The sounds of writing
Filed under Writing Journal on January 13, 2009
Tagged: fantasy fiction, music, soundtracks
I know a lot of fantasy fiction writers who have soundtracks for particular stories they’ve written. These soundtracks consist of music they listened to during the writing process, and eventually came to identify with certain characters or scenes.
Music doesn’t work for me that way in regard to my writing. I’ve tried using music to invoke atmosphere, but I find myself concentrating more on the music than what I’m supposed to be writing. My OCD kicks in and I spend too much time trying to find the “right” track to fit the scene or character.
Unfortunately, working in silence is little better. Let’s be honest, in a household with a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old, there really isn’t silence. The sounds of my wife watching TV take over when the kids are in bed. On the rare occasions that I have the house to myself, the silence can either be unsettling or a boon depending on my state of mind.
I listen to my MP3 player on the way to work, and I often plug in the headphones at my desk when I’m in the middle of a project. The music acts as white noise, separating me from the distractions of nearby conversations, foot traffic and the hum of printers and copiers. I find myself able to focus and get lost in the work. I know a couple of the other guys at the office do the same.
This has also proved true for reading during my commute on public light rail and even during lunch breaks. The music allows me to tune out the environment and concentrate on what is in front of me.
Based on these experiences, I’ve started slipping on the headphones at home when I want to write. In fact, I’m listening to some Def Leppard right now. I don’t know why I haven’t tried this before. I remember as far back as seventh grade doing homework to music.
Do you listen to music at while you write? Is it a soundtrack to your story or white noise that helps you focus? What do you listen to? What other tricks do you use to prevent distraction?
January 13th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I do listen to music when writing, as well as when doing many other things as well (taking the bus to work, grocery shopping if my wife isn’t with me, etc.). I find it can give me an island of calm in an otherwise hectic environment.
As far as whether it’s a soundtrack or just white noise, it’s really a little of both. For the most part, it’s white noise in the background, but every now and then I’ll notice that it fits an image or environment that I’m writing about, and it helps fill in some of the atmospheric details for me.
On occasion, a song title has also inspired blog posts, which can be an interesting source of inspiration.
January 13th, 2009 at 10:53 am
I definitely fall into the category of your first paragraph, but like you I struggle to separate myself from the stimuli around. Music doesn’t always create the perfect white noise (and it definitely can’t help with visual distractions), but it’s a start.