Music for writing
I have a question for the writers out there -- what music do you listen to when you write? Rachel Caine (author of the very cool Weather Warden series) even lists the songs at the back of her books that inspired her or that she listened to when writing that particular book.
I favor movie soundtracks. There's no voices to distract me and it sets the mood I need. I think I like movie music because that's how I write -- I see the story in my head like scenes in a movie. My favorite soundtracks for writing are LOTR (Howard Shore is a genius), and the Harry Potter movie soundtracks. I adore John Williams' music, and even though he only composed the music for the first couple of HP movies, subsequent HP soundtracks have built on his base. MLTF was written to some LOTR, but mostly to HP #1. For Armed & Magical, I mainly used HP #2 (and HP #4 for the darker scenes). And for vocal inspiration for Piaras's scenes, I listened to Josh Groban (magnificent baritone voice). BTW -- There's a lot more of Piaras singing in Armed & Magical.
So what's on your iPod or coming through your headphones?
I favor movie soundtracks. There's no voices to distract me and it sets the mood I need. I think I like movie music because that's how I write -- I see the story in my head like scenes in a movie. My favorite soundtracks for writing are LOTR (Howard Shore is a genius), and the Harry Potter movie soundtracks. I adore John Williams' music, and even though he only composed the music for the first couple of HP movies, subsequent HP soundtracks have built on his base. MLTF was written to some LOTR, but mostly to HP #1. For Armed & Magical, I mainly used HP #2 (and HP #4 for the darker scenes). And for vocal inspiration for Piaras's scenes, I listened to Josh Groban (magnificent baritone voice). BTW -- There's a lot more of Piaras singing in Armed & Magical.
So what's on your iPod or coming through your headphones?
posted by Lisa Shearin at
8:11 AM
7 Comments:
I listen to classical music, but it's all in my head. I can't listen to actual music when I write because I pay too much attention to the texture of the music to concentrate. So for certain scenes, I imagine the music when I write. In fact, I'm thinking about calling my current work A LITTLE NIGHT MAGIC after a famous Mozart serenade. When I was writing FORGING A LEGEND, I imagined a lot of Beethoven, especially during a key battle between my mortal protagonist and a god.
Oh, absolutely, I have to have music. Mostly, I write to soundtracks too, LOTR and Star Trek. Little wonder many of my stories are a combination of science fiction and fantasy!
I've found another use for music. Each of my main characters and each couple and each family have their own theme songs. This enables me to sit to the computer, flip on that song, and instantly flip right into their scene. There's no waiting around for inspiration. My husband downloads songs for me from iTunes.
Examples from the SCD Universe:
Junior - Dizzy, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Everything I Do
Edward and Olivia Delano (her parents): The Air That I Breathe
Edward Delano: Please Forgive Me
Of course, there is a side effect to this magical pill. If I hear their music anywhere else, my brain-train totally jumps the tracks! This is why I don't listen to the radio while driving.
I almost always write with music playing, usually country and bluegrass. For some reason my Muse is inspired by fiddle and steel guitar. And murder ballads. I have an entire playlist devoted to country/bluegrass murder ballads, from Waylon Jennings' "Rose in Paradise" to Blue Highway's "Nothin' But A Whipoorwill."
I also sometimes listen to movie soundtracks; the Prince of Egypt, the first Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Lion King are my favorites. I adore Hans Zimmer.
Oh, and the soundtrack from The Godfather, which is so excellent for the scenes where I'm being horribly nasty to the characters. Gotta love a soundtrack where even the Love Theme is sinister.
I'm another who can't write with music playing. I have to concentrate on my characters' thoughts, reactions, dialogue and what's going on around them. (Sometimes I act out physical movements, hand gestures, etc. LOL) I find music a distraction.
It's funny that although I can't seem to write with music on, when I'm away from writing and hear it playing, I tend to envision scenes from my novel that fit it. Sort of a reverse application?
I love the Pirates soundtracks too. Hans Zimmer has that flavor of the old swashbucklers, most notably Captain Blood (my all-time fav classic swashbuckler). Errol Flynn's first movie, and his best, in my opinion. I've got a lot of framed B&W classic swashbuckler movie stills in my office.
It's only been in the past couple of years that I've written with the headphones on and music going. Used to be, I couldn't concentrate if there was music playing. Now I can't get "in the zone" without it.
I like a lot of what has already been pointed out. I would like to add if you need something eerie (like anything involving the Khrynsani)the score (not sountrack) for 'The Crow' is excellent. For whimsy and bluegrass, anything by Mike Cross.
I agree about Conan, the 'Anvil of Crom' is the best you-are-about-to-get-an-asskicking piece ever.
*smacks forehead* I forgot to add Tim Curry. He really has an amazing voice, and four albums out there if you can find them.
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