I don’t know about you, but when I write, music usually helps me get focused. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of songs over and over, because they fit the mood of the story I am writing. For your listening enjoyment…here’s a little playlist I put together of songs I’ve had on heavy rotation! (And I swear, if you get past the first bit of Blue Ridge Mountains, it’s a song fully worth listening to. You won’t regret it.) Hope you enjoy!
Do you listen to music while you write, or do you find it distracting? Got any songs you find particularly inspiring?
Here’s the playlist for those of you without Flash: Blue Ridge Mountains by Fleet Foxes, Serpents by Sharon Van Etten, Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo, Anyone’s Ghost by The National, Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright by the inimitable Bob Dylan, Little Black Submarines by the Black Keys, NYC Moves to the Sound of LA by Funeral Party, Doubt by Corin Tucker, Nodding off (featuring Best Coast) by the Wavves
45 Comments
I don’t, actually, and sometimes I think I’m the only one in the writing world who doesn’t. I like to write while I’m with my family. So I sit in the family room and let them watch whatever TV they want and take breaks to play a board game or two and look up now and then to tease my husband or my daughter…but no music. Although I LOVE music. Weird.
I think it’s distracting for some people. But then, I can’t write when the family is running around! lol. I’ve tried, but trying to write while my son watches Team UmiZoomi is a little tough. Maybe one person’s distraction is another’s inspiration!
You’re not the only one. I don’t listen to music. But I am probably one of the few who doesn’t listen to music, except in passing.
I LIKE the beginning of the Fleet Foxes song, thanks very much. It sounded sort of Medieval. And you also cost me $200 cuz I had to buy tix to see the Black Keys at Key Arena while I was listening. And while I write, I usually listen to my alt-country Pandora station – heavy on John Doe, Steve Earle, some Dixie Chicks, bluegrass Dolly Parton…
I love Fleet Foxes – they are amazing! And that $200 on Black Keys tickets? Money well spent, sister!
Great mix, btw…
Thanks Liv!
I do the endless repeat playlists, too! I deliberately didn’t connect Spotify to my Facebook account just because I think it would be embarrassing if everyone saw just how many times I’ll listen to the same song when it fits the scene I’m working on.
Right now it’s, “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons…
lol. In my iTunes “top 25 most played list” these are all chronically listed. I will have to check out Radioactive! Haven’t heard that one!
Love writing to music, but it has to be instrumental only. If there’s words involved, they start competing with the ones I’m trying to get on paper (or the computer screen). Can’t write with the TV or radio on either; have to drown out distractions with white noise. I guess I’m weird that way
Weirdly, I find instrumental music monumentally distracting!
I’m like Elaine, I can’t write to songs with words. I start singing them and then can’t focus on what I’m writing. Lately, I’ve been listening to instrumental soundtracks to movies, like the ones to Chocolat (one of my favorite movies) and Harry Potter. They seem to strike the right mood but don’t distract me (well, anymore than I distract myself).
I think I tune lyrics out, maybe? While I am writing, at least!
I bet the Harry Potter soundtrack is good. I’ll have to check that one out!
I’m loving listening to your playlist. I’m always surprised by how much music is out there that I don’t know. I hope you’ll keep posting play lists.
They are really fun to make! I used to love making mixed tapes in high school…this is kind of like that! Thank you for listening to it!
Yep – I listen when I write – usually to the Fleetwood Mac album TUSK over and over again. Oddly enough I also use some tracks from the same album for my daily exercises too. great post!
Fleetwood Mac is AMAZING. They deserve a playlist all on their own! And don’t get me started on Stevie Nicks, who is my rock idol.
White noise only. Music captures a part of me that I can’t share when writing.
lol…white noise makes me sleepy. You know, fans, vacuum cleaners, football games…
Isn’t it interesting how differently we’re all wired? White noise makes me feel cozy when I write!
It is fascinating! For instance, I find white noise soothing (in a sleep inducing way) but my 4yo gets a little revved up when there is white noise.
If I’m working on my WIP, I listen to soundtracks from Chinese martial art films. If I’m working on something else, it’s usually some flavor of space music.
what is space music? details, por favor!
I use “space music” as a blanket term for a few genres–mostly space rock bands like Ozric
Tentacles and electronica projects like classic Tangerine Dream, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Solar Fields, etc. Instrumental stuff with a strong space vibe.
What about Ninja music? Got any of that?
Since they have that whole “stealth assassin” thing going on, I would think ninja music consists of silence punctuated by the occasional and swift, near-silent assassination. Kinda hard to dance to that.
Well said, Mike. Excellent point. Though, now I am envisioning ninjas carrying giant 80s beat boxes around…
Oh, yeah…and when they open the tape deck, deadly shurikens shoot out of them to confound and dismay their enemies.
OMG its like the making of a bad graphic novel! LOVE it.
I change my music depending on what POV character I’m writing, but most often I write without any music.
I think I could write in silence if I could ever find such a space. My house is NOISY!
I don’t write to music with words but I think I could write with blue ridge mountain because the lead singer’s voice is melodic it that makes sense.
Diana
That totally makes sense. I think most of the musicians I listen to while writing tend to sort of blend with the music, in a way. LOVE the lead singer of The National’s voice. And Robyn Pecknold of Fleet Foxes is amazing.
Listening to your playlist now while I work!
Thanks,
Brinda
thanks Brinda! Hope you like it!
I can only write in the rhelms of DEAD QUIET (I suppose my wee brain is too easily distracted!) Nevertheless this is a fabulous playlist and it’s perfect for washing dishes and walking the pooch
Maybe I should make a housecleaning playlist. I hate housekeeping…
That might help. I know from personal experience that the soundtrack from the 80s’ Conan the Barbarian film transforms the delivery of pizza into a heroic experience.
that is awesome. I will definitely bust this out next time I’m dusting. Or folding laundry. Definitely seems like a triumphant laundry tune.
For laundry, you’d also need a track from a horror film that plays when you discover that the extra-dimensional monster whose realm connects to all dryers has devoured yet another sock.
My dryer is a sock serial killer.
If I decide to listen to music while I work, I put on some classical music or a soundtrack like Pirates of the Carribean or Star Wars. I find songs with lyrics often interrupt my train of thought, and make me pay more attention to the song instead of to my work. And when that becomes too distracting, I turn the music off and listen to silence.
I just wrote a post about this on Friday with several of my favorite classical songs. Feel free to check it out!
I will! Thank you, Kristy!
Hi Laird
Sometimes I get fed up of the noise, but usually I listen to music when I write. In fact, sometimes I just write to listen to music! I’ve been listening to First Aid Kid quite a lot recently. They were free at Starbucks and I fell for the ploy.
Cheers
I’ll have to check them out! I have to confess, sometimes I write for the excuse to put on headphones, too! Thanks for commenting, Nigel!