Song suggestions for music while writing?

Rechan said:

General songs, or songs specific to a certain feel/scene/story are helpful (more romantic songs vs. more hard and harsh or lewd scenes, etc).

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I'm a dead silence kind of guy, or else the white noise background of a coffee shop.

The music is in my head: screams of pain, squishy sex sounds, hushed conversation.

As a rule, I don't listen to music when I write. But I did recently with I think good results. I didn't pick the tunes, or the artists, they just happened to be next up on the station and really fit with the scene, which was a seduction scene, by the way. I'd say it would depend on the setting and the characters in your story. If it's a period thing from the forties, I don't think you'd want to be listening to rock 'n roll.

For me, the Motown stuff is very romantic, some of the jazz stuff too, the slower, moodier stuff maybe. You could try Stan Getz if you go that way.

One of the sexiest tunes, I think, is Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song.

I listen to a lot of instrumental music while I'm writing, if anything at all. Lately, it's been relaxing Celtic music on Youtube.

Can't write to music anymore - I used to need it, but got out of the habit. Partly because of my writing process. I skip around a lot, so the mood of one scene might not match the music for long.

I do plot to music, though.

Awesome Mix Number 1!

I'm all over the place. I listen to what makes the scene flow, that could be Lorde, Nine Inch Nails, Modestep, or Meditation music. If you check out my profile on Spotify you can take a look at the weirdness of my musical choices.

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PS- I grew up in a family of seven kids and have three little boys. I can't write in silence because it's become unnatural to me. I notice silence, not noise, because silence with little boys=trouble.

Ann_Mayburn said:

I can't write in silence because it's become unnatural to me. I notice silence, not noise, because silence with little boys=trouble.

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QFT. Add big boys, too. I generally have music on to block out the TV/dogs/other music in the house/guys yelling while playing video games. It's active around here...

I have a playlist to get me in the mood for writing erotic scenes, but I don't play it specifically while writing, more while thinking about writing. Includes NIN, Meg Meyers, Curumin...also some Spanish guitar, which I find very sensual.

If I'm writing something dark, I want Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine inspired story plots.
Led Zeppelin, Kashmir (going really old school)
Sarah MacLachlin for sweet or sad
Halestorm, just because they rock lol

Gyps

I find anything with lyrics to be too distracting, so I usually opt for classical or film scores (not like, Lord of the Rings or anything too epic). There's at least one playlist on Youtube that features songs from the "Gone Girl" movie soundtrack which both mellows me and keeps me focused...somehow. It's magic. I also found an instrumental "video" of Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral album, plus someone playing various Tori Amos songs on the piano. It really depends on the individual scene or story, but something that feels sexy to me might not feel sexy to you and vice versa. Experiment!

Filigree said:

I do plot to music, though.

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There's an ideal. Like ... Beethoven? Or Vivaldi! The Four Seasons "Summer" section has an urgency that might promote plotting.

Wait! *duh* You posted this in the erotica area, do you need some kind of sexy music suggestions? Like "bow-chicka-wow-wow".

I used to listen to old Usher songs a lot, as well as different R&B from the 90's.

Lay Lady Lay.....

I listen to everyday music. i can block it out enough but still hear it, if that makes sense. i can't write to silence.

I can also read with the same music, which my husband thinks is weird.

What's weird is I don't even have to be listening to mood music. I can write a sex scene while listening to Eminem, or I can write a violent scene with Celine. Most of the time I listen to anime openings (not sure why). Sad thing I know the lyrics but not what they mean :/

I have created several pandora stations, each one has music that sets me in the mood of the story that i am curently working on.

Turning on Depeche Mode always seems to help me when writing sexy words. I listened to a lot of Florence and the Machine for my first MS.