Writing with Music
I’m one of those authors who frequently listens to music when I write. Sometimes, it’s so that I can focus more closely on what I’m doing in a crowded space. But more often, it’s for a bit of inspiration when I write.
I normally make playlists for any longer piece that I’m working on, but I’ve even started making playlists for my short stories as well. I don’t put a TON of work into the playlists for short stories, most of the time. And even though a lot of my writing playlists use similar music, the playlists are really not interchangeable. I learned that the other day while working on my YA novella. The playlist for that piece is on my iPod, and as I was already settled in with my laptop, I didn’t want to dig it out and wait for it to be ready to go (my iPod is ancient, and the battery is pretty well shot). So instead, I put on a playlist that I had made for my husband’s steampunk NaNo, which worked great until one of the songs that was specifically for that novel came on. Then I was distracted, and had to put aside my novella for a bit.
Recently, I started in on what I thought was a short story, which has since revealed itself to be a novella or possibly a novel. The playlist I made for it was one of the simplest ones yet–I put three albums into a playlist. Two of the albums are by Stolenfish, and the other is by Hazy Jane. It’s actually the same lead singer for both bands. The sound is a little bit country, fairly mournful, and basically not at all like what I listen to when I’m writing most of my fiction. And I can tell, as the story unfolds. This won’t be quite like the other things I write.
I’m always curious to hear about what other authors are listening to while they write, if anything. Do you use a generic “writing” playlist (I have one of those as well–all classical, for when I’m writing non-fiction at work), or do you tailor your musical selection to the piece you’re working on?
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