When you are writing do you listen to music, the tv, anything? I like to write with quiet classical music playing in the background. But it is not that simple. It needs to be a particular type of classical music. My inclination is towards piano sonatas, especially those of Beethoven. Piano sonatas are great background, at least for me, as they are easy to filter out, but provide an ambience. They do not employ any prominent, distracting instruments like many other types of classical music. For me it is either that or silence.
The background for me is also to some degree mood dependent. But this is probably less of an issue than the nature and complexity of the writing I am undertaking. It may be that I need to concentrate on a particular passage or thought, and then it is usually preferable to me that I have no background distractions at all. Other times the presence of some subtle background music can help things to flow more easily.
So basically, it depends mostly on my mood, and the nature of the particular writing I am involved with. What about you? Do you write in silence? Or do you need something to break up that silence, something to inspire you? Let me know what works for you in the comments.
Julian Froment's Blog 
It definitely depends on what I’m writing. If I’m writing something sad or moody the music I listen to needs to match. But if I’m writing an article then I prefer silence.
š Good question
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Thanks for commenting. I agree that music to match what you are writing can be useful.
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Julian, I wish i could listen to music while writing, but I can’t. If the music has words I will start singing along and then typing what i hear and if I try to listen to instrumental then I will start tapping on the desk. Ugh. I have a one track mind apparently.
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I totally understand. That’s really why all I can listen to is music without words or obtrusive instruments.
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Definitely going to try this! Always struggle to find non-distracting music to write to! Cheers!
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It’s worth a listen. I hope that it works for you š
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Typically, I write with music on through Pandora. Most of it is various genres of Rock music with some modern alternative in there. It’s not the standard choice among artists, but I’ve gleaned a lot of inspiration from having that music on the background. I also occasionally have the television on, but that’s only when my wife is also in the room watching it or I’m doing character creation, which requires more breaks.
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I am jealous! I would love to be able to listen to Rock music whilst writing, and I am sure I remember a time when I could. But nowadays it is too distracting. I dare say that in a few years time I won’t even be able to listen to my unobtrusive piano sonatas.
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That will be scary. Maybe a type of Jazz is next on your list.
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Possibly. I can imagine myself writing whilst listening to instrumental jazz. I did read somewhere that Michael Connelly listens to improvisational jazz as it inspires his writing and isn’t overly intrusive. But what would be after jazz for me?
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Black Sabbath, of course. š
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That would of been one of my earlier choices.
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It doesn’t really depend on what I’m writing, and if I’m writing on Microsoft Word, I like to put my headphones in and listen to something on Netflix. If you haven’t a Ntflix account, I also listen to music. You could always try these two?
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I tend to just have a playlist either of my own or from youtube and have that playing in the background on the PC. It is nice to hear that so may writers do like to have some sort of background music.
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Late night writing – Charlie McCoy’s harmonica quitely in the background works for me everytime. Daytime writing Lyric FM classical. Great question.
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Never heard any Charlie McCoy harmonica. I will have to give it a listen.
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I can listen to any music. If anything, classical is more disruptive for me for some reason. I hate to have the tv on in the background unless it’s sport. I can write to sport š
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You are a lucky man. Why do you think classical is more disruptive? Do you dislike it more than other types? I am pretty sure I could never write with sport on the tv, although I have been known to write whilst the football is on, but I have the sound turned down (or off really). Even that I find distracting though š
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I think classical makes me close my eyes and want to relax. I do have the volume on low when watching sport. I think I like some sort of noise in the background when I write. I’m weird that way š
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The only time I write to music is to mask those nearby. Then it’s instrumental jazz, preferable Horace Silver, Ahmad Jamal, John Coltrane, Elmo Hope, or Ornette Coleman. Editing is the same, although recently I found I can edit to Endless Boogie, even when the lead singer growls. š
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That’s a good point, using music to mask nearby distractions. Thanks for commenting.
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I listen to classical as well. Strange, but most people would not admit to this. I have been listening to it for many years now, and basically demand most of my music to have no words. There are times that I crave the 80’s rock, maybe some 60’s, 70’s or a few 90’s, but mostly it is the Classics for me. If I were to pick a favorite; Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, or a reasonable facsimile.
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I agree, I think there is something soothing about classical, and it does not get in the way, doesn’t distract too much. Thanks for the comment.
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I need silence to organize my ideas and plan my writing. After that, anything instrumental – classical, jazz, or electronic – helps my creativity (I always end up writing the lyrics of the song I’m listening to otherwise).
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Sounds similar to me. Sometimes I need silence, the rest of the time non invasive instrumental music. Thanks for commenting.
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Greetings Julian. I agree with you. Beethoven is the best background music for writing. Bach and Schubert aren’t bad either!
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I listen to a bunch of different stuff, but usually loud techno-ish music. Seems strange but I find it relaxing.
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I usually write in silence. I relax too much when I write with the music on. Maybe I want a beer or I start thinking about other things.
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Silence is good for me sometimes. I can never write whilst drinking beer though, at least nothing comprehensible š Thanks for commenting.
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You make a good point. I can’t write while drinking a beer either. I was joking. I need silence when I write because otherwise I can’t concentrate on the writing itself. I wish it weren’t so. But hey, that’s life.
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I guess there are some lucky people out there who can write whilst drinking, listening to loud music. But not us! As you say, such is life.
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It varies for me . . . really depends on what I’m writing. When I’m writing a mystery, I like something like Nickelback. For a romance/women’s fiction I did, I listened to Sinatra. And if I’m looking for something emotional, I prefer Enya. BUT . . . most of the time my “background music” is the sound of whatever television show my hubs is watching. ;o)
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Interesting. Very varied. It sounds like you allow the music to inspire you and put you in the right mood for whatever genre you are working in. I wish I could write with the tv on. It would increase the amount of time for both considerably then š Thanks for posting.
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Not to be deliberately contrary but I don’t like to listen to music while writing…I prefer either a quiet space or a loud enough space with people talking, preferably in a foreign language so it doesn’t break into my own chain of thought.
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I don’t see it as necessarily being contrary. Being in a loud room of people talking a foreign language is not really any different to what I listen to I don’t think. It is something that is not obtrusive, which when you don’t understand the language is how it is. But let there be the quietest conversation in your own language and you can usually detect it š Thanks for your view, nice to hear a different one.
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Avec plaisir! š
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Since you ask, silence. Except I write too at the (excruciatingly loud) gym, eateries, everywhere…but I don’t hear any of that – just my words unfolding in the head. I don’t share this old post in boast. More impressive stats out there. It just describes the physical contexts I mentioned:
http://aholisticjourney.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/the-profile-of-a-successful-blogger-the-art-of-writing/
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Silence is definitely good. For me non intrusive instrumental music is okay, but not the other loud places so much. I will have a look at the link š
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