Mostly I don’t. I usually have the music on.
For isn’t writing the loneliest profession in the world? No one to talk to. No one to bug me. No one to laugh with. No shoulder to lean on but the hard edge of my computer screen.
So music is the saviour. That friend playing away in the background keeping me company. But what sort of music?
Stephen King plays hard rock and pretty loud too. That’s what he says in On Writing. I can’t do that. I listen to all kinds of stuff. Well, not really. All kinds of music I grew up with, that is: so pretty limited to late 70s and 80s.
These days I’ve been playing more classical because after, well decades, of listening to the same repertoire, you just have to move on. I’ve even sampled some opera. Not showing off or anything, just becoming more desperate.
Whilst I sit and write, there is some music I can play and some I find too distracting. As a big Bobby fan (yeah, that’s Bob Dylan) I cannot write with him in the background. He demands attention. Makes you want to listen to what he’s saying. So I never write whilst Bobby’s on. Bobby’s good to cook to though.
The other thing is the news or any DJs talking. Speech makes me want to listen. So for me, it’s usually the CD player and not the radio.
Right now though I’m listening to silence. But not really. There are muffled sounds upstairs. There’s the quiet hum of traffic. There’s the keyboard tapping.
I wonder if certain types of music brings out the best writing in me.
What do you write to?
February 13, 2007 at 6:27 am
John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr accompany me while I’m writing. Paul McCartney sometimes.
February 13, 2007 at 8:25 am
I don’t have any particular favorites because I listen to anything from oldies, rock, punk, ska, thrash, metal, pop, rock & roll, R&B, blues, jazz, soul, house music, trance, hip hop and classical. I guess whatever tunes fits my ear, and then it’s a go. Heck, I even listen to dangdut sometimes for all its worth.
When I write, sometimes I need to be immersed in a certain feeling to desribe the emotion in the story.
If I want to write something that is very angry, disturbing or horrifying, I’ll listen to some music that is harsh or really mellow and heavy with wailing women in hymns and orchestra with some mad sounds of electric guitars in the background. If I want to write a scene about someone that is dashing in a steep alley running from gangsters on highspeed, I’ll turn up a music that is really upbeat and fast.
Sometimes music just doesn’t do it. I also need the silence as well; this is mostly when I am writing dialogues.
However, I can’t seem to dig country music that much (must be the accent), and Axe Rock (rock kapak), like Search or Wings or any of those category and heaven forbid – Mawi.
February 13, 2007 at 8:33 am
I prefer silence to music, but as I’m writing this, the CD for my line-dance class is on. There’s the Making of India, Christina Aguilera’s Come On Over etc. Music is too distracting for ‘proper’ writing. It’s noise, unless it’s Richard Clayderman.
February 13, 2007 at 8:50 am
I need silence too – and that is why late at night is the best when everyone is asleep and I can only hear my thoughts.
February 13, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Amaruhizat,
I concur: sometimes the most suitable depends on the sort of writing you are engaged in at the time. RIght now, while browsing other blogger’s latest entries, I have the soundtrack to RENT on. A musical, with dialogue, it makes me feel as if there is background chatter as I read all these opinions and differing thoughts scattered all over the blogosphere.
For actual writing though, I tend to go for more sombre stuff: Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, some Philip Glass here, a little Nina Simone there. Me’Shell Ndegécello is excellent for writing the bitter-and-not-particularly-sweet sorta stories.
I adore Sufjan Stevens and The Decemberists, but I stay away from them while writing because I usually end up paying more attention to their literary and intelligent lyrics than my own much weaker writing.
Silence, on the other hand, is scary…
February 14, 2007 at 6:49 pm
well, isn’t writing an expression of oneself… cant be that lonely eh?
February 15, 2007 at 6:26 am
I actually like silence when I write, but I don’t get it that often! Everyone bugs me and tries to stop me from writing:)
February 15, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Poor Xeus. If she were in my position she’d finish two novels in three months.
As for me, I like to play some music sometimes, classical, Native American world music, radio pop or modern rock, but I notice when I truly get into writing, I don’t hear anything. So, basically, I can thrive on silence.
The music is for when I’m just pottering around the laptop, checking blogs and not really writing.
February 16, 2007 at 1:22 am
Seems like we writers like to listen to all kinds of stuff. And silence takes priority too. Interestingly enough, an entire morning has gone by for me without music!
Hmmm…I can hear a dog barking somewhere, the fridge is humming, the hard disk occasionally telling me its alive!
February 16, 2007 at 2:04 am
Argus, maybe when you play African drum beats or something it would inspire you to zap out a novel in 3 months! (It would ofr course naturally be titled ‘Outzapped from Africa’.)
February 16, 2007 at 2:37 am
Music may help, or perhaps background noise, even silence. Right now, though? Everything’s a distraction: No writing is being accomplished. O to be zoomed off to a remote corner of the world!
February 16, 2007 at 3:31 am
for me it depends on my current mood..i havent been playing my mp3s for bout 3 days now…but i guess i hardly get any silent..being in the office everytime i write, there’s sure to be colleagues talking on the phone, chit chatting, laughing, printer printing papers, the occasional ringing of the phone…noises everywhere!
i can write in silence and noise..but like i said, it really depends on my mood..yesterday was a really quiet day for me..my mind had shut off all noise around me..
February 16, 2007 at 6:48 am
found you!
really depends. i usually write in silence but once a in a while i click on bbc radio’s pete tong to help with the writing. i may not listen to club music 24/7 but it does help with the angry pieces. somewhat. but i recently discovered a r rahman and sufi music – nice…
February 17, 2007 at 9:57 am
while writing… i will browsing around… haha!
February 17, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Yeah, music helps me when I write. Different kinds of genre depends on the things I write. 🙂
February 18, 2007 at 1:02 pm
I’m in my own universe when I write therefore am oblivious to the unsilenced.
February 20, 2007 at 12:57 am
Hubba hubba, TH! I go away and try and be a real medical student for a week or so, and whan I come back BAM! You’ve got a whole new layout! Impressive. You put supposedly tech-savvy young ‘uns like me to shame 🙂
Isn’t it more conducive to write to classical (or at least lyricless) music when you write? I use funny music (like the soundtrack to Escape From Monkey Island) when I write my comedy. And the BBC theme tune helps too.
(No, I am not weird.)
February 20, 2007 at 4:43 am
TH: Yeoww!Impressive revamping of the site, sir. This is my favourite colour.
Angry Medic: I agree with you. I do listen to soothing Renaissance music when I write. And yes the BBC incicental music is rather addictive isn’t it.
February 20, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Gosh! We all listen to different stuff. What a variety, including wonderful silence. As for output…the writing, different worlds are endlessly created.
Angry Medic & The Quiet Storm – have only just figured out how to upload images! As for the layout it’s courtesy of wordpress but hey, it ain’t too shabby, huh?
Gong Xi Fa Cai to all – every celebration is a celebration for humanity.
February 21, 2007 at 7:19 pm
wowhoww love this new do. Very nice. Plausibly done.
February 24, 2007 at 1:23 am
Thanks my pal!
March 14, 2007 at 10:09 am
hi! interesting entry, glad i found it while blog hopping :o)
i need noise when i read or write. only then i can concentrate. silence is too distracting when i start to blog or read blogs. usually i switch on the radio, tv or play a cd. noise helps me to focus.
fav study place – McD Drive-Thru SS15 Subang Jaya :o)
March 14, 2007 at 10:15 am
btw, noise for me is mostly music from rock to R&B and anything that suits the mood. Yanni, Celine Dion, Whitesnake, Christina Aguilera, Toto, Micheal Jackson, Extreme … but no Britney Spears, please!
Have a good week :o)
March 14, 2007 at 11:37 pm
s’ayS – thanks for hopping here
I do both, silence and music (all kinds). Sometimes you can get too much of either!
March 20, 2007 at 4:38 am
Silence. Most also classical or jazz without words. Or else I get caught up with the lyrics and words. Tak bolehlah hehe.
Have you ever written a story based on a dream u had? I’m thinking of doing that. I have an overactive imagination when I go to sleep. I wake up very tired sometimes and best of all, I can remember them!
March 28, 2007 at 5:30 am
I like silence, classical and jazz too. Never written a story based on a dream but I’m sure those can be quite wonderful!
July 22, 2009 at 6:42 am
I love silence. Specially when i need to organize my thoughts or be inspired by the muse. I love noise specially the laughter of my children, the purrring of my cat and the whining of my dog, it makes me feel I’m home. I love the musisc of the Beatles, classical, opera, Michael Jackson, pop whatever…these are others’ expressions of themselves. it stirs love, warmth, anger, fear, desire, loneliness, inspiration
September 4, 2009 at 9:18 am
Sayswho – Yes, I love silence and noise too. Each offers something different. I often listen to music when I write, but not Bob Dylan … because I end up listening to his lyrics!