Music as a writing tool

VinceK

VinceK

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I don't always listen to music while I write, but sometimes I find it helpful in creating the mood for a scene. I've created playlists based upon moods and selected (IMO) appropriate songs:
Mood Action
Walls Come Tumbling Down - The Style Council
Mood Battle-Dark
Heart of Courage - Two Steps From Hell
Mood Emotion
How Do I Live - Trisha Yearwood

and several more...

I'd be interested in whether anyone else does this and if you do what songs you'd suggest? In fact, if even if you don't, I'd still be interested in any recommendations for appropriate songs :)
 
I always listen to music when im writing, but its always instrumental and not too intrusive. I generally keep it on and when I really get into the writing I don't even register the music.

https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Yl5UtdDuo&list=RDEugkCTKnr60&index=4

https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=WPni755-Krg&list=RDWPni755-Krg
This playlist I like to whack on too.

edit: had to put a space in the link because it kept automatically doing a youtube embed.

If you search for epic music playlist, theres lots of similar stuff if you need to writing some epic scene and get that feeling of awesome going.
 
This is interesting. I do use music when I write, but not like you described here. I don't have a special tune to invoke a certain mood or scene. What I found out about myself is that I am unable to write if there is any music with vocals, especially if it's something I usually listen to, so it has to be instrumental (same as Zebra). That's why I put on jazz albums. Since I'm no expert in jazz, so far I only used John Coltrane and Miles Davis. I think I might look into your idea, though. I suppose, some metal band would be ideal for a battle scene.
 
Ask and ye shall receive. I always start off a new WiP by cultivating an epic playlist, here are some of my favourite songs/soundtracks

The Matrix - Clubbed to Death Action

The Last of Us Soundtrack Dystopian/Fantasy

Amon Tobin - Back from Space SciFi

Zoe Keating - One Cello X album Fantasy/Action

Interstellar Soundtrack SciFi/Dark

John Murphy - In the house in a Heartbeat Post Apocalypse/Horror
 
I don't do this in any organised fashion, but I do feed off the emotion in the music and sometimes even match song to moment; or more often, character. I generally prefer long songs largely because I use youtube and changing song is inconvenient.

One character I mainly use folk metal for - Thyrfing's Going Berserk, Moonsorrow's Sankaritarina, that sort of thing.

This is my go to song though for everything - Fields of the Nephilim's Psychonaut
 
I also listen to music while I write, and tend to listen to pieces which are atmospherically linked to the scene or sequence I am working on.

At the moment, for example, I am listen to a selection that includes Jon Hopkins (Immunity, Monsters OST) and Nils Frahm (Screws, Loon, Stare). On occasion I may listen to something along the lines of 'Dead Can Dance' or 'Silver Mt Zion'/'GYBE' but this project tends to lend itself to Ambient or Electronica, with a little techno (sparingly).

I find, like others, that soundtracks or orchestral works better for me, but anything that is emotionally connected to what ever I am writing is sufficient.

Edit: corrected spelling of a word.
 
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

Vaz said:
Ask and ye shall receive.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Vaz, excellent selection. I'd forgotten about the Matrix. The rest I didn't know. I think Gone Girl sounds absolutely perfect for something dark and suspenseful, just as Trent Reznor intended. :)

I've had a look at the Inspirational Music thread, thanks @Phyrebrat, perhaps we ought to create a permanent list with mood categories. I'm always on the look out for new inspiration.
 
Few instrumentally type things that might appeal

Magyar Posse's Whirlpool of Terror and Tension - Pretty much what it says on the tin

Godspeed You Black Emperor!'s Kicking Horse on Broken Hill - I'd say defiance, maybe bittersweet triumph

Moby's God Moving Over the Face of the Waters - Elegiac, darkest before dawn (with dawn at the end)

Yeong-Wook Jo's The Last Waltz - Formal sorrow

This is a weird one - not sure many will consider it music, but it is for me, at least on knowing the context and what's going down, and I find it incredibly powerful

New Zealand Regiment performs farewell Haka to fallen comrades
 
Vaz said:
Two Steps From Hell - instrumental post rock band, discovered them yesterday, these albums are good:

Archangel

Sun

Miracles

Skyworld
Click to expand...

Have Archangel and Invincible from TSFH, great for battle inspiration, especially tracks like Titan Dune. Also have Epicon by Globus and Illusions by Thomas Bergersen which are softer in tone.
 
I wouldn't attempt to focus on writing and attend to music at the same time. "Multitasking" doesn't make sense to me. But I'm pretty sure that some music I'd often listened to affected my imaginative and compositional process when I wrote at least one of my stories. The music was that of Sibelius, specifically Tapiola.
 
Great thread!

I listen to music a lot, but only for the longer stories I write. I come across certain songs that seem to invoke part of the story for me, so I use those when I'm writing those particular scenes. Each book in my trilogy (one completed, one in progress, one percolating) have their own YouTube list on my channel.

My short stories, not so much, although I have toyed with the idea of writing a short story to go with particular songs.

One in particular I'm enjoying is Hybrid - I Choose Noise. All their albums are good for atmosphere, but this one particularly so.
 
Two Steps from Hell are basically the epitome of inspirational writing music. Being the music nerd I am, I was trying to avoid stuff people hadn't heard, but if you like things a bit orchestral and epic and haven't heard of them... yeah. Missing out big time. I think To Glory is my favourite of theirs. Again, very much what it says on the tin. Always makes me want to write some band of heroes advancing stoically to battle.

Vince, you might want to check out the rest of the Oldboy soundtrack. Contains some wonderful music.

Anyway, slightly different batch of recommendations - more abrasive, more vocal based. Not sure they'll be as popular, but I think they catch some pretty useful moods (and are pretty cool in general).

Murder City Devils' Every Shitty Thing - Makes me think of the nasty underside most humans have. Would be great in the soundtrack of a neo-noir film. Or The Wire.

Primordial's The Coffin Ships - Grief and defiance

Sigh's The Tranquiliser Song - Peaceful yet sad acceptance of wrongdoing. Yes, that specific. Makes me imagine someone singing a lullaby as they murder someone with lethal injection. Any Morrowind lovers out there, Vivec always made me think of this song.

Zola Jesus' Run Me Out - Despair near breaking point

(Yes I am using this to sort out my favourite music to work out soundtracks of my own :p)
 
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