Do you listen to music when you write?

[Felrona]

I like having some sort of background noise. I do enjoy listening to music while I write. Sometimes it helps give me inspiration. Having complete silence bothers me sometimes. Even while I am at work I cannot have complete silence. Music I have found helps calm my mind and helps me write better sometimes. Sometimes it depends on the kind of mood I am in to determine what music I listen too.

[earthsprite]

Yeah, I too like setting the mood with music. I try to make playlists that match the tone of my writing, so when I'm writing a creepy/dark story I go for strange, melancholy or horror soundtracks (ranging from the video game Dear Esther to The Shining). Recently I've been working on a short piece about what I dub sort of Lotus Eaters, so there's lots of Pink Floyd going on.

[DianBruny]

Yeah i liked very much. I liked mostly Hollywood songs.

[fatgirl01]

Absolutely not. Although I love my music, I can not focus on reading or writing when music is playing. I was always baffled when I lived in the college dorms and how some students could write a paper while tv and music was on in the background. I would be so distracted. I work best in complete silence. In addition to writing, I also do some graphic design work. At times, I can do page layout with music in the background. But not reading or writing.

[KattPascale]

It's weird, I don't like to listen to music when I'm reading but I like to listen to music when I'm writing or working out.

[Zain]

Depends on the circumstances; when writing scenes with dialogue, no, as I noticed that my dialogues then are not flowing naturally. I don't think music helps me in general. It's more for personal enjoyment, not work-orientated when I do listen to music while working.

[Starmy]

No, I can be easily distracted. :/ I didnt understand how people could have their mp3 players on in school!

[Enigma]

Rock music all the way for me. I write about outlaw MC's so the music acts as my muse but I listen to that genre of music no matter what genre I work with.

[Williamz]

Yes, I do listen to music while writing because it makes me have images of the scenes happening. And, it also gives me a dramatic feel. I don't find it distracting, unless the volume is on max.

[Smitha Nayak]

Some people find music totally distracting and other people can’t work without it. I find that I don’t fall on one side or the other. There are times when I need to work in total silence, and music is a total distraction. However, in reality, total silence can never be achieved and the next best thing is a constant stream of background noise that blocks out other noises that are more distracting. For example, if I can hear people having a conversation when I’m trying to work, I find it very distracting because even if I don’t realise it, I’m subconsciously listening and if I hear something that relates to me, I would completely loose concentration. However if I had in some headphones with some music on, I wouldn’t be able to hear anything of the conversation so I couldn’t be distracted by it. It’s the same way in libraries – generally very quite places, the slightest pin drop causes everyone to swivel round and see what it was. With background music this doesn’t tend to happen. Of course the music has to be a specific type. You don’t wan’t the music to distract you, just be there in the background to drown out other distractions.

[K08nr01]

I typically choose music that could potentially be the soundtrack to what I am writing about. It always puts me in the mood to write down exactly what I am feeling.

[brittanyyannn]

I listen to music when I pretty much do anything, including writing. It gives me a place to go when I have writers block or if something is bothering me. My mom always thought I was nuts when I was in school and doing my papers while listening to music. It just works for me.

[Ibanezakame]

YES! I am a guitarist, so makbe thats why, but music inspires me. Although when I write songs, forget it. Silence.

[emmadbaker1]

I'm the same way when i'm doing anything: homework, writing, reading, etc... If i don't have noise i am so restless and my mind wanders. If I'm playing music, even with words, I'm more 'in the zone' you could say...

[V-miller]

I find it very difficult to write without music playing. But, I have some stipulations to the music. It has to be country music --there is something about the storytelling in country music that totally summons my muse. Also, I can't just listen to a stereo playing, I have to have ear buds in. There is something about how music (that only I can hear) that makes everything else around me fade into the background and allow me to write. Sometimes if a particular mood hits me, I will put one song on a loop on my iPod and listen to it twenty or thirty times in a row. I have yet to figure out what that does for me/my writing, but I know it works.