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Which camp do you belong in?
Do you listen to music or television when you’re writing or do you demand ultimate silence?
I myself find a happy medium between the two. When composing a story or outline for the first time, I almost always grab inspirational music that echoes either a character’s personality or the time frame of the piece I am writing. For example: This week I’m working on an outline for an edu-tainment comedy script I’ve been hired to write. The main character is Southern and from Texas. She’s old school polite and I feel as if she might lock herself up in her room and listen to Patsy Cline records thereby releasing her pent up emotions from the day. I suppose I’ll get my fill of Miss Cline by the time I’m done (if that’s possible, she was an amazing artist).
I will also listen to songs or soundtracks from other movies that set the same tone as my film and consequently, I find myself listening to Carter Burwell’s compositions [Adaptation, No Country for Old Men, Being John Malkovich, etc]. His music can be like a watercolor painting that hangs on the wall behind you. You know it’s there with beautiful muted tones, yet it doesn’t interfere with your work.
Here’s an example: A piece from Where the Wild Things Are. Without the film to push the soundtrack, I would still buy this album. His music moves me to write.
When I’ve reached the first draft (or second…or third), I need silence to concentrate on the story. It’s quite like taking a thread out of a knitted sweater and replacing it with new yarn without destroying the garment. That takes concentration.
I’d like to hear what others listen to and why in regards to their writing habits. What say you?
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Thanks for your input Philip!
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With book writing I actually use music as if I were writing a screenplay. I create the scene and place a piece of music in the scene. Then while writing the scene I play the music over and over again. My secretary once caught me with headphones on while typing on my computer keys tears flowing down my face as I wrote. She asked my wife if there was something wrong. My wife responded “No he’s just writing something beautiful.” I do think she’s my biggest fan and best critic.
In my latest work which is the first book of a three book serial my main character is a romantic man who loves his wife of thirty two years more than he loves life. He is preparing her dinner for their anniversary and has planned out the night which will include a dance to their song “September Morn” by Neil Diamond. I describe what the song means to them and why and then use that information later when his wife is dying to create a scene that has already brought grown men to tears as I describe it to them. So yes music is a part of the soul that helps create amazing pictures.