Some write in silence. Some write with music in the background. Some write with music playing through their headphones (or earbuds).
I’m curious to know what you, our readers, listen to while writing or if you write in silence. In the comments below, let us know your favorites. Maybe we can discover some new musical inspiration together.
I read somewhere that Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, credits the group Muse as her inspirational background music. She even provides a playlist on her website of the songs she listened to while writing Eclipse. (Here is that playlist.)
Years ago, Ted Dekker mentioned that he listened to hard rock while writing his intense thrillers.
When it comes to music, I am wildly eclectic. Most of the time, my workday is silent. It can be a challenge to find the mute button when the phone rings. But when I feel the need for some background music to cover the hum of the fluorescent lighting or noise from the office parking lot outside my window, I go in multiple directions.
- A classical baroque playlist on Spotify called “Baroque for Thinking and Study.” I could listen to Bach and Vivaldi all day.
- Solo piano music. I have a playlist with enough solo piano music to play continuously for more than 24 hours without repeating a song. Artists like Jo Davidson (her album Tell the Story, in particular), George Winston, Liz Story, Kurt Kaiser, Trissina Rose, and Jon Schmidt.
- Cello music. There is something about the timber and texture of the cello that soothes my mind. Albums like Cello Adagios, 100 Cello Sonatas, and Masters of the Cello.
- A contemplative contemporary artist playlist. The playlist is titled “Thoughtful Music” (with 36 hours of music). It includes artists like Vienna Teng, Melody Gardot, A Fine Frenzy, Enya, Charlotte Martin, Natalie Cole, Adele, Norah Jones, Imogen Heap, Natalie Merchant, and Sara Groves.
- Instrumental music artists like Timothy Vadja (particularly “Bootstrap Physics”), Michael Hoppé, and Max Richter.
- Other days the mood trends toward acapella music with artists like Eric Whitacre, Glad, Rescue, The Real Group, Take 6, Manhattan Transfer, Benedictines of Mary, and The New York Voices.
But if I need to let off some mental steam, the playlist gets a little louder. This one includes artists like ShineDown (their album Attention Attention), Flyleaf, Red, Fireflight, Skillet, Hoobastank, Linkin Park, Muse, etc. Or classic rock from Boston, Queen, Three Dog Night, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Blood Sweat and Tears, Chicago, etc.
What do you play when the creative mood is in full swing?
Could be something fun to share with your followers in your next post.
