Thread: Does music help you write better?

For me, I'll put on some slow John Mayer and it isn't hard for me to start developing little ideas. 99% don't turn out to be much, but it is a good way for me to get started. I can't come up with really funny stuff or really scary stuff this way, but it really helps me reflect and get some good original ideas down on paper. Lots of wholesome stuff. Love story, sappy stuff.

I also listen to Jim Croce, Jason Mraz, Jimmy Buffett, etc. These guys lead me in different directions.

With Mraz I can actually get some semi humorous stuff down.

Croce helps with folky stuff. 'Rapid Roy' immediately comes to mind. Croce's stuff helped inspire a poem I'm going to put up on here in the next few days/weeks called 'The Wahkoochee County Twister of 1962'. It's going to be a lot of fun.


So does music help you guys/gals write? What kind of music do you listen to?

No. None. Absolutely not whilst writing. If a soul utters a word, I grit my teeth, clench a fist and swear like a drunken sailor.
Well, I do that a lot anyway.

When not writing, it's Punk Rock. None of this "Green Day" poser stuff. Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Circle Jerks...

Ahhhh. Peace.

Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Circle Jerks...

3 points for good taste.

I also must agree. Music is an evil interruption; always finding myself singing/tapping/pondering them live. Not giving two tosses about writing, at least till the song loops thrice... Minimum.

Each to their own with what they listen to, but if John Mayer ever comes on my speakers... seppuku.

If it is scene-appropriate music it can sometimes help my writing, but otherwise I usually find music to be too distracting, although it is a big help when brainstorming. Oftentimes when I have a new idea for my story it is while I am doing various chores while listening to music.

Music helps me concentrate, I find it blocks out any other noises that would otherwise be distracting me.

I used to listen to music while I wrote, but I find it distracting now and I get into the flow much more easily when I am not listening to music. Though once I get into the flow it does not really matter what noise there is. However, when I am getting into the flow god help you if you make noise. I become surly and mean and I glare, lots.

I did listen to music the other day though, once I got into the flow I didn't notice the music except for a few snippets here or there. I was listening to few florence and the machine songs (Howl, Drumming Song, Girl With One Eye, Bird Song, Between two lungs)

I have a collection of over 500 bgm, from dramatic to funny and to horrifying. When I'm going to write, I choose a song that fits the mood of what I'm writing, and just let things go along. It goes without saying that this doesn't work quite as well with voiced songs, but background music is just that, background.

I sometimes find music helpful and sometimes find it a distraction. Music is central to my life and my writing though so I guess it’s a bit different for me. I find music most distracting when I am editing a story. When I am writing it in the first place it helps me get on a flow. Maybe if I didn’t listen to the music in the first place I wouldn’t need to do so much editing!

Does music help my writing? Maybe- I can write just fine without music, indeed I most of my writing goes on without sonic disruption in my vicinity. Now, does music affect my writing? Certainly.

Often enough, I will have a lyric or a tune floating around somewhere in the back of my brain and I'll feed it out on into the paper or whatever and use it to help twist my brain a bit out of its normal patterns of thinking. Really, music helps me more with ideas than execution.

I actually did a study on music and its effect on writing productivity as part of my Master's Thesis a few years back. This doesn't really answer the question of 'writing better' but certain types of music can increase productivity, while others inhibit it. Of course, each individual will vary.

Here is a link if you're interested: The Effect of Music on Journal Writing Productivity

Oh yeah, music always helps me. Setting the tone and the mood is very important to me when I write, and listening the right kind of music always helps me with that. I usually listen to music without words.

Background music makes me frustrated that someone was too lethargic to write lyrics - Obviously this is a gross assumption, but my ignorance allows me to write it.

Perfect silence, the creepy kind. The someone's watching me/no human life/gone deaf kind. Is simply to me, the greatest time to write. Considering I'm a talkative prick, this is quite amusing. Ask the Foxy one.

I personally love music when writing. It really veries on what music though. It depends on what kind of music I am in the mood for but I feel like sad music helps better most of the time. When I write I feel like I am writing a diary and it relieves stress and emotions and the sad songs help make the feelings flow.

I usually listen to music while I write, but the type of music depends on my mood. Sometimes I can't concentrate and wont listen to any, but that's a rarity. I especially like listening to music whilst I write poetry and definitely think it helps. Something to do with helping me draw on my feelings I suppose.

I put music in my playlist that corresponded to the mood of my story, but now they put adds in my playlist and talk about the need for cussing! Totally takes me out of my space and sends me on mental rants as I have to hit the mute each time. The other day, they kept playing the exact same add, every several songs. Had to hike upstairs and turn the stereo on instead. Silence would be great, 'cept my kids are anything but silent, and so I may as well have music too.