Craig Armstrong, and Yoko Kanno are my absolute favorites when it comes to scores, but I also love Daft Punk and E.S. Posthumus (they make movie trailer music).
I choose songs that match the mood of the scene I’m writing.
If the scene is a more general theme and my motivation to write is more important than the mood itself, I listen to motivational songs that personally motivate me (this changes but usually its dramatic, awe inspiring instrumental or choir music …that or the Rocky 4 soundtrack).
For action scenes, fast music.
For sad scenes, slow and depressing music.
I even have soundtracks for each story’s general mood that I put together from my collection.
Also, when I’m working on a particular scene and one song really nails the mood for me and keeps me focused, I put it on repeat and listen to it over and over as I work.
In other words: Yes. Yes I listen to music as I write.
February 6, 2012 — 7:37 AM
Lynne Connolly says:
I write to music, but I edit in silence. Headphones are good for both exercises, because they tell the family that “I can’t hear you, I’m working!” I can’t work to nothing, so I have the TV on a lot.
Lots of rock. I think it’s the energy and drive of the pieces. Some English folk music – June Tabor, Eliza Carthy, Seth Lakeman. Different music works for different characters and books. i write historicals as well as contemporaries, but I don’t stick to Mozart for the historicals and Bruno Mars for the contemporaries.
My musical tastes are wide and varied, and I tend to have soundtracks for each book. I put them together on Music Player and amend them as necessary, so sometimes a track will go through several books. I’m not precious, if I like it, it goes in, so the soundtracks can often be a bit bizarre!
At the moment, I have Duran Duran, Foo Fighters and En Vogue fighting for playing time, but what does it for me most at the moment is Nine Inch Nails, Massive Attack and Radiohead.
Oh yes. Always Radiohead. They have something for every mood, but I do tend to stop and listen, instead of letting it flow through me.
February 6, 2012 — 7:51 AM
John Pula says:
Absolutely. I have a Nobuo Uematsu (who scores the Final Fantasy games) Pandora station. I get his stuff, plus lots of Cowboy Bebop soundtrack/Yoko Kanno music, John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.), and some funky slide guitar. Nothing with lyrics. Lately, it’s been playing a guy named Jia Peng Fang, who plays magnificent and calming erhu with modern beats.
The station works well enough that there’s enough ambient noise that I (and my dog, who barks at everything) can’t hear every little jingle and hump from the neighbors, though sometimes I need to skip “O Fortuna!” when I’m writing something less epic.
February 6, 2012 — 8:27 AM
Stephen M. Foland says:
I actually make in-depth playlists for whatever project I’m working on, consisting of songs that represent characters and individual scenes. When I write horror, a lot of 70’s/80’s Metal and Goth. For Westerns, I’ll listen to Ennio Morricone’s scores, the Springsteen folk records, the Louvin Brothers. It’s been helpful in terms of overarching structure and outlining. Oh, and anything written by Jim Steinman.
February 6, 2012 — 8:44 AM
Jennifer L. Davis says:
Can’t have lyrics, that just turns into a distraction. I love video game scores and movie scores. The soundtracks of World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings are regular writing music for me, as well as the “bagpipe rock” instrumentals of Rathkeltair and instrumentals-only Abney Park and similar. Sometimes I get where I need more repetitive electronica to get in the zone and go for the Daft Punk. Depends on my mood and what I’m writing.
February 6, 2012 — 8:59 AM
Todd Moody says:
I like listening to music when I write. The TRON soundtrack is one of my favorites for SciFi flavor. Some of my favorite bands to write to are Radiohead, Morrissey, Muse, Black Keys, 30 Seconds to Mars. When I want a darker mood I put on Breaking Benjamin or Three Days Grace, that really seems to hit the sweet spot.
February 6, 2012 — 9:02 AM
Amy Tupper says:
I always listen to music when writing. I find it is the easiest way to tune out whatever is going on around me, as well as to establish a mood pertintant to certain scene and keep that mood. I will listen to a playlist set up for a particular character’s POV (think: angst) or shuffle the songs. If the right song comes on, I’ll listen to it 20+ times until the scene/flash fiction is done.
February 6, 2012 — 9:02 AM
Mike Zimmerman says:
I do fartlek sessions, which isn’t as horrifying or panty-staining as it sounds. Just means sprint work. 45 minute sessions are good for this, so I lean towards entire albums that run at roughly that length. When the music’s over, take a break. Any of the mid-era Pink Floyd albums, DSOTM, WYWH, and Animals are perfect for this. The Doors, esp Morrison Hotel and LA Woman. Any of the Zeppelin albums. Stones. Classic rock fits in well here because most albums ran about 45 minutes back in the day. And it doesn’t take much time or thought to pick something decent to put on.
In the past, I have tried to match projects with certain music and have written entire novels listening to one particular thing. I generally have liked the finished product, but I have no idea if that really benefits the creative process. Invariably, when I’m really cooking on something, the music disappears.
February 6, 2012 — 9:05 AM
Dawn Nikithser says:
Classical music is good — Bach, usually. Other melodic instrumentals. Generally I listen to “softer” music when I am writing, though that can mean anything from Nick Cave to Puccini. Sometimes particular scenes need a soundtrack, though, and I’ll put just one or two or three songs on repeat to get me through.
February 6, 2012 — 9:08 AM
Scarlett Parrish says:
I listen to music to get me in the mood for writing. Each story has its own soundtrack; I use my favourite album of the moment to get me into the writing mindset. (Usually 30STM or Linkin Park. I make no apologies!)
But that’s only when I’m away from the laptop. On the mp3 player, or the CD player while doing chores, things like that.
While I’m actually physically writing, I need complete silence. No music, no TV for background music, no other people around me.
February 6, 2012 — 9:08 AM
Rosie says:
Yes to movie and game soundtracks. They vary a lot in terms of tone and atmosphere but for some reason that doesn’t bother me. (Except when it’s like Sweeney Todd followed by The Little Mermaid. That can throw you off your stride for a second.)
Most of my last novel was written to Murray Gold’s Doctor Who soundtracks – so brilliant. When I was writing Tokyo-set ninja books I borrowed a friend’s playlist of anime soundtracks.
I tend to also come up with playlists for specific stories, songs that the characters particularly like or identify with – but that doesn’t usually happen while I’m actually writing, usually afterwards.
February 6, 2012 — 9:09 AM
Kate Haggard says:
I’m the complete opposite. I MUST have music, as I find silence too distracting. I’ll take note of all the creeks and settles, the cars passing outside, the pitter patter of kitty paws, the fridge switching on – it drives me nuts.
I’m not usually picky with my music. Something that pleases my ears but isn’t so new or catchy that I have to actively listen to it. I tend to listen to a lot of Kyuss for those reasons. Other projects, however, demand soundtracks – particularly ones with multiple points of view. For those I generally have an artist/band or album that fits the viewpoint character so well.
And I’m the nutball that makes soundtracks for novels. Those I listen to away from the desk, usually while doing non writing things to keep the brain churning with ideas.
February 6, 2012 — 9:10 AM
Barry Napier says:
My God, I could talk about this all day. I’ve actually written articles about this for 3-4 different blogs/websites. Being a music junkie/snob, I have compiled a list for you.
B. Lustomord and Robert Rich – “Stalker”
The Kilmanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble – “Selftitled”
Murcof – “Remembranz”
anything by Loscil
Carbon Based Lifeforms – “Interloper”
Harold Budd – “The White Arcades”
anything by The Sight Below
February 6, 2012 — 9:16 AM
Squishy says:
I have to listen to music with headphones in order to concentrate. I have specific playlists for every novel, comprised of songs hand-picked for specific scenes or the novel in general. Like others said, these playlists are like the soundtracks for my novel. If my novel was a film, this is the music that would play.
I second Barry Napier’s suggestion of Carbon Based Lifeforms and also highly recommend E.S. Posthumus for anyone looking for amazing instrumental music.
February 6, 2012 — 9:28 AM
Nicholas Olivo says:
I listen to a CD of an air purifier while I’m writing – it blocks out a lot of the noise around me. When I want actual music, though, I stick with fast instrumentals like David Garrett or Bond.
February 6, 2012 — 9:31 AM
Dave Brookshaw says:
Movie, TV and game soundtracks, appropriate to the tempo and sometimes the setting of the work at hand.
February 6, 2012 — 9:32 AM
Alice K. says:
I’m the opposite. I can’t listen to music when I’m editing, but I need music when I’m writing or rewriting. No matter what I’m writing, it needs to be upbeat, with some energy behind the lyrics. It keeps me tapping away and silences that stupid voice that tells me I’m not fooling anyone.
When I’m editing, though, moving along and ignoring that little voice are bad ideas.
February 6, 2012 — 9:32 AM
Morgan Collins says:
When I write, I can’t do it without music. It’s a crutch, but I’ll take it. I’ve generally tended to have my soundtracks the same way as a movie – good for setting theme, lyrics completely don’t have to match.
The bad part about this is I have trouble writing without music. I suspect that stems from having trouble reading without music in the background.
February 6, 2012 — 9:32 AM
Ravven says:
I have a problem with listening to vocals – I tend to focus on the words and it distracts me. My solution is to listen to non-English music such as jrock (Miyavi, Gackt, etc.) or bands like Rammstein. I also have a steampunk Youtube channel with a lot of instrumental that I listen to (currently working on a steampunk fairytale, so it fits).
February 6, 2012 — 9:33 AM
Matt Forbeck says:
I write with music playing all the time. I prefer to listen to instrumental scores or old favorites when I’m going hard at something, trying to build momentum. Lyrics that I don’t already know by heart tend to distract me.
February 6, 2012 — 9:36 AM
Joe says:
I’m with the folks who can’t have lyrics going while writing. Weird jagged stuff. I dig Spaces, Threshold HouseBoys Choir, Coil’s Astral Disaster, Black Light District’s A Thousand Lights in a Darkened Room, anything by Earth and a lot by Sunn O))).
February 6, 2012 — 9:47 AM
Lynne Favreau says:
If I’m alone I can work in silence, but I have a sister who lives with me, and a friend who writes with me twice a week during those times I have several Pandora stations/playlists that we chose from, classical, instrumental, and soundtracks mostly. Nothing with lyrics. Made the mistake of putting on Aretha this morning and here I am.
I do sometimes put on a certain type of music if I need energy in my writing. Someone else mentioned Hans Zimmer, that’ll do it. While writing one scene that was not coming together that takes place on a Sunday morning I did use a playlist I had used for a brunch. It helped get it going but then I had to turn it off to concentrate.
February 6, 2012 — 10:01 AM
Mieke Zamora-Mackay says:
I like to listen to New Age Piano Instrumentals when I write. I also enjoy listening to the musical score for films. It doesn’t matter what type of scene I’m writing. I use music more to shut out the world and zone in to my writing space.
February 6, 2012 — 10:36 AM
John G. Hartness says:
Yeah, I listen to so much stuff while I write that I started to feature some of it on my blog so readers could see what I’m working with.
The Civil Wars
The Everybodyfields
The Avett Brothers
Amos Lee
Neko Case
For fight scenes –
Rob Zombie
Rage Against the Machine
ACDC (Thunderstruck FTW!)
stuff like that
February 6, 2012 — 10:50 AM
Shiri Sondheimer says:
Almost always (though sometimes TV in the evening if I’m hanging out with hubby). What I listen to depends what sort of scene I’m writing or what I feel like I’m missing. I have playlists for places, playlists for people and relationships. I even have a playlist that’s a musical version of each character’s speaking voice.
The majority of my writing music lately has been Boston based bands (most of my stuff takes place in Boston and the city is sort of a character). Those bands give me a cadence and an attitude that kickstarts me and keeps me going.
February 6, 2012 — 11:00 AM
Rebecca Schwarz says:
I often listen to music when writing, but rarely anything with lyrics -at least in English- I created a “writing” Pandora station, and my iPod loaded up with a lot of really specific music for writing: Explosions in the Sky, Boards of Canada, Joey Fehrenbach, Ulrich Schnauss, and some classical stuff, mostly concertos. Sometimes putting the music on is all I need to get into the mood to write.
February 6, 2012 — 11:43 AM
Elizabeth Poole says:
I always listen to music, at every stage.
While brainstorming, sometimes a song is the key to unlocking an idea. I don’t believe you wait for the Muse on dainty wings, but try to find ways to seek out the ideas yourself. Music does that for me. I’ll hear a song and just get ideas or images or emotions and put that into the book.
While writing, it helps me set the tone of the scene or remind me why I found this part of the book so exciting to begin with. Ditto for editing.
There’s a lot of times I am not actively listening to music, and I just tune everything out in favor of the scene, though.
I listen to a lot of stuff. I also enjoy Hans Zimmer for setting the feel of things. I listen to a lot of rock opera, like Kamelot and Nightwish. I make a separate playlist for each book, with different types of music depending on the book. My zombie apocalypse book’s playlist had lots of songs about death and zombies for example.
BTW, random, but the title of this post makes me think of the amazing book by Robert Cormier called “TUNES FOR BEARS TO DANCE TO”. Holy crap that guy could write some books.
February 6, 2012 — 1:27 PM
Cyndi says:
Interesting that I blogged on this very topic just last week:
http://cpatlarge.blogspot.com/2012/02/echoed-in-wells-of-silence.html
Silence for me, anytime I want to write.
Cyndi
February 6, 2012 — 1:31 PM
Louise Sorensen says:
I used to paint and listen to the radio all the time. The music would go straight from my ears into my brush and onto the canvas. Then I started writing and listened to Jerry Rafferty, Chris Isaak, Gord Lightfoot, Dido, Neil Young, K.D. Lang, even Michael Jackson albums. When I was realy rocking the writing, I didn’t hear the music.
New computer, new location. I don’t listen to music at all any more when I’m writing. Sometimes I write with pen and paper during muted commercials while watching TV, sometimes on the computer with only the hum of a fan and/or humidifier. But no music.
Out here in the country, the only sounds are birdsong, train whistles, dogs barking and cats meowing.
Usually though, there is something playing in my head.
February 6, 2012 — 1:36 PM
Lynna says:
I’m pretty much in agreement with Kate Haggard’s comment above — I find silence distracting. Or rather, all the little tiny background sounds that become noticeable if I don’t have music to drown them out. so I usually do listen to music when writing or otherwise working, because it paradoxically makes it easy to concentrate.
I tend to listen to pretty varied mixes, and have fairly wide-ranging musical tastes. I don’t usually try to target it specifically to the kind of scene I’m writing, although I have experimented a bit with that here and there.
But one interesting thing I’ve sometimes found, particularly with the novel I’m working on, is that different songs will sometimes jump out to me as being songs I think particular characters in the novel would like. Sometimes I’ll even think of particular circumstances the song might occur in, and this can end up influencing a scene.
For example,at one point I found myself thinking “Hey, this is exactly the sort of thing Maureen would listen to during a long bike ride, cranked up really loud on her iPod,” and that led to the thought that maybe one of the things the evil executive director who took over the environmental group she works with did to try and sabotage the group was move its office way out to a suburban location that was hard to get to without a car, so that they lost a lot of their volunteers. So one night, Maureen’s riding home from a meeting at that office, on a route that leads through a fairly deserted industrial park — which is an excellent place for the goons from the corporation the group’s trying to take down to try to kill her and make it look like a bike accident, and she doesn’t hear them until they’re practically on top of her because she’s listening to Nightwish cranked up really loud…
Sometimes the actual tunes find their way into the book like that, other times they influence a scene but not in an obvious way, and other times they just add to what I know about the character. But the music I’m listening to does seem to have an influence, one way or another…
February 6, 2012 — 2:05 PM
Gef says:
If it’s music with no lyrics, like stuff from movie scores or orchestral stuff, it’s no trouble. Throw in lyrics though, and I tend to get distracted.
February 6, 2012 — 2:05 PM