And what are we all listening to?

It's an interesting idea. Personally I'm completely unable to do anything creative except in silence (which is why write-ins will never be much more than a social pleasure for me), though in the halcyon days of GCSE and A-level revision I pretty much lived off REM, Manics and Metallica...

I'm the same. It's either got to be silence or something without lyrics.

Bohemian Rhapsody did terrible things to a short story I was writing once...

*blinks*

I have to turn the music down fairly quiet, and then it probably takes me a minute to get to a point where I can hear it and am enjoying it, but I'm not singing along or really thinking about the words. Best way to do that is put the music on, play a game for five minutes, and then get to writing. 8D

I'm currently obsessed with the new Foo Fighters album, but for writing I usually listen to anime soundtracks, because that way I don't get distracted by the lyrics. Or even game sountracks. For some reason playing games tends to stimulate my creative urges, so that can work quite well.

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http://scribblemoose.livejournal.com

Sexuality - We can be what we want to be
Billy Bragg

I'm clearly very lucky as I think I can write with most types of music - except things that are really aggressive or over loud (OMG - I sounded incredibly old there...)

I prefer something in the background - silence can freak me out.
But I haven't worked out what might enhance my elvish tale for this year...

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Nano 05: Excess Baggage (chicklit) - finished at 50,100!
Nano 06: Moving on (literary fiction) - unfinished at 50,090!
Nano 07: something to do with elves in a wood... for kids

For me it really, really depends on what mood I'm in. I usually create a list in Windows Mediaplayer, but it never works; I usually pick a genre that fits how I'm feeling. I have several movie and game soundtracks that work wonders on atmosphere, but occasionally I pick an album of one of my favourite bands: Lacuna Coil, Apocalyptica (who have many songs without lyrics; great writing music!), Sonata Arctica, Moonspell.

And sometimes I really feel like opera. :)

~ Wisdom is knowing when to avoid perfection ~

> I'm clearly very lucky as I think I can write with most types of music - except
> things that are really aggressive or over loud (OMG - I sounded incredibly
> old there...)

Be that as it may, you also sounded incredible hip and cool with your use of OMG. (w00t.)

ATM, the new KT Tunstall ablum, "Drastic Fantastic". If I bother having music on when I'm writing (ie. if I remember to turn it on, or it's not a bit that needs too much concentration, or it's a bit that'll be helped by having music in the background), it'll probably be whatever's on the minidisc - currently all the "Air Guitar" compilations.

I'm new to NaNo. Music helps me concentrate (!) but it has to be the right music. Otherwise I get distracted. I tend to go for the Lord of the Rings score as it goes with the 'Heroic Age' HF subject matter. Film/tv scores written by Thomas Newman and others go quite well. Tend to go for orchestral music in general, so 'classical' composers, mostly 20th century, are definitely on the menu - Prokofiev , Part , Glass, Nyman, Holst.

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wordcount widgets

I actually find it difficult to write without background music (preferably with some interesting lyrics, though I do keep well away from my musical soundtracks!) but it's got to be 'clean slate music' - music which for me doesn't have any strong memory connections (unless I specifically want to evoke something). At least that is one of my excuses for buying so many new CDs. As well as liking new albums I'll go back through old albums I haven't listened to for some time (I listened to an old Robbie Williams album on repeat for that reason a week or so ago).

Quite often I'll associate something I'm writing with a particular song which I'll play far too many times when I'm writing, each feeding my understanding of the other (REM's 'Nightswimming', The Verve's 'Velvet Morning', Third Eye Blind's 'Semi Charmed Life' and Snow Patrol's 'Chocolate' all spring to mind of very specific writing projects). I sometimes even have 'character songs', that I'll flip on because they help me write that particular character. And (whisper) I have been known to compile 'Soundtracks' on iTunes, though that tends to be second-draft-this-really-isn't-procrastination stuff.

The project I'm working on at the moment is being fuelled by Ghosts's "The World Is Outside", an album that definitely deserves to be more popular than it is. My NaNo album hasn't presented itself to me yet, but I'll probably start with some Rufus Wainwright (a favourite starting point of mine) and see what happens from there on in!

http://distantaggravation.blogspot.com

MMMMMMMM....usually put all the cds I own on a spool and work through them night bu night - sting works but this year maybe KT Tunstall, Amy Winehouse, and definite PINK but whern all else fails get out the Bulgarian music. Azis is awesome and not nderstanding most of it keeps the thoughts pure. Really doesn't matter except the headphones keep the guys from thinking they got to talk to me every time I sit down to write.

INCOHERENT FEET 2007 (won)
MORONIC HANDS 2006 (won)
RUDE HAIR 2005 (won)

The playlist for my NaNo novel writing includes Saving Grace (theme) by Everlast, Fallen and Angel by Sarah McLachlan, Make this go on Forever by Snow Patrol, Warning Sign by Coldplay and various others. I tend to make lists of songs in iTunes that create moods for me. Sometimes before I sit down to write I'll go through and update by Write Now playlist for songs that I want to hear that day. I don't always play music but it plus headphones does wonders to drowning out the family noise.

Amanda

Amanda aka Bookmonkey

Pretty much anything that I like to listen to works for me. I don't usually end up paying much attention to the lyrics so I'm not really distracted by that either, on the contrary, I actually prefer stuff with lyrics. Preferably, also, in a language that I don't understand. Thus my obsession with anime openings and endings and stuff like that... although /that/ might be down to the actual obsession with the anime rather than anything else. XD;

>.<

I can't write with music. I have to go listen-write-listen-write-listen-write.

I'm the same, I can't write with music on. At least I can, but I don't actually listen to the music, much like when I'm reading a book and listening to something at the same time, I'll suddenly realise an album has finished and I haven't heard any of it.

I always prefer working in silence, at least when it comes to novelling - I'm too easily distracted otherwise!

Lizzie - Suitable-Boy
Co-ML for Leeds and York

leeds_england[at]nanowrimo[dot]org

"The trouble with writing a novel is that literally anything can happen."

I can't write with the music too loud, because then I get distracted by singing along. But I like having something on -- something familiar, so never a new album or anything that I want to pay attention to.

Meanwhile, though, I've been adding to my music collection. Fifty new albums right now. :x So maybe by November my music choices will have shifted. I know that if I'm trying to write a "sexy" scene I'll be listening to Melissa Ferrick's "Drive". xD

I normally like to write with music on, but I'm not sure how it's going to work this year given the presence of Bob. He may not appreciate My Chemical Romance the way I do...

Claire - co-ML for England :: York & Leeds

Status (Bob): Eviction notices posted
Status (Me): Just get out of me, already.
Status (Novel): Almost taking shape

"Now one's bald, one's in a boat and they're both unconscious."

I've come down with a sudden red hot chilli peppers obsession, but it's so distracting to write to!

when i'm doing school work I NEED silence but i'm fine when writing. I agree that Thea Gilmore is good as she has inspiring lyrics. I like some Porcupine Tree, Juno Reactor, Aiden, Gogol Bordello and Pleymo. I love Joanna Newsom. She inspires me soooo much.

There's sparrows in my mind!

Last couple of years, I've found the triple CD set of the Lord of the Rings soundtrack to be nice.

If you can fly a Sopwith Camel, you can fly anything.

So we've started and, surprising myself, I found Beth Orton, Cat Power and Lisa Loeb the most helpful, yesterday.

I need songs about pirates. Or maybe I should just get the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack?

Unlike many who have already posted, I find it hard to write without music, particularly because the main time I get to write is on the train going to/coming home from work.

This year I'll be mostly listening to... IAMX (The Alternative and Kiss and Swallow are utterly perfect), Nine Inch Nails, Barbara Morgenstern (title/idea came from one of her songs), Alphaville (80s goodness, yay), Blue Nile, Depeche Mode, Imogen Heap - and anything else dark, mysterious, electronic and weird that I come across on the way.

R

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Art is resistance

Yeah, I find it REALLY hard to write in silence too. But the music I listen to has to have no lyrics, otherwise I just end up singing along while staring at the screen, instead of writing, hehe. I've made a special playlist, actually. It consists of all my Final Fantasy soundtracks and piano collections, some other random anime songs, and lots of Black Mages.

I've been listening to Kat Flint, now. More people should listen to her. :D

Playlist includes an eclectic mix of Classical, J-pop and Apocalyptica.

Now I'm listening to Muse, but that's 'cause I'm angry, and I don't know whether it's going to help much with my writing. :p Although "Our Time Is Running Out" may well become our anthem, later in the month...

I can't write without music, I somehow manage to get distracted by silence, (not sure how that one works), atm I'm listening to some Ian Brown, Calvin Harris and the new Radiohead album, Videotape is kind of inspiring me atm, I do have to admit that I d/led the new Britney album, Gimme More gets me in the mood to write!
I'm trying to create a playlist for my MC right now, trying to convince myself that d/ling Kings of Leon, The Editors and Kasabian is actually research and not procrastination!

"Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity."

Tegan and Sara, now. :D One of their earlier albums, not "The Con". Er. "This Business Of Art", I think.

(No, I don't have much better to do than just update you all on what I'm listening to. Before this, by the way, I was listening to Wire Daisies.)

I should be writing, but instead I'm listening to The Wombats and Kings of Leon and dancing round my room, but I've now compiled a playlist for my MC's epic journey, which I'm hoping can excuse the dancing....

"Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity."

I'm listening to Cara Dillon, now. I didn't think it'd help much, but I got a good 500 words done in five minutes, so... you never know!