This is brilliant. I get a lot of visual imagery from music, but when it comes to writing that down while it's playing... I just get too distracted and can't think straight
I don’t listen while I write because I’m hear-testing words in my mind… but I do get songs stuck in my head after hours, as it were.
A song can give me a mood for weeks on end. I’ll sing it in the car, hum it while I cook— but it will have some significance for me, to do with my writing.
That’s the only music I can just about cope with when writing. I use it for the same purpose as you - only ever if out somewhere with noise. Everything else is hell for my concentration.
I do too. A lot of times an idea hits me and it has a certain feel so I make a playlist in order to hold on to that feeling and not deviate too much.
Sometimes I try to come up with a theme song for each major character and sometimes a song suggests a character.
For instance I might be writing a time travel story so I search Spotify for time and Hazy Shade of Winter will suggest a character, but only the Bangels cover of it not the Simon and Garfunckel original.
Douglas Adams said he listened to Pink Floyd endlessly when he wrote Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
I do the same thing! I'm weird because I can listen to both instrumental and lyric music when I write. Sometimes I'll throw ambient sounds under there, too.
Although if I really need to focus up: the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, start to finish.
Most music is too distracting for me to write to, with the exception of repetitive, minimalist music like Steve Reich or Philip Glass, or very ambient music like Stars of the Lid.
I'll just turn on the TV and start writing. If it decides to show me music, cool. But I rarely pay attention. All I need is background noise. I'm not picky. Not anymore, at least.
Sometimes I need silence, but my go-tos range between Vitamin String Quartet and individual playlists that I’ve compiled for the characters in my stories.
Sometimes I discover a song while writing and that becomes the song I listen to on repeat because it starts to remind me of certain characters that I was writing about while discovering that song.
Normally I need silence but this one song called the fragrance of black coffee (i think) on loop on YouTube along with the sound of rain and a crackling fireplace has been my go to if I need background music.
Depends what I’m writing… If it’s a fight scene then Dark Souls boss OST goes very well… Equally if it’s more adventure then BOTW or uncharted OST’s work well… Nothing with words though because then I’ll confuse myself and write sentences which don’t make sense
I kinda just put on sound proof headphones that way I force my brain to only concentrate on the story I’m writing. That or I have my fan spinning in the background.
Oh, bardify sounds fun! I fell into bardcore like two years back, and it’s awesome! I just can’t listen to it while I write - I’d never get anything done 🙈 Hildegard von Blingen on YouTube is a good example, some of hers are on Spotify too.
I tend to write sci-fi/horror, horror, and supernatural stuff. Listening to dark ambient music really helps get ideas flowing and sets a certain atmosphere in my head. Things like Lustmord and the stuff released on the cryo chamber label, especially their Cthulhu inspired music.
I usually listen to brown noise when I'm writing, but if I listen to music, it's only ever instrumentals. If it's anything with lyrics, my own words clog up.
Right now I'm mostly repeating some songs from the "Outward" game soundtrack by Jean-Francois Racine. Some favourites are:
Main Theme
Enmerkar Forest
Hallowed Marsh
Abrassar
Enmerkar Forest Night
Hallowed Marsh Night
BOSS
Antique Plateau
Well, there are plenty of other great songs which could set a vast number of various "moods" for writing. I love the entire soundtrack.
Preferably I enjoy game music when writing the most, because they have a tendency to be crafted for different settings/moods/action and just flow well with what I'm writing. I usually tend to find lyrics to be distracting when writing. But some lyric songs can work.
Depends on the genre. For high fantasy, I just put The Rains Of Castamere from the Game Of Thrones soundtrack on loop. (Only partially joking about that...)
If I’m outlining or writing character stuff I can listen to music with vocals but if I’m actually writing scripts or a novel draft it has to be instrumental. And I always listen to music that captures the feel of what I’m writing, as if it were the soundtrack to the movie/tv version of what I’m writing. Music helps me see and feel the story and characters more.
Appreciate the fellow Unlike Pluto fan but the only thing that works for me is slight ambient noise. I live by my old university and like to use their library or study hall.
Music without words or in a language i can't understand? Sure! (Although I honestly couldn't care less bcs If I'm actually focused on writing i will ignore the majority of my surroundings)
Music with words in a language I even slightly understand? Horrible, Distracting, Help....
So probably like that, but i do have an excessive amount of playlists related to my current writing thing that I sometimes listen to when commuting or walking my dog.
I rarely if ever listen to music while writing but I do find music helping inspiration. Anything I listen to is usually within the same vibe and genre of whatever I am writing about.
If I listen to music, I have to make sure that it's something ambient, and very low-key. I find it too easy to let music influence my writing as it affects my mood. This is especially true with music that is high-tempo and angry; I've found it will frequently have my taking scenes in a more aggressive direction than I'd planned for.
It becomes very clear when going back and editing, when I can see a sudden mood shift in my characters. You can plan for this, and have a playlist set up ahead of time that matches the mood that you're going for, and I've done it occasionally, but then I also run into the problem of song lyrics sneaking into my writing as well.
Depends on the scene and its mood. Mostly, it's white noise - crackling fire, forest winds, the running of water. Sometimes, it's a theme-based song I've added to the story's playlist (and I **always** make them playlists). Music must be one of my top 5 fuels to writing, but it inspires me the most when I'm doing something casual like cleaning the house, carelessly listening to it and then bang, here is the dialogue development for a scene you were stuck and couldn't move past.
I've been listening to Kahn, Tuber, and All Them Witches' Efferescence while I right. Also Elephant tree. Different bands seem to evoke different phases of my characters's relationships.
Video game music is great for being atmospheric and able to repeat without changing the vibe. Particularly fantasy video game music like Elden ring, Final fantasy, baldur’s gate, kingdom hearts, god of war, etc etc. I don’t even have to like the game, but I can repeat the music and it won’t be grating.
Power metal. It's basically what started my story thinking mind over a decade ago when I first heard a lot of it when watching AMVs. Now I listen to mostly Freedom Call with Twilight Force, Dragon Force, and more.
The superliminal (the game) ost😭 well, the piano songs and "alarm" and others. Its like piano background music lofi jazz but less slow but slow enough and sutff. Its good depending on what vibe the scene is. For example "alarm" could be for conflict or scary or eventful (negatively) scenes, "I wonder" could be just for dialog scenes or simple scenes, ect
I only listen to music if I need to write a fight scene and then for that I’ve got like a ‘writing a fantasy fight scene’ playlist on Spotify or I am looking for something similar. Sometimes I am listening to music for other scenes but mostly I need silence and coffee so I can trick my adhd brain into focusing more onto the page.
I listen to what motivates me to write or inspires me to write. Other than that, I prefer silence.
But I write stories based on the music I enjoy listening to though.
Either classical or post-rock, anything without lyrics and mostly instrumental. It's hard to focus when there's lyrics playing in the background, it corrodes the words in my head.
My usual music. I usually listen to my own mixed playlists on random but I may also put on an album from one musician/band in the order of tracks.
Or if I've built it up enough then the playlists for songs I think would fit in the story very well, like if they match the situation of a scene, audibly illustrate a character's emotions or if it's literally the song playing in the background while plot shit happens through the radio or that
kpop! not only because it's energetic and keeps my spirits up while writing, i also don't understand a single word it says. when i listen to something in english or in my native language i always hear words in my head and that gets in the way of my writing. i dont have that problem with kpop since i obviously don't know korean and it helps a lot while writing.
I can't understand people who listen to music when they write. I like to fully immerse myself in my world and let the story unfold in my mind without any distractions
I make soundtracks for my books, but never listen to music while writing. It's partly a concentration thing. But also, if I'm writing while listening to music, there's a chance the music is adding some sort of emotional or rhythmic element and making the scene feel more involving than it would be if you read the words alone. The reader can't hear the music. The words have to do the work.
Few songs by AAA (Japanese group that disbanded in 2020). Few of these songs even became characters in my novels.
The one song that became a horror protagonist:
Aishiterunoni Aisenai
I especially enjoy Sueyoshi Shūta's first verse in the song.
I mainly listen to Kpop, and my go-to are these playlists I made:
- Lonely (For writing fluff)
- Sad (For writing sad)
- Chill (for writing in general)
- Energy (for writing battle scenes, which never happens because I write romance and slice-of-life)
As a Broadway fan, I put the soundtrack of whatever musical I am into at this moment.
This is an experience to write with the Tick Tick Boom soundtrack when he sings about how he feels it is too late to be a successful writer.
Depends on the genre I'm writing. For my mystery, thriller, supernatural, etc. stories, I look up eerie music.
Romance, fantasy, etc. I'll put on pop music, mostly kpop, love songs.
Either nothing, kinda softer musical theatre (think Alice by Heart, or A Little Night Music), or albums that don't agitate me (Phoebe Bridgers, The Crane Wives, and so on). I love instrumental music, but for some reason it doesn't work for my writing.
The kind of music that I listen to is heavily dependent on the scene and/or genre that I’m writing at the time. I never have lyrics in the music that I listen to, it’s mostly instrumental music from things like video games or movies and sometimes I’ll include ambience for it.
For instance, I am currently writing a chapter that takes place on a junkyard planet. I’m listening to music that would put me in that genre and that contains noise from a scrapyard. If I’m writing a wizard story (like Harry Potter-type wizards), I’ll listen to Harry Potter music or if I’m writing high fantasy, I’ll listen to something from the Lord of the Rings movies.
I can only use instrumental music, if at all. I have certain songs that are tied to some of my stories, but I mostly listen to those as inspiration/getting back into it “hype” music when I’m not writing.
For those of you who like ambient soundscapes, I suggest visiting a site called “ambient mixer”, which I found for a DND session. Lots of ready made mixes, like “Hufflepuff common room “ or “tavern”, “rainy night”, or make your own. 😊 I use these sometimes, to help transport me to a scene.
Usually i don't listen to music while i write. it can distract you from the scene that you are writing. but i do listen to music for ideas. when I'm going somewhere, I'll put Ludovico's Experience and take a character. I'll put the character through scenes and situations in my mind and those situations ends up being a plot line. it really helps because most of my plot and world building is done like that. I'll have a brutal battle going on in my mind or a tragic end for someone, or something else. and then i search for a way to lead the plot to that particular battle or tragic end.
other than that, i use Fantasy bard musics. taverns music and medieval stuff. ambient music works too. but nothing with lyrics. it distracts to much.
I listen to very unfitting music compared to what I'm writing, always. Example ? Working on a scene of a gruesome murder while listening to girlypop songs like 'what is love' by Twice. Or writing all lovey-dovey scenes with heavy metal. Idk why it somehow helps me get in the right mood !
I need to listen to an entire album on repeat by the same artist because the change distracts me for some reason if it’s on shuffle. Usually it’s Elliott Smith, though.
Philip Glass and Max Richter have a unique talent for crafting an ambience that, particularly through headphones, helps me find the right mood for writing and reviewing my story. November and Morning Passages would be the most repeated tracks.
I cannot listen to music with words when I write, but I do like something with some speed, and movement. My very favorite piece to write to is by Johann Sebastian Bach, entitled:\
\
Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971\
\
I prefer the 3rd (a k.a. Presto) Movement, but the entire composition is light, gorgeous, and gets the brain juices flowing.\
\
But, if you are writing something in a sad tone, I suggest the same composer, but one of his many Minor works. I am fond of pieces in G Minor, but you may like a different key.\
\
I hope this helps. Have a nice day! 🙂
Okay this may sound weird, I listen to orchestra music, right now I am listening to Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy. The music is soothing and helps me write. I know it's WEIRD to Normie Normans and Normie Normas but I am a learning disabled so I am not NORMIE
If it's raining I'll listen to nothing, otherwise I'll listen to roadtrip-like music or the playlist I made called Multiversal Inspiration by Burnedbeats (me)
I listen to my own music that I've written specifically for the scene or mood that I'm writing about
Writing the music first really helps me to think about the scene and how it's going to pan out.
I listen to my own music that I've written specifically for the scene or mood that I'm writing about
Writing the music first really helps me to think about the scene and how it's going to pan out.
bridgerton covers/classical music most of the time, video game music or no-lyric metal for fight scenes/intense sense, specific songs or playlist if i need to brainstorm a specific vibe.
I'm not able to write (or do anything that requires concentration) with background noises. Best case scenario, I zone out so much in my doc that I forget I turned my music on. Then, it'd probably be my liked songs.
I've had Basinski's *Disintegration Loops* on repeat, for most of the day, for years now. Either that or silence. Would love to hear any ambient suggestions that anyone would like to share!
I have recently fallen in love with violinist Paganini and can sometimes listen to his music when writing but more often than not I listen to YouTube videos of nature sounds. I love water sounds like brooks or waterfalls or thunderstorms.
Once, I was writing a scene involving a battle between tribes on the Plains of South Dakota and listened to R. Carlos Nakai and the soundtrack from Last of the Mohicans.
Always something instrumental. Anything with lyrics throws me off my game. If I’m writing a relaxing, peaceful scene, then I’m listening to either Lofi or something like peaceful Zelda music. If I’m writing something tense or an action scene, I’ve got Final Fantasy.
I have entire playlists that are for my stories that follow the story beats. Even just listening to them in the car, I’m brainstorming.
Depends on my mood - sometimes I need silence to concetrate. But if I'm in a music mood, then it depends on the vibe of the story that I'm writing. I often make playlists for my various projects. For example, I'm currently working on a spicy contemporary romance, so I have a playlist with some pop and rock music: Hozier, Bad Omens, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, etc.
But I also write fantasy sometimes, and I'll have stuff like Brunuhville, Adrian Von Ziegler, Two Steps From Hell, etc on those playlists.
:)
normally just my playlist wich is 158 hours long and has almost every genre in 😭😭 but sometimes i listen exclusively to queen, i don’t know what it is but they just help me focus >_-
Stuff without words, mostly. Video game, movie, and TV show sound tracks. Right now my loop is a bit of an eclectic mix.
Moonlight Sonata, Waltz of the Flowers, the Main Theme, Loum no Akai Suisei & Loum Tyuiki no Kaisen from Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin, Xeno Arcadia & Prevailing Westerlies from Hylics 2, Otokotachi no Yamato from Men of the Yamato, What We Need is a Hero & Beowulf Slays the Beast from Beowulf, the Greenpath ambience and theme from Hollow Knight, the entire Thor Ragnarok & Love and Thunder soundtracks, the instrumental scores from Rambo First Blood, everything from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and everything from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.
It changes when I get tired of a piece and replace it with something else.
It depends what I'm writing about. Sometimes I will make my own playlist inspired by the piece or I will listen to something close to it. Right now I've been listening to WSM Nashville because I'm writing about my past life memories in Tennessee. Sometimes I will even listen to a book, but I have to be listening to something, I can't write in silence
i can’t listen to anything with lyrics in it. it needs to be purely instrumental, otherwise i’ll start writing down the lyrics instead of what i’m actually writing about. as far as what i’ll listen to, it depends on my mood, but i love classical, video game soundtracks, lo-fi, etc.
Warcraft Tavern music, witcher ambience music for the more chill scenes.
But I pick up Demon Slayer and Naruto themes, maybe techno when I'm writing a battle or reveal.
Sad stuff I use Naruto sadge themes.
It works wonders for me.
I usually don’t write with music but if I do, it depends on the scene I’m writing. For example, fight music = songs that feel like it would be good in a fight.
Depends on the topic. Sometimes it's trad (Adrian Von Ziegler mostly, his stuff is terrific), sometimes it's ambience, sometimes it's pop or rock, sometimes it's absolute silence. If I get an idea directly from a piece of music, that's what I use, but if not, then silence is best, for it lets me concentrate.
Anything that doesn’t have lyrics. Video game music works pretty well for me, and I switch it up to suit the environment. Tense environments, tense music.
I can listen to absolutely anything while i write. I always have some music on, whether it be radiohead or adrianne lenker. I absolutely cannot have silence for some reason. For me, music helps to inspire my work! So i try to put on whatever music fits the vibe of the scene
I used to think music helped me concentrate better, but now I find that if I actually turn my phone off and don't have any distractions around me, my brain will create the music for me while I work; like my brain has a built in radio already that plays while im doing anything, so I might as well not give my attention another thing to compete with.
I need total silence. I’m in a very focused state when writing and it’s fragile. However, I have noticed, that when I was deployed I had no choice but to be in a busy environment and adapted. So theoretically I can write with noise but it’s not preferred
I make playlists! Usually for characters. The story playlists have a version where everything goes and an ambient version for if I really am having trouble getting in the zone.
Like others here, I can't focus while listening to music, so I don't do it **while** writing, but I still like to listen to music **before**, **after** and **during breaks**.
As for what I listen to, I actually try to find something that vibes with what I'm writing about. So if I'm writing about a medieval town, I'll listen to relaxing celtic music. If I'm writing about a character going murder hobo, I'll listen to metal. If I'm writing about aliens, I'll listen to metroid soundtracks.
I dont usually listen to anything, but if i do its because a specific song is stuck in my head so I need to listen to it on repeat. Most recent case of this was Common people by Pulp. If I was going to listen to something while writing it would either be 70s rock or Zelda music
I just put on my MP3 player with about 20,000 songs and just let it flow. Could get anything from Taylor Swift to 2Pac to Horslips to Babymetal to Bruce Springsteen.
None. If there's lyrics, it messes with how I construct my lines, and if there's just BGM, it still throws me off because it often predisposes me to a certain mood based on the rhythm of the music.
In fact, I even have trouble reading a new book when I write because I find it influences my writing too much sometimes.
I need a neutral space. I think the only "music" I could listen to is white noise.
Depending on the scene, but honestly lately and for a while I have done retro-synthwave soundtrack stuff.
Favorites are: Wojciech Golczewski, SURVIVE, and the Naritaboy soundtrack.
Good for cyber dystopia stuff
For the most part I can’t do stuff with words.
I like to listen to ambient playlists while reading or writing. Lately, I have been big on Dark Academia playlists, which are mostly just collections of nocturnes. They lift me up!
I thought I needed to listen to music, tv show in the background, or some kind of “writing ambience”, but what I actually need is complete silence. It’s lovely getting every word out in peace and quiet.
Or conversations in a coffee outside or rain or storm or… some instrumental ost (the fountain, three of life, for example) or bands with lyrics I can’t comprehend (Tenhi, for example).
I like listening to jazz mostly. I move from lofi, remixes, and music that goes with the vibe of the setting or moment. It helps with my flow but when I get to parts I haven't figured out yet I turn off the music and get in some deep thought. Sometimes the best ideas come from dropping the pen, closing your eyes, and visualizing the scene in your head.
The words of a novice
ANY song honestly i need music or else i cant function, but if i really need to focus i tend to shift to listening to music in languages i dont understand, it helps me focus much easier
I can listen to any music while I'm outlining or doing my research for different scenes. I have a playlist of some of my favorites. Sometimes I listen to music based on the genre I am writing. (Love songs for romance, Jazz and blues for New Orleans, Sea Shanties for....well... Everything. Lol these are amazingly catchy. )
However when I'm doing my actual writing, it depends on my mood. Sometimes if I'm overstimulated or frustrated I have to have complete silence. Sometimes when I'm in the groove, I listen to instrumentals such as Vitamin String Quartet, Piano Guys, Cello covers of songs, Game of Thrones Score, Mozart's Requiem, and even some Chinese songs that I like.
I’m a freak I need silence.
> I need silence Right here, every letter.
Agree.
Silence is underrated. I can’t write listening to music
I listen to music and create. But writing it down? It must be silence.
This is brilliant. I get a lot of visual imagery from music, but when it comes to writing that down while it's playing... I just get too distracted and can't think straight
Have you tried ambient music?
Same, sometimes I write in areas where other people are walking around and talking
Nah, I can’t read or write with music either. However, I don’t mind natural ambient sounds, like when writing in a coffee shop.
Freaks like me!
It depends on my mood. Sometimes I do need silence to concentrate, but other times I need music.
Same here.
This. I can't get past two coherent words if there's music (with lyrics) playing
I do too, and so do the voices in my head
I don’t listen while I write because I’m hear-testing words in my mind… but I do get songs stuck in my head after hours, as it were. A song can give me a mood for weeks on end. I’ll sing it in the car, hum it while I cook— but it will have some significance for me, to do with my writing.
*sets-up hammock on this hill
Lofi beats. Drowns out the surrounding world but I can still concentrate on my inner voices.
That’s the only music I can just about cope with when writing. I use it for the same purpose as you - only ever if out somewhere with noise. Everything else is hell for my concentration.
I like how this keeps a level of rhythm and consistency to the writing process too. Helps me get on it a bit more.
I have a playlist for every different thing I write lol. I have about 700 so my music is kind of a mix of everything!
I do too. A lot of times an idea hits me and it has a certain feel so I make a playlist in order to hold on to that feeling and not deviate too much. Sometimes I try to come up with a theme song for each major character and sometimes a song suggests a character. For instance I might be writing a time travel story so I search Spotify for time and Hazy Shade of Winter will suggest a character, but only the Bangels cover of it not the Simon and Garfunckel original. Douglas Adams said he listened to Pink Floyd endlessly when he wrote Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
>Douglas Adams said he listened to Pink Floyd endlessly when he wrote Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. That explains a lot
I do the same thing! I'm weird because I can listen to both instrumental and lyric music when I write. Sometimes I'll throw ambient sounds under there, too. Although if I really need to focus up: the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, start to finish.
Most music is too distracting for me to write to, with the exception of repetitive, minimalist music like Steve Reich or Philip Glass, or very ambient music like Stars of the Lid.
I'll just turn on the TV and start writing. If it decides to show me music, cool. But I rarely pay attention. All I need is background noise. I'm not picky. Not anymore, at least.
Sometimes I need silence, but my go-tos range between Vitamin String Quartet and individual playlists that I’ve compiled for the characters in my stories. Sometimes I discover a song while writing and that becomes the song I listen to on repeat because it starts to remind me of certain characters that I was writing about while discovering that song.
Normally I need silence but this one song called the fragrance of black coffee (i think) on loop on YouTube along with the sound of rain and a crackling fireplace has been my go to if I need background music.
Depends what I’m writing… If it’s a fight scene then Dark Souls boss OST goes very well… Equally if it’s more adventure then BOTW or uncharted OST’s work well… Nothing with words though because then I’ll confuse myself and write sentences which don’t make sense
Music doesn’t help cuz I keep thinking of plots based off the songs and I can’t concentrate on my actual writing lol
Brown noise, headphones, full volume. First thing I'm buying with writing money are two Dyson vacuums to just yell at me (i love it)
Fellow brown noise enjoyer!
Same here! I cant listen to music or most tv but I have a rotating playlist of rain storm videos, ocean waves, crackling fire, etc.
It’s the shiz right there
Stuff with atmosphere and space, but also complex rhythms or melodies, no lyrics. Lotus, This Will Destroy You, Cloudkicker.
Depends on what I’m writing. Always instrumental though. Right now for my fantasy I’m listening to lord of the rings sound tracks mostly
I kinda just put on sound proof headphones that way I force my brain to only concentrate on the story I’m writing. That or I have my fan spinning in the background.
Any soft piano music
Lo-fi, Abbi Emmons writing spring videos, bardify is a new fav of mine. Just find one that goes with the mood. Nothing with lyrics, just instrumental
Oh, bardify sounds fun! I fell into bardcore like two years back, and it’s awesome! I just can’t listen to it while I write - I’d never get anything done 🙈 Hildegard von Blingen on YouTube is a good example, some of hers are on Spotify too.
Nick Cave’s instrumentals and film scores always get me in the zone
I love Nick Cave... the live album from Alexandra Palace was wonderful.
I tend to write sci-fi/horror, horror, and supernatural stuff. Listening to dark ambient music really helps get ideas flowing and sets a certain atmosphere in my head. Things like Lustmord and the stuff released on the cryo chamber label, especially their Cthulhu inspired music.
I usually listen to brown noise when I'm writing, but if I listen to music, it's only ever instrumentals. If it's anything with lyrics, my own words clog up.
Right now I'm mostly repeating some songs from the "Outward" game soundtrack by Jean-Francois Racine. Some favourites are: Main Theme Enmerkar Forest Hallowed Marsh Abrassar Enmerkar Forest Night Hallowed Marsh Night BOSS Antique Plateau Well, there are plenty of other great songs which could set a vast number of various "moods" for writing. I love the entire soundtrack. Preferably I enjoy game music when writing the most, because they have a tendency to be crafted for different settings/moods/action and just flow well with what I'm writing. I usually tend to find lyrics to be distracting when writing. But some lyric songs can work.
Themed based on what I'm writing. Right now it's a "D&D" playlist
Weird, but I noticed that 40 Hertz Binaural Beats get me in the zone the fastest and keep me there.
Right now, steampunk youtube playlist, my characters reached that part of the story.
I listen to music before writing, turn on something that can be a soundtrack of the scene visualise it and THEN I start writing
Usually silence, but I recently listened to Frank Sinatra; as one of his songs plays a minor role in my story. It got me in the zone.
Music my MC would listen to. It helps me focus.
Depends on the genre. For high fantasy, I just put The Rains Of Castamere from the Game Of Thrones soundtrack on loop. (Only partially joking about that...)
Of course none. Music is good for thinking. But not for writing.
Videogame music works for me, was listening to the Elden Ring soundtrack while editing recently
If I’m outlining or writing character stuff I can listen to music with vocals but if I’m actually writing scripts or a novel draft it has to be instrumental. And I always listen to music that captures the feel of what I’m writing, as if it were the soundtrack to the movie/tv version of what I’m writing. Music helps me see and feel the story and characters more.
Lofi, background music on YouTube. Nemo's dreamscapes if I feel like I want a dreamy, old fashioned vibe.
Appreciate the fellow Unlike Pluto fan but the only thing that works for me is slight ambient noise. I live by my old university and like to use their library or study hall.
That sounds so nice! I wish I lived close to a university library, too 🙂
Music without words or in a language i can't understand? Sure! (Although I honestly couldn't care less bcs If I'm actually focused on writing i will ignore the majority of my surroundings) Music with words in a language I even slightly understand? Horrible, Distracting, Help.... So probably like that, but i do have an excessive amount of playlists related to my current writing thing that I sometimes listen to when commuting or walking my dog.
Movie or videogame ost that reflects the mood of the scene at hand.
I rarely if ever listen to music while writing but I do find music helping inspiration. Anything I listen to is usually within the same vibe and genre of whatever I am writing about.
I like all kinds of classical!
If I listen to music, I have to make sure that it's something ambient, and very low-key. I find it too easy to let music influence my writing as it affects my mood. This is especially true with music that is high-tempo and angry; I've found it will frequently have my taking scenes in a more aggressive direction than I'd planned for. It becomes very clear when going back and editing, when I can see a sudden mood shift in my characters. You can plan for this, and have a playlist set up ahead of time that matches the mood that you're going for, and I've done it occasionally, but then I also run into the problem of song lyrics sneaking into my writing as well.
Usually a like Hollow Knight music, its calm but not too much soothing and i get a misterious vibe from it
Depends on the scene and its mood. Mostly, it's white noise - crackling fire, forest winds, the running of water. Sometimes, it's a theme-based song I've added to the story's playlist (and I **always** make them playlists). Music must be one of my top 5 fuels to writing, but it inspires me the most when I'm doing something casual like cleaning the house, carelessly listening to it and then bang, here is the dialogue development for a scene you were stuck and couldn't move past.
I've been listening to Kahn, Tuber, and All Them Witches' Efferescence while I right. Also Elephant tree. Different bands seem to evoke different phases of my characters's relationships.
[удалено]
Honestly not a huge fan of death metal. Breaking Bejamin is up there in my favorite artists!
Video game music is great for being atmospheric and able to repeat without changing the vibe. Particularly fantasy video game music like Elden ring, Final fantasy, baldur’s gate, kingdom hearts, god of war, etc etc. I don’t even have to like the game, but I can repeat the music and it won’t be grating.
I've never played undertale, and I occasionally listen to megalovania on repeat while writing, so... yeah, same
Off topic, but nothing more pfp 😝😝
Hell yeah!
PIELAGO on Spotify
I tend to listen to piano music covers with a fireplace/rain sound going on in the background to give a royal library vibe! It’s cozy and inspiring
Power metal. It's basically what started my story thinking mind over a decade ago when I first heard a lot of it when watching AMVs. Now I listen to mostly Freedom Call with Twilight Force, Dragon Force, and more.
Anything John Williams they’re also the halo soundtrack and guts theme now thinking I also listen the legend of Zelda
The superliminal (the game) ost😭 well, the piano songs and "alarm" and others. Its like piano background music lofi jazz but less slow but slow enough and sutff. Its good depending on what vibe the scene is. For example "alarm" could be for conflict or scary or eventful (negatively) scenes, "I wonder" could be just for dialog scenes or simple scenes, ect
I only listen to music if I need to write a fight scene and then for that I’ve got like a ‘writing a fantasy fight scene’ playlist on Spotify or I am looking for something similar. Sometimes I am listening to music for other scenes but mostly I need silence and coffee so I can trick my adhd brain into focusing more onto the page.
Holy shit this question is asked three times a week in this sub I swear.
I love vaporwave.
I listen to what motivates me to write or inspires me to write. Other than that, I prefer silence. But I write stories based on the music I enjoy listening to though.
Depends on what project I'm working on. For my current novel I'm listening to Elvis Presley songs.
Either classical or post-rock, anything without lyrics and mostly instrumental. It's hard to focus when there's lyrics playing in the background, it corrodes the words in my head.
My usual music. I usually listen to my own mixed playlists on random but I may also put on an album from one musician/band in the order of tracks. Or if I've built it up enough then the playlists for songs I think would fit in the story very well, like if they match the situation of a scene, audibly illustrate a character's emotions or if it's literally the song playing in the background while plot shit happens through the radio or that
kpop! not only because it's energetic and keeps my spirits up while writing, i also don't understand a single word it says. when i listen to something in english or in my native language i always hear words in my head and that gets in the way of my writing. i dont have that problem with kpop since i obviously don't know korean and it helps a lot while writing.
mostly instrumental blues
I can't understand people who listen to music when they write. I like to fully immerse myself in my world and let the story unfold in my mind without any distractions
“Victims” by Culture Club, that inspires me.
I make soundtracks for my books, but never listen to music while writing. It's partly a concentration thing. But also, if I'm writing while listening to music, there's a chance the music is adding some sort of emotional or rhythmic element and making the scene feel more involving than it would be if you read the words alone. The reader can't hear the music. The words have to do the work.
Dark ambient and other scary/moody things. Im writing mystery/thrillers
Few songs by AAA (Japanese group that disbanded in 2020). Few of these songs even became characters in my novels. The one song that became a horror protagonist: Aishiterunoni Aisenai I especially enjoy Sueyoshi Shūta's first verse in the song.
I mainly listen to Kpop, and my go-to are these playlists I made: - Lonely (For writing fluff) - Sad (For writing sad) - Chill (for writing in general) - Energy (for writing battle scenes, which never happens because I write romance and slice-of-life)
Minecraft music.
SCP: Containment Breach Menu Ambience
Sometimes I would listen to the Skyrim soundtrack to get the imagination juices stirring.
Nothing…I need serenity in order to unleash my imagination
Instrumental study on Spotify, best background music ✌🏻
As a Broadway fan, I put the soundtrack of whatever musical I am into at this moment. This is an experience to write with the Tick Tick Boom soundtrack when he sings about how he feels it is too late to be a successful writer.
Depends on the genre I'm writing. For my mystery, thriller, supernatural, etc. stories, I look up eerie music. Romance, fantasy, etc. I'll put on pop music, mostly kpop, love songs.
Either nothing, kinda softer musical theatre (think Alice by Heart, or A Little Night Music), or albums that don't agitate me (Phoebe Bridgers, The Crane Wives, and so on). I love instrumental music, but for some reason it doesn't work for my writing.
The kind of music that I listen to is heavily dependent on the scene and/or genre that I’m writing at the time. I never have lyrics in the music that I listen to, it’s mostly instrumental music from things like video games or movies and sometimes I’ll include ambience for it. For instance, I am currently writing a chapter that takes place on a junkyard planet. I’m listening to music that would put me in that genre and that contains noise from a scrapyard. If I’m writing a wizard story (like Harry Potter-type wizards), I’ll listen to Harry Potter music or if I’m writing high fantasy, I’ll listen to something from the Lord of the Rings movies.
Anything that sets the mood for the scene
I can only use instrumental music, if at all. I have certain songs that are tied to some of my stories, but I mostly listen to those as inspiration/getting back into it “hype” music when I’m not writing. For those of you who like ambient soundscapes, I suggest visiting a site called “ambient mixer”, which I found for a DND session. Lots of ready made mixes, like “Hufflepuff common room “ or “tavern”, “rainy night”, or make your own. 😊 I use these sometimes, to help transport me to a scene.
I listen music dark classic
When shit gets real morning beats silence
I would love to listen to music but i can't focus and i always endup turning off the music 😂😭
Last time, I was listening to Evanescence, but anything works really, just depends on my mood.
Sometimes I like silence and sometimes I like to play on YouTube big city rainy ambiance.
When writing, my go-to music is classical, especially calm piano such as Chopin’s Nocturnes.
Mrs. Cardi B
I have a chill instrumental playlist. Start with Grandbrothers radio and go from there.
I've found that Gregorian chant works best for me.
Usually i don't listen to music while i write. it can distract you from the scene that you are writing. but i do listen to music for ideas. when I'm going somewhere, I'll put Ludovico's Experience and take a character. I'll put the character through scenes and situations in my mind and those situations ends up being a plot line. it really helps because most of my plot and world building is done like that. I'll have a brutal battle going on in my mind or a tragic end for someone, or something else. and then i search for a way to lead the plot to that particular battle or tragic end. other than that, i use Fantasy bard musics. taverns music and medieval stuff. ambient music works too. but nothing with lyrics. it distracts to much.
My end product is edited to music. I write listening to a playlist of the same music. All are instrumentals from the free music archive.
I listen to very unfitting music compared to what I'm writing, always. Example ? Working on a scene of a gruesome murder while listening to girlypop songs like 'what is love' by Twice. Or writing all lovey-dovey scenes with heavy metal. Idk why it somehow helps me get in the right mood !
Slipknot, Metallica, System of a down, Frank Sinatra
I need to listen to an entire album on repeat by the same artist because the change distracts me for some reason if it’s on shuffle. Usually it’s Elliott Smith, though.
Philip Glass and Max Richter have a unique talent for crafting an ambience that, particularly through headphones, helps me find the right mood for writing and reviewing my story. November and Morning Passages would be the most repeated tracks.
Anything that'll get me jazzed up lol! I love a good adrenaline scetion
Belle and Sebastian (to keep me in a positive, feel-good mood).
I cannot listen to music with words when I write, but I do like something with some speed, and movement. My very favorite piece to write to is by Johann Sebastian Bach, entitled:\ \ Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971\ \ I prefer the 3rd (a k.a. Presto) Movement, but the entire composition is light, gorgeous, and gets the brain juices flowing.\ \ But, if you are writing something in a sad tone, I suggest the same composer, but one of his many Minor works. I am fond of pieces in G Minor, but you may like a different key.\ \ I hope this helps. Have a nice day! 🙂
Okay this may sound weird, I listen to orchestra music, right now I am listening to Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy. The music is soothing and helps me write. I know it's WEIRD to Normie Normans and Normie Normas but I am a learning disabled so I am not NORMIE
When I’m really in a flow, I’m usually listening to the Violet Evergarden OST.
I don’t. Music just interferes with my concentration.
Empire earth soundtrack. That shit hits *different*
If it's raining I'll listen to nothing, otherwise I'll listen to roadtrip-like music or the playlist I made called Multiversal Inspiration by Burnedbeats (me)
Elevator
I’m an Englishman in New York on repeat. If the song changes, I break my focus. I often choose different songs depending on the books I’m working on.
I always try to find music that fits what I’m writing. For example if im writing about a zombie apocalypse im going to listen to twd soundtrack lol
Brooklyn Duo, Vitamin String Quartet, Andres Segovia, JS Bach, lofi.
I can’t do anything with words while I read/write, so usually my go to is Lofi or classical.
I listen to my own music that I've written specifically for the scene or mood that I'm writing about Writing the music first really helps me to think about the scene and how it's going to pan out.
I listen to my own music that I've written specifically for the scene or mood that I'm writing about Writing the music first really helps me to think about the scene and how it's going to pan out.
bridgerton covers/classical music most of the time, video game music or no-lyric metal for fight scenes/intense sense, specific songs or playlist if i need to brainstorm a specific vibe.
I'm not able to write (or do anything that requires concentration) with background noises. Best case scenario, I zone out so much in my doc that I forget I turned my music on. Then, it'd probably be my liked songs.
White noise, game changer
I've had Basinski's *Disintegration Loops* on repeat, for most of the day, for years now. Either that or silence. Would love to hear any ambient suggestions that anyone would like to share!
Novo Amors Antarctican Dream Machine. Makes the more action-oriented scenes flow better despite the clash of tones.
dark ambience always
White noise such like rain sounds..
I have recently fallen in love with violinist Paganini and can sometimes listen to his music when writing but more often than not I listen to YouTube videos of nature sounds. I love water sounds like brooks or waterfalls or thunderstorms. Once, I was writing a scene involving a battle between tribes on the Plains of South Dakota and listened to R. Carlos Nakai and the soundtrack from Last of the Mohicans.
Usually instrumentals, helps me relate to the state of my character & concentrate since there are no lyrics
Stuff themed towards the story also anything that gets my creative juices going i make playlists based on my stories if they're developed enough
My favourite author listens to music while writing, I think he'll do even better work if he doesn't.
The lofi girl channel on YouTube or Spotify :)
Lofi Jazz or some variation of Asian lofi.
Always something instrumental. Anything with lyrics throws me off my game. If I’m writing a relaxing, peaceful scene, then I’m listening to either Lofi or something like peaceful Zelda music. If I’m writing something tense or an action scene, I’ve got Final Fantasy. I have entire playlists that are for my stories that follow the story beats. Even just listening to them in the car, I’m brainstorming.
Depends on my mood - sometimes I need silence to concetrate. But if I'm in a music mood, then it depends on the vibe of the story that I'm writing. I often make playlists for my various projects. For example, I'm currently working on a spicy contemporary romance, so I have a playlist with some pop and rock music: Hozier, Bad Omens, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, etc. But I also write fantasy sometimes, and I'll have stuff like Brunuhville, Adrian Von Ziegler, Two Steps From Hell, etc on those playlists. :)
I recommend Dark Ambient for anyone writing any space odysseys 😊
normally just my playlist wich is 158 hours long and has almost every genre in 😭😭 but sometimes i listen exclusively to queen, i don’t know what it is but they just help me focus >_-
Random silent hill-inspired ambience tracks I find on YouTube. Really calming, and they set up the mood pretty well.
Stuff without words, mostly. Video game, movie, and TV show sound tracks. Right now my loop is a bit of an eclectic mix. Moonlight Sonata, Waltz of the Flowers, the Main Theme, Loum no Akai Suisei & Loum Tyuiki no Kaisen from Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin, Xeno Arcadia & Prevailing Westerlies from Hylics 2, Otokotachi no Yamato from Men of the Yamato, What We Need is a Hero & Beowulf Slays the Beast from Beowulf, the Greenpath ambience and theme from Hollow Knight, the entire Thor Ragnarok & Love and Thunder soundtracks, the instrumental scores from Rambo First Blood, everything from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and everything from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. It changes when I get tired of a piece and replace it with something else.
LoFi mostly, ambient music, usually all are like LoFi and ambience remixes of my favorite video games and movies.
It depends what I'm writing about. Sometimes I will make my own playlist inspired by the piece or I will listen to something close to it. Right now I've been listening to WSM Nashville because I'm writing about my past life memories in Tennessee. Sometimes I will even listen to a book, but I have to be listening to something, I can't write in silence
i can’t listen to anything with lyrics in it. it needs to be purely instrumental, otherwise i’ll start writing down the lyrics instead of what i’m actually writing about. as far as what i’ll listen to, it depends on my mood, but i love classical, video game soundtracks, lo-fi, etc.
Coconuts’ Lost Bitches this morning. Good scene. Muse is musing on it.
Kind of Blue. Miles Davis.
Warcraft Tavern music, witcher ambience music for the more chill scenes. But I pick up Demon Slayer and Naruto themes, maybe techno when I'm writing a battle or reveal. Sad stuff I use Naruto sadge themes. It works wonders for me.
I usually don’t write with music but if I do, it depends on the scene I’m writing. For example, fight music = songs that feel like it would be good in a fight.
Nothing with words. I’m all about instrumental music, or else silence. Although sometimes the silence can be distracting.
Depends on the topic. Sometimes it's trad (Adrian Von Ziegler mostly, his stuff is terrific), sometimes it's ambience, sometimes it's pop or rock, sometimes it's absolute silence. If I get an idea directly from a piece of music, that's what I use, but if not, then silence is best, for it lets me concentrate.
Sometimes, I listen to music and other times I don't. If I am, it is something from YouTube or SoundCloud usually random playlists or songs I like.
Anything that doesn’t have lyrics. Video game music works pretty well for me, and I switch it up to suit the environment. Tense environments, tense music.
I can listen to absolutely anything while i write. I always have some music on, whether it be radiohead or adrianne lenker. I absolutely cannot have silence for some reason. For me, music helps to inspire my work! So i try to put on whatever music fits the vibe of the scene
I used to think music helped me concentrate better, but now I find that if I actually turn my phone off and don't have any distractions around me, my brain will create the music for me while I work; like my brain has a built in radio already that plays while im doing anything, so I might as well not give my attention another thing to compete with.
Electronica. It helps me maintain my groove.
Heavy metal. It keeps me focused.
I need total silence. I’m in a very focused state when writing and it’s fragile. However, I have noticed, that when I was deployed I had no choice but to be in a busy environment and adapted. So theoretically I can write with noise but it’s not preferred
Vitamin string quartet, lofi, or soundtracks that fit the vibe of what I’m writing. I absolutely cannot do anything with words.
Silence, if I can get it. Otherwise something appropriate to my POV character. Irish fiddle music or classical piano or whatever fits.
I make playlists! Usually for characters. The story playlists have a version where everything goes and an ambient version for if I really am having trouble getting in the zone.
Like others here, I can't focus while listening to music, so I don't do it **while** writing, but I still like to listen to music **before**, **after** and **during breaks**. As for what I listen to, I actually try to find something that vibes with what I'm writing about. So if I'm writing about a medieval town, I'll listen to relaxing celtic music. If I'm writing about a character going murder hobo, I'll listen to metal. If I'm writing about aliens, I'll listen to metroid soundtracks.
I listened to the soundtrack of psycho by Bernard Herman while writing a psychological thriller. I listened to it over and over again
I dont usually listen to anything, but if i do its because a specific song is stuck in my head so I need to listen to it on repeat. Most recent case of this was Common people by Pulp. If I was going to listen to something while writing it would either be 70s rock or Zelda music
I just put on my MP3 player with about 20,000 songs and just let it flow. Could get anything from Taylor Swift to 2Pac to Horslips to Babymetal to Bruce Springsteen.
3 hours of soothing rain sounds on window with thunder (no ads) ASMR ✨😚
I listen to instrumental covers, classical music, or film soundtracks. As long as there are no words it works for me.
None. If there's lyrics, it messes with how I construct my lines, and if there's just BGM, it still throws me off because it often predisposes me to a certain mood based on the rhythm of the music. In fact, I even have trouble reading a new book when I write because I find it influences my writing too much sometimes. I need a neutral space. I think the only "music" I could listen to is white noise.
My go to is the 10 hour version of "Time" from Inception, it then varies depending on the type of scene or emotion I am writing
Depending on the scene, but honestly lately and for a while I have done retro-synthwave soundtrack stuff. Favorites are: Wojciech Golczewski, SURVIVE, and the Naritaboy soundtrack. Good for cyber dystopia stuff For the most part I can’t do stuff with words.
o children the last three days
I always sing along to country music under my breath while writing, I couldn't tell you why.
I have playlists centred around the feelings I want to illicit in the books.
I either need total silence or ill sometimes listen to either game OSTs or classical music. I especially love Gustav Holst's stuff.
I like to listen to ambient playlists while reading or writing. Lately, I have been big on Dark Academia playlists, which are mostly just collections of nocturnes. They lift me up!
Video game ost lol
I start getting into the music too much to write
I thought I needed to listen to music, tv show in the background, or some kind of “writing ambience”, but what I actually need is complete silence. It’s lovely getting every word out in peace and quiet.
Two Steps From Hell and their respective composers
None, it distracts me.
I am currently listening to WWII music at the moment for my writing projects.
Lo-fi | Jazz
Or conversations in a coffee outside or rain or storm or… some instrumental ost (the fountain, three of life, for example) or bands with lyrics I can’t comprehend (Tenhi, for example).
I like listening to jazz mostly. I move from lofi, remixes, and music that goes with the vibe of the setting or moment. It helps with my flow but when I get to parts I haven't figured out yet I turn off the music and get in some deep thought. Sometimes the best ideas come from dropping the pen, closing your eyes, and visualizing the scene in your head. The words of a novice
I have this playlist I made of instrumental music that fits the vibe of the story I’m writing. 😌
ANY song honestly i need music or else i cant function, but if i really need to focus i tend to shift to listening to music in languages i dont understand, it helps me focus much easier
Joy division or the smiths always get the juices flowing. Lana del Rey on occasion
I can listen to any music while I'm outlining or doing my research for different scenes. I have a playlist of some of my favorites. Sometimes I listen to music based on the genre I am writing. (Love songs for romance, Jazz and blues for New Orleans, Sea Shanties for....well... Everything. Lol these are amazingly catchy. ) However when I'm doing my actual writing, it depends on my mood. Sometimes if I'm overstimulated or frustrated I have to have complete silence. Sometimes when I'm in the groove, I listen to instrumentals such as Vitamin String Quartet, Piano Guys, Cello covers of songs, Game of Thrones Score, Mozart's Requiem, and even some Chinese songs that I like.