What kind of music (If any) do you listen to while writing?

[ctg]

I listen to the ambient or classical music. The reason is because there is no vocals to confuse my thought patterns. Also because those kinds of music dulls all the other sounds around me and let me concentrate in otherwise very noise environment. However, if there's no one in the house, then I leave the music out and just the words flow out from my mind.

 

[Spectrum]

I listen to the same music when writing that I listen to at all sorts of other occasions: Power metal, black metal, death metal and the occasional classical.

Much of my writing is also inspired by said music. Some metal bands have awesome atmospheric lyrics (Bal-Sagoth, Limbonic Art, Emperor...).

 

[Jon_Sauve123]

Muse, usually. If I'm listening to it at the same time that I'm writing I'll listen to a softer song like Nishe. If I'm just listening because I'm stuck and need inspiration it'll be something more epic like Citizen Erased or Map of the Problematique. It just depends on what mood I'm in. The good thing about Muse is they move through so many different genres in their music and there really is a song for all moods.

Nishe - YouTube - Muse - Nishe
It's a really soft song, an instrumental. Pretty inspirational.

Or what I'm listening to right this second - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QoFv7M9fUU&feature=related

 

[HareBrain]

Muse, usually.

"Showbiz" is great for building up to a scene where the character's pent up rage and anguish threaten to explode out and turn him into a giant boss-monster that lays waste to half the planet because no one understands him, waah.

Ooh, even I'm not sure how sarcastic that was.

 

[mygoditsraining]

I'd reccomend symphonic renderings of videogame and movie themes, but I have a horrible habit of writing dialogue like "This is a country of liberty!" whenever I listen to the Metal Gear theme. Still great mood music, though.

 

[DocFlamingo]

Okay, this is going to sound weird, BUT: For my first book-length MS I plotted-out the main story-line first and then assembled a makeshift "Soundtrack" for myself (about 30 songs that seemed to fit in with the flow of the story line) and played it constantly while I was writing. It actually seemed to help move things along for me.

 

[Shoegaze99]

I don't think I'd want to listen to music that was somehow "appropriate" to what I was writing. Sems to me that you run the risk of becoming melodramatic if you get wrapped up in swelling fantasy music or something. I want music that will block out the world around me and cancel out any distractions, not something that will grab me and play a role in the writing.

But we're all different, after all. At the end of the day, whatever works for you is all that matters.

 

[MistingWolf]

I actually can't concentrate if there's music playing while I try to write. I find it highly distracting.