Music That Inspires You?

sadbeautifultragic · Jul 4, 2011

Forgive me if there is already a thread for this

In my writing, music is the most important thing, no kidding. There is no way I could write without music. I know lots of people (including myself *teehee*) make playlists and stuff like that for their writings, as well.
I just thought it would be fun to share music that inspires you, and if you want, how it inspires you.
Thanks!
-Tragedies

Becca C. · Jul 4, 2011

A lot of the time songs just stick to my manuscript. As in, I haven't heard them all that much, or maybe I've been hearing them my whole life and never really liked them, but then I hear them at the right time and the right place in my manuscript and suddenly I'm listening to the song nonstop because it's so, so perfect for the characters. Songs like that help me write. They get to the core of the relationships and when I have something concrete to relate the characters to, it makes it a lot easier.

Example: I've been listening to U2's "With or Without You" for days because it totally encapsulates the rewritten first chapter of my WIP. It's weird though, because I've never particularly liked the song before this.

stephcamp · Jul 4, 2011

It doesn't matter what I'm writing, Damien Rice always seems to find a place on the playlist

. I have a lot of random music on my writing playlists, from oldies to punk, and some of it, I wouldn't listen to normally if it weren't for the fact that I was writing and somehow, it just fits the manuscript. Sometimes I am stuck at a certain point in a ms and I'll hear a song and it's like a total lightbulb moment and I just know what's going to happen next in the ms because something in the song inspired me.

For the most part, though, my hubs says my writing playlists are "music to slit your writs by"

Kyla Laufreyson · Jul 4, 2011

I have different playlists for each novel, and they're typically decided by tone. I'll also decide on character themes when I find a song that fits perfectly.

For example, Weeping is a really dark novel so there's a lot of soft, haunting music that I listen to while I write it. Plus I discovered that the song "All I Need" by Within Temptation is a perfect fit for the love interest, so I added that to the list.

L_Swann · Jul 4, 2011

I do this. I don't make full playlists, and oftentimes the words have very little to do with the actual plot.

My first novel, Bloodlines, was almost entirely an alternative playlist.

Interestingly, the WIP I'm currently editing had an all-country playlist. Lady Antebellum's Just a Kiss and Need You Now were big go-to songs for inspiration. And there's this new country band called The Band Perry, and I swear to you, their lead singer IS my MC. She looks nothing like her, but her voice & the way she sings the songs, it's exactly how my MC sings. The first time I heard "If I Die Young" or "You Lie," I couldn't stop the chills.

Storyteller5 · Jul 4, 2011

Quite often, there's one song that really gets tied to a particular piece of mine in my head. For example, Phil Collins' Against All Odds had the right feel for me while working on my NaNoWriMo book last year.

Last year I read Wally Lambs' The Hour I First Believed. At the back of the book, there's a section with his personal playlist of songs which apply to different sections of the novel. It's quite interesting to look through it and see his take on music vs the story.

REM's Losing My Religion really gets my muse writing.

Jehhillenberg · Jul 5, 2011

Pretty much anything Alternative, Rock, Grunge, Indie because I find it so emotional and hell yes I make full-on playlists for my works.

My complete ms I'm revising is dark and heavy, very moody. Some of the songs inspirational for that piece I constantly listen to right now are: "Odd One" by Sick Puppies, "Bound for the Floor" by Local H, "World Behind My Wall" by Tokio Hotel, "Medication" & "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" by Garbage, "6 Underground" by Sneaker Pimps, "Come As You Are" by Nirvana, "Fell On Black Days" by Soundgarden, "To the Moon and Back" by Savage Garden, "Fine Again" by Seether, "These Things" by She Wants Revenge, and of course The Smiths - "There's a Light That Never Goes Out" & "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" & "How Soon Is Now"

Lazara · Jul 5, 2011

I put my ipod on scramble normaly it gives me a variety of 30 seconds to mars, tokio hotel, cinema bizarre, led zeppelin, meatloaf, bonjovi and aqua. Aqua I only use for light stuff, it isn't normaly my thing (it never were my thing not even during the 90's) But rock and alternative rock is usually where I find my inspiration.

Annmarie09 · Jul 5, 2011

Mostly indie. When trying to concentrate, I prefer calmer stuff like 'The xx' or 'Radiohead'

Salt · Jul 5, 2011

Nature's music is my #1 inspiration. Thunderstorms on a loop can get me writing 4,000 words a day. Classical music and soundtracks are the second most helpful. Like if my novel takes place in deserts of arizona, I listen to some old western music. Suspenseful horror music to get my brain in the mood. Any music with words, I try to shy away from. I'm highly influenced by other people's music so I need just me and my own words in my head when writing.

thebloodfiend · Jul 5, 2011

Nirvana
Coldplay
Belle and Sebastian
Common
Royksopp
and Blue Magic

Weird combo, but it works.

sadbeautifultragic · Jul 5, 2011

Malin said:
I put my ipod on scramble normaly it gives me a variety of 30 seconds to mars, tokio hotel, cinema bizarre, led zeppelin, meatloaf, bonjovi and aqua. Aqua I only use for light stuff, it isn't normaly my thing (it never were my thing not even during the 90's) But rock and alternative rock is usually where I find my inspiration.

30 seconds to mars helps me a lot.

amlptj · Jul 5, 2011

I have theme songs for all my characters, each one of my books, and certian events in each book. I pretty much only like a song if it relates to my series in one way or another!

trolly dei · Jul 5, 2011

Sigur Ros. I don't actually listen to them while writing, otherwise I can't listen properly.

mickeyDs4 · Jul 5, 2011

Josh Groban, Josh Groban and occasionally Good Charlotte but mostly Josh Groban.

lisalulu09 · Jul 5, 2011

I do playlists - a musical outline I use when doing chapter notes and inspiration when I'm really stuck - and 'soundtracks', complete with opening and closing credit songs.

When I'm writing I mostly listen to albums, but will listen to music TV, YouTube and last.fm (especially when I need/want new music or want to listen to music I haven't got) and what inspires me generally depends on the genre and tone of my story of the characters, but sometimes it depends on what my muse decides is inspiring. For Suns and Stars, I've been listening to a lot of pop punk, pop rock... and Taylor Swift, and lately Glee has been played a lot. And I'm a revent convert.

Belle_91 · Jul 5, 2011

Opening Titles from John Adams
Chevalier de Sangreal from The Da Vinci Code
503 from Angels and Demons

Ashes Oh Ashes · Jul 5, 2011

I find that my favorite writing music are songs without lyrics. Requiem for a Tower (Lux Aeterna) and Flight of the Valkyries come to mind. When people are singing, I tune in too much to the lyrics, and completely lose focus on what's at hand.

Mandiloo322 · Jul 5, 2011

I definitely do this! Lately I've been stuck on Death Cab for Cutie, Linkin Park, and Ellie Goulding. Though recently Explosions in the Sky has caught my interest, and I'll probably add them to the top of the list.

Becca C. · Jul 5, 2011

All kinds of 90s music does it for me... remember that song "Lullaby" by Shawn Mullins? Suits my writing so much it just undoes me every time I hear it.

Jehhillenberg · Jul 5, 2011

Becca C. said:
All kinds of 90s music does it for me... remember that song "Lullaby" by Shawn Mullins? Suits my writing so much it just undoes me every time I hear it.

90's were frikin' AWESOME!

ShootingStarsMag · Jul 5, 2011

I don't really have a go to song or band that helps me with writing, but I do like making playlists or just finding a few songs that fit whatever I'm currently working on. The MS I just finished editing not too long ago has a full playlist. I have random songs ready for story ideas that I haven't quite started...and I have a current WIP and another one I'm about to start as well that I need to find songs for. It gets me in the mood to write THAT story when I listen to them usually.

Lpapercranes · Jul 13, 2011

My "writing music" falls into 3 categories:
-songs I liked in high school (for YA)
-whatever music my main character would like
-songs that really fit the mood of a scene I'm working on.

Allaboutwords13 · Jul 14, 2011

tis funny, i wrote a thread on this yesterday and have so far had no replies... now i know why.

Anyway, i've been listening to David Cook a lot. His music is really kind of sad and pop/rock with a slightly Taylor Swift feel to it (besides the fact he's a guy)

strawberryblondie · Jul 14, 2011

I listen to a lot of older stuff while writing. The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, The Doors. My dad was so proud when he saw my playlist.

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