Music When Writing
This topic was brought up in a community I'm part of and I thought I'd re-post my comment here as well, since it's been too long since I last posted here and I'd like to know what your opinions are on the subject.
I find that songs with lyrics distract me. Therefore, when I really want to shut out the world and immerse myself in my writing, I put on some instrumental music.
While in school, I used to do that to help me study, since neuroscience has proven that listening to classical music can provoke several beneficial outcomes on the brain (improved brain function, reduced anxiety, heightened emotions, calming effect, etc.).
In my experience, whenever I do this, I write a lot more and the results are much better than when I’m writing without music or listening to another type of music. Inspiration really flows, as well.
Not all brains are the same, though, so you have to find the right kind of instrumental for you. Not all classical music works for me: most Beethoven makes me tense and nervous; I like Vivaldi, Verdi and Bach better. I also like Celtic, medieval and some different native ethnic music. I adore both of Era’s ‘Classics’ albums and, at the moment, I’m into some nature sounds designed for meditation. The bulk of my instrumental songs were stolen from my husband’s collection, though. He made me a huge playlist with all he’d thought I’d like from his endless video game soundtracks. I whittled it down a little, but I love it!
As for creating soundtracks for stories I write; I’m all for it! However, most times, I just randomly come across a fitting song and make a note of it for a certain scene or character. There are also the songs that inspire a scene in a story and, I’ll admit, I sometimes google a particular topic to find a song that’s fitting for a specific scene.
I find that songs with lyrics distract me. Therefore, when I really want to shut out the world and immerse myself in my writing, I put on some instrumental music.
While in school, I used to do that to help me study, since neuroscience has proven that listening to classical music can provoke several beneficial outcomes on the brain (improved brain function, reduced anxiety, heightened emotions, calming effect, etc.).
In my experience, whenever I do this, I write a lot more and the results are much better than when I’m writing without music or listening to another type of music. Inspiration really flows, as well.
Not all brains are the same, though, so you have to find the right kind of instrumental for you. Not all classical music works for me: most Beethoven makes me tense and nervous; I like Vivaldi, Verdi and Bach better. I also like Celtic, medieval and some different native ethnic music. I adore both of Era’s ‘Classics’ albums and, at the moment, I’m into some nature sounds designed for meditation. The bulk of my instrumental songs were stolen from my husband’s collection, though. He made me a huge playlist with all he’d thought I’d like from his endless video game soundtracks. I whittled it down a little, but I love it!
As for creating soundtracks for stories I write; I’m all for it! However, most times, I just randomly come across a fitting song and make a note of it for a certain scene or character. There are also the songs that inspire a scene in a story and, I’ll admit, I sometimes google a particular topic to find a song that’s fitting for a specific scene.