Music and writing...

[nia_kantorka]

Just wanted to ask, if I'm the only one obsessed with music while writing? If so, what music do you listen to? Should the music match with your story? Or quite the reverse, like a good contrast to your plotline? Or should it fits your mood? What are you listening to at the moment? Is there some music you don't like?

For the record.
Music is absolutely necessary for my writing. I couldn't put a single sentence together without some background sounds. Neither at work, where I'm working as a medical editor and sometimes as a journalist too, nor at home during my blog posts, writing reviews and lately fics.

Which kind of music.
Depends.
Sometimes I need music that fits to the story. For writing sweet scenes listening to Passenger can be quite productive and for angsty stuff The National does the trick for me.
I chose my house music playlists when I need to get in a better mood or (totally different thing) work out plotlines and during editing. Don't know how often you read your draft, but I'm re-reading it all the time and therefore editing is a never ending process.
Lately I'm listening to some good old gothic music from my teenage years (long time ago), for example Deine Lakaien. Yes, both have an horrible German accent, but you would never believe that they are just two making all these wonderful arrangements. Oh, and Sisters of Mercy and Shock Therapy of course.

And I have a playlist called 'cool stuff' which is the weirdest tracklist ever but I love it, especially while writing:
Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye
Stolen Dance - Milky Chance
Hollywood - Marina And The Diamonds
Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
Royals - Lorde
Familiar Feeling - Moloko
Sweet Nothing - Calvin Harris
Sea of Love - The National
Kids - MGMT
A Horse With No Name - Amercia
Magic - Coldplay
Am I Wrong - Nico & Vinz
Daniel - Bat For Lashes
Rose Tattoo - Dropkick Murphys
Riptide - Vance Joy

Don't like.
I can't listen to off-beat, so no Jazz music for me (philistine, I know).
And I don't like classic music for writing though I love it for breakfast on weekends.

You see. I'm obsessed :D.

Pic by Music Doodle.

Comments

[sylvaticginger.livejournal.com]

Oh! I need music for some parts of my drawing process. Well. Almost all of them. For me, the lyrics must match the mood I'm trying to create if I understand the language in the song. For repetitive tasks, like adding value to a larger area of a picture, I enjoy oriental sounds like "Irfan"


YAY for Rose Tattoo - that song IS DRARRY to me! I've listened obsessively to it for several of my pictures!

The best drawing music for me is dark, sad or otherwise emotional:

Black Lab - This Night
Linkin Park - Castle of Glass
Jace Everett - Bad Things
Eminem - Love the Way you Lie
Adele - Someone Like You
Awolnation - Sail

and my dark secrets: Apocalyptica and all songs by Rammstein ;D

[nia_kantorka]

Oh, recs, awesome. I'm listening to Irfan at the moment. It's very intersting music. Thank you!
Will listen to your emotional list too.

And yeah, Rose Tattoo is SO Drarry. I can't listen to it without seeing raitala pics and vaysh story in my mind. :D

And Rammstein. I love their vids, their less aggressive songs and them wearing make-up.

[vaysh]

Awww!!! ♥

[sylvaticginger.livejournal.com]

I forgot one!

"Carnival of Lust" by Poets of the Fall!

I love the story they created around Rose Tattoo (I prompted that you know - extra super happy that I did!)

[nia_kantorka]

Your prompt?! Kudos for that ♥.

Will try your recs when I'm writing the next time (hope to start my next little project this week). Thanks.

[candamira.livejournal.com]

Interesting! Thanks for the playlist!

For me, it's mostly silence that works best. If I have a playlist on, I tend to tune it out.

Why? I ran a Starbucks Coffee House for some years and for Corporate Identity-reasons we had to play seasonal CDs all the time. Imagine having to listen to one single CD all day long (and during night shifts), for weeks and weeks. Unbearable. Brain shuts down eventually. Christmas songs are ruined for me forever!

But don't get me wrong, please! I love music. There's nothing better to boost my mood than songs from the 80s! Real bands, real guitars, real voices, catching melodies - Roooock!

[nia_kantorka]

Urgh, seasonal CDs all the time. Probably everyone would prefer silence after that too.

Real bands, real guitars, real voices, catching melodies
LOL, you should try Billy Talent though they only grew up in the 80s ;)

[candamira.livejournal.com]

Never said other decades had nothing to offer...

Billy Talent is brilliant (Fallen Leaves). I like
Imagine Dragons, too, or
Sunrise Avenue or
Swedish House Mafia or
Adele or - and this is really fantastic:
Alex Max Band ("Tonight" is an all-time-favourite).

[nia_kantorka]

I love their album II and really like III. My favourite song is Surrender ;) Have to check out your all time favourite though.

Did you get my message, hon? I'm super duper excited at the moment - first the good news in the morning, now this message. I really want to whoop and run in circles ♥.

[emansil-12.livejournal.com]

Music and writing is a strange bedfellow for me. When I'm trying to find words or the right voice for something, I cannot stand to have any noise around me at all. Even the scratch of a pencil across the paper from three tables away can send me into a complete tailspin of irritation.

But, once I'm in the zone and the writing is flowing, you could play death metal music at top speed and it wouldn't bother me.

I do however like to listen to music when I'm coming up with the ideas, and when I'm editing.

My choice of music depends on what genre I'm writing. I am inordinately fond of soundtracks. "Mist of Avalon", Braveheart","Captain America", "Lord of the Rings", "Tron", etc. Usually songs with lyrics distract me too much. I want to sing along. :)

[nia_kantorka]

Yes, I think music can be disturbing while trying to concentrate. But as you said, it's a matter of being 'in the zone'. Thankfully I'm able to get there fast and stay there and music is helping during this process. Though I have to say it works best with earphones and not by being surrounded by sounds.

[emansil-12.livejournal.com]

I should get a pair of noise cancelling headphones. that might help tune out the distracting, irritating noises.

Some days I can get to the zone fast, and other days after a couple of hours I just know its not going to happen and give up.

[nia_kantorka]

I'm not starting to write on fics when I don't have enough time and only when I'm not tiered. Reviews are a different thing. I can work on them with closed eyes (as long as I'm in the mood to write about this or that book/story/fic)

Maybe you could try it with earphones once. The music isn't so loud that way...

[capitu]

I'm useless to rec music. >.< Like, useless.

Don't get me wrong, I love music! But my tastes are so odd. I'll start mentioning Shakira and Operas and trust me, no one wants to hear about that. lol

[nia_kantorka]

Lol, bébé, what's wrong with Shakira? Gorgeous voice that woman.
I have to admit that Operas wouldn't put me into a relaxed mode. But if they work for you, everything's fine <3

[emansil-12.livejournal.com]

I love Shakira, but don't think I could write to her. And I'm starting to get a bit more into the Opera. Soundtracks,(the instrumental sort) and classical are my favs to actually write to.

[emansil-12.livejournal.com]

I forgot, I did once have a playlist for a dark fic I was writing. It was awesome. But something happened and I lost all the songs I had on that player.

Now, I'm back working on that same dark fic, and I can't remember what the songs were. I wish I had it back.

[nia_kantorka]

Oh, that's sad. Hope you'll find this playlist again.

[anemonen.livejournal.com]

Ooh, music! I am addicted to music, and almost always listen to something. I don't write, though, so I can't help you out there XD but I listen to music when I draw most times, but it's usually more dependent on my mood at the time than of what I'm drawing at the time.

Thanks for sharing the list, I like to see what people listen too<3 and you even have some Norwegians there \o/ lol
Good luck with the final! I'm supporting Germany today :D

[nia_kantorka]

Yeah, music. Really important, no matter what!
Lol, it took me a while to figure the Norwegians out but I got them.
Thank you. They did it, our golden boys ;)