Haaave Ya Met... discussion

Authors/writers: When you're writing, do you listen to music? If so, what kind and how loud? If not, why not? In a broader sense, do you prefer absolute quiet when you write or is some level of background noise better?

I can't listen to music, I start writing the lyrics. I can usually do many things at once, but linguistically, not so much. I can't listen to someone if I'm reading or typing, either. I do love music, though, and wish I could! It doesn't have to be silent. How about you, Dan?

I can write without music, but I love to write while listening. I don't have it super loud. It helps take me to the other world that I'm writing about. It really helps create the mood in my stories.

I can't listen to music when I'm reading a book or writing, Hayley. I end up singing along, which gets a little distracting. I do have my Pandora stations on, though, whenever I'm online and not writing. I don't need complete silence, just the normal background noises of the house. When I'm reading, I'll sometimes have the TV on a muted baseball game.

Different types of music put me in different frames of mind, Dionne. What type do you listen to when you write?

I can't listen to music when I read at all. It's so distracting, but when I write I have to listen to music. Once I really get going I don't hear any of the songs anyway. :)

Dan, I mainly listen to rock/pop. I'm really into 30 Seconds to Mars at the moment as their music is intense and not romantic at all. Because many of my scenes are suspenseful I need that intensity. I used to paint and draw and I found classical music was good for that, but I think anything to 'soft' wouldn't create the mood I'm going for. It's almost like the music from a chase scene or heavy scene in a movie. When I write, my scenes play themselves out in my head as if they were a movie.

I agree with Angel, that once I'm really focused, the music is in the background anyway, but I think it helps that part of your brain switch on.

I need perfect quiet. I don't know if I have ADHD, but I need to focus on the writing. No radio. No TV. No music. No loud neighbors. I suppose soft classical music could slip into the background but I don't think the 1812 Overture would work

I can't listen to music at all. Some background noise of the family maybe, but if people talk to me when I'm in the zone or at a tricky bit, my shoulders hunch and I get snappy as hell ;-)

I agree, Jane. Oh, and those Hells Angels downstairs, I could just...

It's fun being a diva sometimes. Though maybe with Hells Angels, I'm be a polite diva ;-)

What are you writing, Jane, that requires the silence of the lambs?

Peter wrote: "What are you writing, Jane, that requires the silence of the lambs?"

I write m/m romances. Currently I'm working on an urban fantasy with Alexa, a lady I co-write with a lot. With the kids home though, it's hard to get time on the computer; roll on September!

I get you. I used to get up 3 AM to write. I have a novel that just came out called DEVOLUTION. Now I need to get online to market. That's the hardest part of all.

Peter wrote: "I get you. I used to get up 3 AM to write. I have a novel that just came out called DEVOLUTION. Now I need to get online to market. That's the hardest part of all."
Congrats! I wish you many sales.

I prefer silence. And I'm lucky enough to live on a dead end street in a little beach town, so I usually don't get disturbed by much except a occasional seagull. But now they're building a sewer here and suddenly we have the sound of construction 24/7. So I'm using music to drown it out. Mozart is good. Beethoven is a little too dramatic. Baroque seems to be perfect.

Sounds like the sewers are baroque.

I like having a project specific playlist. It helps me ramp up faster, especially after a forced break from a story.

I have a hard time writing in total silence. I usually write to some music either in headphones or from my stereo. I've also become accustomed to writing anywhere: airport, airplanes, coffee shops, restaurants, in my study.

I like occasional people watching as distraction from time to time though without headphones and music conversations can become a distraction.

I love listening to music, but I can't write to it. I just end up listening to the music instead.

Pauline wrote: "I like having a project specific playlist. It helps me ramp up faster, especially after a forced break from a story."

+1 this. For my WIP, a paranormal romance Western, I even have specific playlists for the kind of scenes I'm writing (fights, romance, saloons, etc.)

I can't listen to music while I write. It's too distracting. But as a SAHM I do however have to tune out the merry sound of children running around and screaming! ;)

If you enjoy the sounds of a coffee shop, try http://coffitivity.com/. You can play your music at the same time, too. Pretty cute idea. :)

I can't listen to music with lyrics while writing, but I haven't tried classical - might be good?

No music. No, no, no. I write mysteries, not musicals. I've been known to flop around and act out scenes before I put them on paper and I'd hate to have to do it in time.

with me it depends on my mood and what I am writing whether I listen to music or not. If I am writing on my blog or Hockey site, the music is on but if I am writing novels, screenplays etc the music is off or playing classical or Celtic music.

I use Last.fm and I usually put on my Riot Grrl station. Idk but listening to Bikini Kill and Hole helps me write *shrug* And I always listen to music softly.

I love listening to music when I write. Sometimes I'm able to listen to music with lyrics (Tool, Rage, A Perfect Circle, Primus) but more often I have to stick with instrumental stuff (Medeski Martin and Wood, Jazz, Classical) so it doesn't distract me. I keep it fairly low no matter what.

I've been a professional screenwriter and I always need a soundtrack for whatever script I'm working on at the time. Now that I've transitioned to narrative non-fiction and I'm working on a novel I find that I welcome the silence while I'm writing. Recently, I started to introduce music again, but nothing with lyrics. Background music seems to set the mood for whatever I'm writing now. Except for my blog - I seem to be able to write those posts without mood music.

I love music, but I can't listen to anything too upbeat while writing or I get distracted. I play a lot of The National and The Magnetic Fields (softly) while writing.
And when reading...no music. Too distracting for me. Which is funny because I can usually read in public with no problem.

I've found that classical works best for me. No lyrics I'm tempted to sing along to or worse yet, start writing. I'm amazed at how much more productive I became once I added music...so much better than silence. I've also found that if I sit on my back patio and listen to the "music" of our huge fountain, that is also helpful. So the perfect combination for me has turned out to be classical combined with the sound of water.

I love music. I listen to both music with lyrics and music without. I find that music can sometimes helping with writing blocks. Movie scores get me really pumped during certain scenes because each song is like a scene in itself with its ups and downs. Also since I listen to a lot of rock music, sometimes it motivates me during battle scenes. ;D

When I'm actually writing, or rewriting, I find most music to be too distracting, however sometimes I can get stimulated by listening to some classical tunes: Bach for sensual scenes, Mozart for action, Chopin for emotion, etc.

I end up singing alone and getting drawn out of the task whether writing or reading with the exception of classical music, I can have that in the background almost anytime.

i listen to music all the time, whether or not I'm writing music is almost always playing-- unless i'm watching something on TV, of course.


In terms of what I specifically listen to, depends on what i'm writing. I like to listen to something that either gets my juices going, or intensely matches the feel and vibe of the story that my imagination is settled in.

If I am going to listen to any music while writing, it is usually classical--my Bach station on Pandora. I have to have music with no lyrics and music not associated with my childhood or teen years. I can't have my favorite music on while I am writing--far too distracting. Although I can copy edit to my Iron and Wine station. I am working on something now with a main character who is a priest. I listen to Gregorian chants sometimes. For emotionally intense scenes, I have to turn off all the music.

I almost always listen to music when I write or read. It's mostly instrumental, because the lyrics can be distracting (unless it's a language I don't know). But if it's music I know very well, it can have lyrics too, because I can ignore the words seeing as I already know them.

It's not very loud, and it's mostly quiet or relaxing music. Such as Ludovico Einaudi, The National, Yiruma, Benjamin Francis Leftwich etc.
Or classical music. Classical music is great for writing.

I play old movies that I have seen millions of times. I need the background noise and the over watched films don't distract me.

Let me put it this way. I have music on, but I wouldn't say that I'm listening to it. Sometimes I'm aware when the selection starts over and other times I'm so deep in the writing process that I don't register the music at all. I tend to have albums playing that are about one hour long so I can time how long I've been writing.

I used to listen to music all the time when writing; the radio or a cd, it didn't matter. Then I found myself paying more attention to the music than my writing so I ceased the music. Now, I prefer it quiet when I write, with all Tabs to email and FB closed to avoid further distraction.

I love listening to music.

Certain scenes spark off songs in my head and I often go and find them on YouTube or Spotify, and then loop them a couple of times. I find this can sometimes intensify what I'm writing.

It's often older songs which do the trick. Recently my writing has been enhanced by Radar Love (Golden Earring), People are Strange (The Doors), Mr Hurricane (Beast) and When Irish Eyes Are Smiling... to name but a few.

I'd actually thought about including some of the lyrics in the section introductions, but the copyright issues are way too complicated.

I always like to listen to music when I'm working. I generally listen to Goth metal. Bands like Therion, Sirenia and Within Temptation.

I like to listen to music when I'm writing but if it's loud or fast-paced it can be distracting. Soft ballads seem to work best.