I have found that I really enjoy writing with music in the background. Everyone has personal preferences, of course, but for narrative pieces it is a boon to my process. I used to be one of those people who thought I could only put pen to paper (metaphorically, of course) in total abject silence. Aside from being impractical for anyone who has a life or family, I found that music added a level to my writing I didn't expect. Tone, set by a song, absolutely starts to creep into my work. I feel it inspires me, thrusting my brain into the mindset of the world I'm working in.
So what do I listen to? I don't listen to music with lyrics - those I do find distracting while searching for my own words. This tends to leave me with a lot of scores and soundtracks. As I work on a project, I will build a playlist for that particular work - utilizing albums and tracks that have the right feeling for it. Because they are all lyric free, I tend not to get sick of the music.
A.N. has definitely benefitted from this - and was the first piece I tried music with my writing. The playlist consists of several thematic scores: Book of Eli, Dredd, Bladerunner, Ink, Mass Effect and others. I'm curious if anyone else listens to music and how they decide what inspires them.
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