Background Music

I've listen to either really soft stuff (Enya, Chant, Sky Cries Mary) or non-English stuff, since hearing intelligible words just messes me up. I've also got The Lord of the RIngs and Harry Potter 3 soundtracks. Or, if I'm just in a really quiet mood, I've got a program that generates ocean waves sounds. It's pretty nice.

I'm mostly sticking to alternative and rock, though when my friend and I got together yesterday to write we listened to some Celtic stuff. I've definitely been avoiding country like the plague, because, as much as I love it, it tends to trip me up when I'm writing. Right now, I've got 3 Doors Down going, and I've been listening to things like Flyleaf and Paramore a lot, too.

I actually like it completely quiet the best. But second is the sound of lots of people chattering in a cafe, so that it makes white noise, and I don't feel alone and friendless. My husband plays classical music a lot of the time and that works well.

I've been taking the laptop as soon as the coffee/shop bakery opens in the morning (7 am) and putting in an hour or so there. Then I try finishing my 2000 word target throughout the day. No job, so I can do that.

I also have a pendant I put on for luck.

I usually listen to more mellow stuff that I know pretty well. Like Ani Difranco, the Beatles, Damien Rice, the Decemberists, Regina Spektor.

Me too, I listen to New Flamenco music while writing (its instrumental guitar stuff like Jesse Cook) because singing distracts me. BTW, if you are interested, check out Pandora.com, you can set up a playlist of bands you like and they will analyze it and suggest other bads with similar music. Its a great way to get the right kind of music to listen to without having to buy it all - plus I've heard several bands I ended up buying that I never owuld have heard from otherwise.

Mark

Mozart, mostly, with a Beethoven sonata now and then. Sometimes Czardas when the words start flowing.

It depends on my mood. Most of the time I go with soundtracks and other instrumental stuff, but when I really need a kick in the pants I'll put on some of my favourites; I'm currently obsessed with 8th Day and the Decemberists. Sometimes I'll write to what's on KUGS.

I go for the music of my youth... Hendrix, Janis Joplin, lots of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie with a dash of Clapton (Cream) and a healthy dose of Neil Young and Led Zeplin. When I really need a kick to the subconscious side of my head, I opt for David Bowie. All of these are run through a vintage tube amp with the volume cranked up which makes me feel like I'm sitting in a recording studio. Hhhmmm... and then there's Rock-a-billy... so much music, so little time.

Since my NaNoWriMo novel is a background story/spin-off of a novel I've been working on for a lot longer, I transplanted my theme-band for that novel to this one, being Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

Several songs are especially pertinent to the story:

Hung Over as the Queen in Maida Vale is used for inspiration for the primary antagonist.

The Dead Flag Blues is used often for setting inspiration.

Sad Mafiosos tends to be the theme for one of the primary characters.

And then there are just a whole lot of songs that fit in well with specific scenes.

Forgot about Calypso (Sir Launcelot et al.). I play that whenever I get really going. It helps my fingers dance over the keyboard. Like right now.

I tend to bounce between Yann Tiersen and The Pillows, at least this year. I'll get weary of them halfway through Week 2 and then probably just shuffle until then. I do like to listen to Dragonforce for the fight scenes though.

DRAGONFORCE!!!

Godspeed You! Black Emperor contributes to my writing in every way.

That sounds like a cool program. Is that something you can download or did you buy it somewhere?

That's an awesome suggestion. I also like Live365 Internet Radio. My favorite station is Streaming Soundtracks. Yeah, I'm a big ST junkie. :)

I went on Pandora and typed in Flyleaf...so mostly I've been listening to a lot of angrier music. Which works out just fine because I can't understand half of the lyrics, anyway.

I love the Decemberists too. And if you like them and 8th Day, then I might check 8th Day out.

I've been listening to either Mozart, Nightwish, Cruxshadows, The Offspring, or Emilie Autumn. Right now I'm taking Thanksgiving Weekend to make up my word count (four thousand words written so far today, and quite a bit more to go) and I'm listening to Nightwish, old and new. It's actually quite helpful.

Sounds like an ecclectic mix. I've never heard of Emilie Autumn and may have heard of Nightwish (maybe) but I love the others and have even seen Cruxshadows perform live once at DragonCon 2005. It was amazing. Good luck. :)

Totally depends on the scene.

I have Killing Loneliness on obsessive repeat at the moment, for example (HIM)

The scene before this required the Apple of Sodom by Marylin Manson.

Have also been listening to Postal Service, Muse, and the occasional techno track.