# Best music to write to?



## Tyler Danann (Dec 7, 2013)

Anyone got hints and tips on the best kinds of music to write a book to?

I have certain stuff I listen to but wonder what other people have in mind?

Generally if something his a lot of lyrics I start to get distracted.

Yet when it's some good tune of retro-new wave / soundtracks etc it can really turbo-charge the brain-box and spirit! 

[video=youtube;PIBNgR08W2g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIBNgR08W2g[/video]


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## Sam (Dec 7, 2013)

_Moved to Writing Discussion. _


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## Gavrushka (Dec 7, 2013)

I get ideas whilst listening to music, and the kind of ideas are reflected by the category of music.

However, I write in silence...Well, apart from a desk fan that I keep going hot or cold - For me it is a background noise pacifier.


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## FleshEater (Dec 7, 2013)

Goblin

[video=youtube_share;RlWlRuvF5mM]http://youtu.be/RlWlRuvF5mM[/video]


I'm a huge fan of horror, and especially Italian horror. So this is what I've been listening to. Goblin's Roller album is also amazing.


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## FleshEater (Dec 7, 2013)

I guess you can only post one video at a time now?

Zombi

[video=youtube_share;jdyHT2696c8]http://youtu.be/jdyHT2696c8[/video]


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## Jeko (Dec 7, 2013)

The sweet sound of silence. I don't read with music, and I don't expect my readers to, so I don't write with music either. Else the reader-writer telepathy will never get into full swing.


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## dale (Dec 7, 2013)

led zepp's "physical graffiti" cd used to work best for me. sometimes my robert johnson cd worked. sometimes not
music at all, but i'd pick out a lovecraft documentary or reading to listen to in the backgound. depends.


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## ppsage (Dec 7, 2013)

Art Pepper, Cannonball Adderley or, in season, the Tigers radio broadcast.


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## Andyfuji (Dec 7, 2013)

If listening to music, I try to go for something with lyrics I don't understand.  Personally I prefer pop-jazzy type things.  French new-wave, Bossa nova, Shibuya Kei.

[video=youtube;79gAHbZd108]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79gAHbZd108[/video]


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## Elvenswordsman (Dec 8, 2013)

I really like the Rach concertos...


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## Tyler Danann (Dec 9, 2013)

[video=youtube_share;R-7Du-t08rc]http://youtu.be/R-7Du-t08rc[/video]


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## Busterfriend (Dec 18, 2013)

Lyric-less music, generally animu/vidya/movie OST's I obtain somehow. So long as it's soft and doesn't really "jump out" at me or whatever. I've listened to the End of Evangelion OST probably a dozen times thinking up crazy ideas for the ending of my current project.

Worked pretty well so far.

http://youtu.be/i5huZ-yxHVo


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## Timb5 (Jan 9, 2014)

Lately I've been writing to the Vertigo soundtrack (beautiful, swirling circular motifs) and I can't beat the Brick soundtrack for getting me into a dark, moody and jittery headspace.


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## BeastlyBeast (Jan 9, 2014)

What I do is listen to music closely related to the genre I'm trying to write. If you're writing sci fi, listen to prog rock, or other odd sounding, or bass heavy songs to set the mood. Listen to classical, orchestral and Celtic music for fantasy, listen to jazz for story set in the 30s, etc. get the gist?


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## dale (Jan 9, 2014)

whatever floats your boat. i like led zepp and robert johnson. others may like tupac shakir. depends on what takes you away.


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## tabasco5 (Jan 9, 2014)

Nothing. But if not nothing, the Grateful Dead or classical.


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## ViKtoricus (Jan 10, 2014)

My favorite music to write to is silence... Seriously. I can't multi-task. It's either relaxing with the music or focusing on my work.


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## bookmasta (Jan 10, 2014)

Pandora.


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## Carlton (Jan 10, 2014)

When I sit to work on ideas, I listen to Floyd. When I am actually writing, I put on my Noise Cancellation headphones (total silence), or I enjoy some Fusion Jazz (Al DiMeola, Jaco, etc).

Did you guys know that Stephen King listens to heavy rock (like AC/DC for example) while he works? True.


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## escorial (Jan 10, 2014)

i've never used a typewriter but the sound of it is very pleasing when you see them in films.


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## Dictarium (Jan 11, 2014)

I almost exclusively write while listening to the album The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. I'm not sure why.

[video=youtube;AnynX6r0JTQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnynX6r0JTQ[/video]


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## D4MD (Jan 12, 2014)

depends on the story i'm writing. a few months ago i started to write a story about a disgraced sidekick who was brought out of retirement to temporarily attend to a heartbroken and depressed female superhero. i haven't finished it yet...but here's the music i listen to whenever i'm in the mood to write it...

[video=youtube;2lvReADzJuY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lvReADzJuY[/video]


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## Pidgeon84 (Jan 12, 2014)

It's all great to write. Whatever I'm listening to dictates what comes. Metal might bring out something darker. Something angry and introspective. Or depending on what genre of metal I might occultish/mythological  or even something Nordic related. Something like Nine Inch Nails or Tool might get something a little ethereal or philosophical. I tend to make the entire story a metaphor when I have something like that on. I have weird music that you might argue isn't music at all and you end up with stories about doing drugs on another planet. Music is main influence. I can draw inspiration from the atmosphere, the emotion, the rhythm, a line or phrase. Music is already such an integral part of my life that guess it only makes sense that it would be my driving creative force.


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## tepelus (Jan 12, 2014)

I used to be in the silence camp, but I can't write unless I have some kind of background noise to drown out other noises in the house. I generally have the fan going and/or some ambient, classical/new classical or new age music playing. Something without lyrics. Lyrics are too distracting.


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## Citizen (Jan 12, 2014)

I do my thinking when I loop Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Light or Wierd Al's My baby is in Love with Eddy Vedder or Fire, Inc's Nowhere Fast and Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young


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## JamMau5 (Jan 13, 2014)

anything void of lyrics are at least kept to a minimum. this for me would include mostly chillstep or deep trance. sometimes liquid drum and bass if i'm in the mood.


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## TheYellowMustang (Jan 14, 2014)

It depends on my mood. Sometimes I can write to anything, with or without lyrics, while other times it's just distracting. I think my favorite song to write to is Hans Zimmer's "Time". Christophe Beck's "Sacrifice" is also beautiful (big Buffy fan).


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## Dictarium (Jan 14, 2014)

It seems I'm one of the few people here who absolutely despises writing to classical. It drives me insane.


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## J.L. Franklin (Jan 17, 2014)

*licks lips* Mmmm....how delicious! A thread on music to write to! Well, being the fact that I love listening to music when I write, I had no choice what so ever, to reply here! So starting off, is a song that I personally love. Its a song that makes me want to cry every time I listen to it. I imagine a brother and sister being "escorted" to an Atlantis -style world, in search of their "missing" elder brother.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e1WK44p9W8


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## Jilka (Jan 18, 2014)

Hm, for me it has always been soundtracks. Mostly LOTR or certain computer game soundtracks - it helps to move me into the other world, completely leave the world here behind and BE my characters. I have always had the issue that I think too much...there is a constant stream of thoughts in my head and in no particular order or on a particular topic. If I do not somehow channel these thoughts - and music seem to help with that - I have a harder time to BE there fully. It doesn't mean I don't WANT to be there with all my heart (and mostly brain), but I always do that with everything I do. It is almost as if my brain needs constant occupation. Music is a way to keep it in a line for a bit... *is crazy and knows it*


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## J.L. Franklin (Jan 23, 2014)

Jilka said:


> Hm, for me it has always been soundtracks. Mostly LOTR or certain computer game soundtracks - it helps to move me into the other world, completely leave the world here behind and BE my characters. I have always had the issue that I think too much...there is a constant stream of thoughts in my head and in no particular order or on a particular topic. If I do not somehow channel these thoughts - and music seem to help with that - I have a harder time to BE there fully. It doesn't mean I don't WANT to be there with all my heart (and mostly brain), but I always do that with everything I do. It is almost as if my brain needs constant occupation. Music is a way to keep it in a line for a bit... *is crazy and knows it*



I agree with you! Listening to music helps me to snap out of "reality" and enter the Otherworld with which the story takes place.


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## J.L. Franklin (Jan 23, 2014)

So, because I write about heroes, and the battle between good and evil, I tend to include a lot of fight scenes. What helps me to write fight scenes, is hard rock, especially screamo and metalcore. This song is one of my favorite songs to write to:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=i0sDINQNxII


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## dale (Jan 23, 2014)

i finally found the musical key. i had been blocked from working on this new novel for months. put this on last night,
and kicked out 2000 words. about time. last novel, it was led zepps physical graffiti. for this one? looks like the magick songs are on....


[video=youtube;TCURzwGIgF4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCURzwGIgF4[/video]


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## Tettsuo (Jan 23, 2014)

I need something soothing on when I write.  Anything too jarring is disruptive for me.

[video=youtube;9HvpIgHBSdo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HvpIgHBSdo[/video]


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## DjamFantasy (Feb 2, 2014)

I personally love listening to this when I'm writing an epic fight scene or something like that. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob2k8EZOUTo

When I'm writing a non-fighting scene, I usually listen to some native American music or some spiritual music. Preferably instrumental, since lyrics cause distraction for me.


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## Shari Sakurai (Feb 3, 2014)

I usually just listen to the music I do normally. When I'm writing I tend to get so into my story that I never actually 'hear' what music is being played.


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## Robdemanc (Feb 3, 2014)

I have been listening to Oasis a lot lately while writing. Their music has a range of emotion. There is aggression, there is tension, there is tenderness, there is a lot of depth and the two brothers have great vocals. Their songs are quite sophisticated too.

I think this has helped me write deeper words about my characters feelings and how they relate to each other.


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## LexPlays (Feb 4, 2014)

I've found that it really just depends on what you're trying to write. And if you get an idea while listening to a certain song or genre, stick with that while you're writing. There's no real 'one genre/song/artist to listen to while writing'. It should just be what music you feel fits what you're writing or wanting to write. Experiment, especially if you have writer's block. Start listening to a lot of different types of music, types of songs, etc, and see if you can get an idea from it. But don't go in thinking 'I'm gonna get an idea while listening to all of these songs', it's really just a connection that can happen whenever.


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