How does music affect your writing?

[Maelstrom556]

Creative influence can really come from anywhere, even other types of media. Music has always had a strong influence on my own writing, with some characters even starting out as naught but references to a few songs and becoming more complex as they go. Songs inspire bits and pieces of a character's personality or story. I often find myself making playlists for important characters, not only of what influenced the character's creation but also what kinds of songs the character would listen to. Writing a scene/story that's important to a particular character? I'll just put on that playlist to get into the right headspace, try to think like the character. I even sometimes include listening suggestions in the descriptions of stories or art commissions I post.

So because of all this, I'm quite curious how other writers are influenced by the music they listen to. If you've got any songs that were major influences on a story or character, feel free to share them and talk about the context!

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Music beats can alter my pacing in the story actually little. For example, soft classical = slower paced drama. Hard classical = fast paced action. Phonk = rambling fight scene. Foreign war song = interesting fight scene? Foreign soft love song = sensual drama. Etc.

 

[expentio]

Certain songs help me immerse in action scenes, as I can imagine certain characters to dance around attacks and move smoothly. This kind of vivid pictures can be a good groundwork to describe a scene better.
On the other hand, for pure concepts I don't get much value out of music. There I'd need inspiration from other, more content-heavy sources.

 

[MFontana]

Creative influence can really come from anywhere, even other types of media. Music has always had a strong influence on my own writing, with some characters even starting out as naught but references to a few songs and becoming more complex as they go. Songs inspire bits and pieces of a character's personality or story. I often find myself making playlists for important characters, not only of what influenced the character's creation but also what kinds of songs the character would listen to. Writing a scene/story that's important to a particular character? I'll just put on that playlist to get into the right headspace, try to think like the character. I even sometimes include listening suggestions in the descriptions of stories or art commissions I post.

So because of all this, I'm quite curious how other writers are influenced by the music they listen to. If you've got any songs that were major influences on a story or character, feel free to share them and talk about the context!

Music is, and has always been, a major inspiration for me, as well as a way to maintain peace of mind.
Aethara, for example, was heavily inspired by a couple of songs originally, and has since taken on a life of its own.

 

[Maelstrom556]

Music beats can alter my pacing in the story actually little. For example, soft classical = slower paced drama. Hard classical = fast paced action. Phonk = rambling fight scene. Foreign war song = interesting fight scene? Foreign soft love song = sensual drama. Etc.

Ah yeah, gotta love those battle music playlists. I think I have noticed how it affects pacing, too.

Certain songs help me immerse in action scenes, as I can imagine certain characters to dance around attacks and move smoothly. This kind of vivid pictures can be a good groundwork to describe a scene better.
On the other hand, for pure concepts I don't get much value out of music. There I'd need inspiration from other, more content-heavy sources.

That is a very nice visual. I definitely gotta remember this.

Music is, and has always been, a major inspiration for me, as well as a way to maintain peace of mind.
Aethara, for example, was heavily inspired by a couple of songs originally, and has since taken on a life of its own.

That really is some major inspiration! I'm curious as to what those songs are.

 

[MFontana]

Ah yeah, gotta love those battle music playlists. I think I have noticed how it affects pacing, too.


That is a very nice visual. I definitely gotta remember this.


That really is some major inspiration! I'm curious as to what those songs are.

"Heavy is the Crown" by Linkin Park
"The Misty Mountains / The Song of Durin" by Tolkien (poems, re-envisioned as songs by Clamavi de Profundis)
And a fairly long list of songs by Kamelot

"My Pantheon (Forevermore)"
"One more Flag in the Ground"
"Opus of the Night"
"Stories Unheard"
"Under Grey Skies"
"Veil of Elysium"
"End of Innocence"

Spoiler

"Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)"

And lastly, "Indomitable" by Jeff Williams (feat. Casey Lee Williams), a song with a particularly special place in my heart, as Monty's own work (RWBY) is what really inspired me to get back into writing, and keep pushing forward.
And yes, all of the song titles here are links to the appropriate youtube videos / songs.

One is marked as a spoiler because the title is also a not-so-subtle giveaway of the major romance subplot of Aethara. If ya don't care about that being spoiled, by all means go check it out.

There's a much longer playlist that I actually listen to when I'm writing, but those are some of the highlights.

"Heavy is the crown, and the brow upon which it rests."

 

[AliceMoonvale]

I actually can't listen to music while I'm trying to write or plot things.
It's hard to concentrate, and having ADHD makes it worse.

HOWEVER, I'll listen to music when I'm editing since it doesn't require as much intensive focus. And when I do, it's usually calm/gentle ambience type music that suits whatever I'm writing. I'll search stuff on youTube like 'Celtic fantasy music', 'fantasy music and ambience'. lol

It's great music to sleep/daydream to as well!

 

[Maelstrom556]

"Heavy is the Crown" by Linkin Park
"The Misty Mountains / The Song of Durin" by Tolkien (poems, re-envisioned as songs by Clamavi de Profundis)
And a fairly long list of songs by Kamelot

"My Pantheon (Forevermore)"
"One more Flag in the Ground"
"Opus of the Night"
"Stories Unheard"
"Under Grey Skies"
"Veil of Elysium"
"End of Innocence"

Spoiler

"Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)"

And lastly, "Indomitable" by Jeff Williams (feat. Casey Lee Williams), a song with a particularly special place in my heart, as Monty's own work (RWBY) is what really inspired me to get back into writing, and keep pushing forward.
And yes, all of the song titles here are links to the appropriate youtube videos / songs.

One is marked as a spoiler because the title is also a not-so-subtle giveaway of the major romance subplot of Aethara. If ya don't care about that being spoiled, by all means go check it out.

There's a much longer playlist that I actually listen to when I'm writing, but those are some of the highlights.

Ooooh, Kamelot. Been a while since I listened to them, but I can totally see them inspiring some cool fantasy ideas. In fact, I think I had "Mourning Star" one one of my playlists for a while.

I actually can't listen to music while I'm trying to write or plot things.
It's hard to concentrate, and having ADHD makes it worse.

HOWEVER, I'll listen to music when I'm editing since it doesn't require as much intensive focus. And when I do, it's usually calm/gentle ambience type music that suits whatever I'm writing. I'll search stuff on youTube like 'Celtic fantasy music', 'fantasy music and ambience'. lol

It's great music to sleep/daydream to as well!

Wow, that just goes to show how different two people's experiences with ADHD can be, because I sure can't concentrate without something like music, but can't sleep with any music playing.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

Ooooh, Kamelot. Been a while since I listened to them, but I can totally see them inspiring some cool fantasy ideas. In fact, I think I had "Mourning Star" one one of my playlists for a while.


Wow, that just goes to show how different two people's experiences with ADHD can be, because I sure can't concentrate without something like music, but can't sleep with any music playing.

Amen on that. My father is the same way. lol
I was diagnosed with ADHD-I, inattentive. It's hard for me to focus on one thing for too long, so music disrupts my thought process.

Though, I mostly listen to music at night or twitch streams, have my fan on, etc, due to having both tinnitus and sleep anxiety.
Sleeping in silence is too loud and stressful!

 

[EMatthews18]

It makes it flow better I think. I been listening to this song nonstop for my vampire story I talked about in another thread, and it’s helping me zone in on some scenes. It’s an industrial metal type beat:

Really cool song for those who like metal.

 

[HouseOfUkiro]

It makes it flow better I think. I been listening to this song nonstop for my vampire story I talked about in another thread, and it’s helping me zone in on some scenes. It’s an industrial metal type beat:

Really cool song for those who like metal.

Oh god yes ?

Creative influence can really come from anywhere, even other types of media. Music has always had a strong influence on my own writing, with some characters even starting out as naught but references to a few songs and becoming more complex as they go. Songs inspire bits and pieces of a character's personality or story. I often find myself making playlists for important characters, not only of what influenced the character's creation but also what kinds of songs the character would listen to. Writing a scene/story that's important to a particular character? I'll just put on that playlist to get into the right headspace, try to think like the character. I even sometimes include listening suggestions in the descriptions of stories or art commissions I post.

So because of all this, I'm quite curious how other writers are influenced by the music they listen to. If you've got any songs that were major influences on a story or character, feel free to share them and talk about the context!

I jam music whenever I write. Gets the write feelings going. I’ll play one song all day that feels right vs having a playlist.

 

[Worthy39]

Hm... yes. That is my only response.

 

[JotitOwl]

Wow, that just goes to show how different two people's experiences with ADHD can be, because I sure can't concentrate without something like music, but can't sleep with any music playing.

Same! The silence gives too much space to my head thoughts. At least when I'm listening to music, it occupies the part of my brain that just needs constant entertainment, lol. Sometimes, though, I do have to turn it off to focus on a really intense scene or make specific word choices.

To answer the forum question, though, music allows me to immerse myself. I'm a very visual person, and so when I think, it's pure pictures, like a TV screen. The music becomes the soundtrack. Helps when picturing scenes when writing.