Comments on: Music to Write By

By: Anica Lewis

Anica Lewis — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:32:29 +0000

Ooh, video game soundtracks would be great. I write fantasy, too, and I like Classical music – especially the kind that sounds like it could be a movie soundtrack, but isn’t (because I get distracted if pirates or hobbits keep popping into my head). When my dad gave me a CD of Rachmaninoff, he said, “You’ll like it – it sounds like soundtrack music!”

By: Eden

Eden — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:29:00 +0000

Y’all have some great suggestions for music. I need to download some stuff and see how it goes.
I’m actually about to write my first article for another publication and I’ve had Secondhand Serenade playing on the xbox while packing and I think I’ll keep it on as I write. I’ve heard it so many times and it’s mellow so maybe the words won’t distract me — hopefully they’ll inspire =)
This is a great post with awesome comments!!

By: Jaleta Clegg

Jaleta Clegg — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:03:57 +0000

I always write to music. It drowns out the screaming children in the background and does help set the tone. (I usually barricade myself in my bedroom when I write. It’s the only way to get my kids to leave me alone for more than 5 seconds at a time.) I also find it works like Pavlovian training. I play certain pieces of music and I’m right in a scene from one of my manuscripts.

Some good instrumental groups – Enya, Secret Garden, Giovanni, and others. I have whole playlists on iTunes. I have my first book coming out this fall. It’s a SF adventure story, I wrote most of it to Air Supply.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:29:22 +0000

tool is great! I love them. listen to them a lot while writing surviving. not the instrumental, but…

I love Enya and the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack.

By: Annarkie

Annarkie — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:23:52 +0000

I agree than instrumental works best. My 2 faves right now are the Interview with the Vampire soundtrack and the string tribute to Tool. Happy writing!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:10:54 +0000

And when I edit, the music I listen to is usually classical. Or New Age. When I write, it tends to be Alternative, metal, or Emo.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:07:16 +0000

Yeah, I have tons of pictures for each book. Pictures of locations, of people, of houses. Anything to help me describe what’s real.

And in editing, if I’m writing new stuff, I turn the music on.

By: Eden

Eden — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:04:23 +0000

I can’t write if there are other words anywhere in the environment. Well, that’s not totally true—I can pop in a movie I’ve seen a zillion times for background noise because I know I won’t pay attention to it, but I sit and listen to the music and can’t write if it’s something I really like.
I’ve noticed that if I play any of The Lord of the Rings movies, that background music is good.
Unlike Sarah, I do better at editing when I have music on. Editing, to me, is a bit more mindless—it just comes even more naturally than writing, so I get in a zone and hack away at my work to the rhythm of the music lol
But to get the words out the first time, I can’t be distracted…
It’s odd how everyone is so different!! I like the idea of pictures—I might have to make a collage of some sort to put up with my notes.

By: Kathleen Cunningham Guler

Kathleen Cunningham Guler — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:54:54 +0000

I’ve used movie soundtracks for inspiration for years–mostly Hans Zimmer. The more dramatic the better! Great stuff!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:46:58 +0000

I can’t write without music. Although I don’t have to have music to edit, I do turn it on if there are kid noises in the background.

Oh, I found a new artist, Sonnet Simmons, who I adore. You should check her out on youtube, this is the start to her new song, What If. http://www.youtube.com/user/sonnetsings#play/all/uploads-all/1/PL9qjKyR_yc