Music as a writing tool

[Stephen Palmer]

And another!
Though I'd pick Hawkwind over them every time

I like 33% of the Hawks and everything up to 1985 of TD.

 

[VinceK]

Anywhoo, if your writing something weird, and "out there," the soundtrack to Stranger Things is quite a mind wobbler. (In a good sense.)

Listened to the whole piece, I thought is was… wibble. Next stop Piccadilly Circus. Mind the step.

 

[Vaz]

A beautifully dark track from Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Makes me think of post acopaclyptic stories. I could see myself listening to this whilst writing something along the lines of The Road.

Next a track from a post rock superband, Mono and worldsendgirlfriend. Makes me think of bittersweet loss, grief.

Mono & World's End Girlfriend - Part One

 

[MagicBacon]

I listen to music occasionally when I write, almost all of it is instrumental so my brain isn't listening to words being said. Mostly though I find I have a super productive day if I'm writing to nature sounds. Running water, storms, etc. So I just put on an 8 hour clip of a stream or something and it seems to focus me enough I can bust out a good chunk of words.

 

[Ajid]

I have a particular character descending into darkness. It's been immensely difficult to write as I see a lot of myself in this character but this character desperately needs some control and Nessun Dorma has been fitting to listen to whilst writing this decent. There's a feeling of anything to achieve a goal and that the end goal is worth any action and listening to that is helping to write the decent for this character.

What makes it difficult is that whilst this character is thinking in terms of nessun dormer the pov character is thinking Oh fortuna

 

[VinceK]

Don't forget the links @Ajid or you'll have @The Big Peat breathing fire at you

Pavarotti - Nessun Dorma

Carmina Burana - O Fortuna

 

[The Big Peat]

*ingests more coal*

Riffing a bit of others' choices -

Clutch - Our Lady of Electric Light - Its the music for the scene after the showdown that Gonk would write listening to Time To Burn. There's a rough and raw comfort to it.

Pogues - A Pistol for Paddy Garcia - And this is the song for when the hero rides up to the showdown. Pride, derring do, a hint of sadness

Hawkwind - The Golden Void - The sense of wonder you get from looking at something entrancing but dangerous; somewhat psychotropic.

GSyBE! - Kicking Horse on Brokenhill - Real last stand music. Elegiac and defiant.

Also, I took a stab at doing a book playlist. Aiming for a mix of hyper-aggression, prideful elation, tension and mourning.

 

[Lumens]

I normally put on Stillstream: [Hm... I don't have a high enough post count for posing links, just search it]

I also make music as a hobby but I doubt I could listen to it passively enough for writing.

 

[The Big Peat]

Because I love this thread too much and have some more ones...

Dead Can Dance - Persephone - Dread, betrayal, fighting against the one you love, powerlessness

Fields of the Nephilim - Celebrate - Something broken, betrayal, revelation, maybe acceptance

Tenhi - Hallavedet - Isolation, loss, serenity

VNV Nation - Forsaken - Desperation, descent, self-betrayal

 

[Phyrebrat]

Because I love this thread too much and have some more ones...

Dead Can Dance - Persephone - Dread, betrayal, fighting against the one you love, powerlessness

Fields of the Nephilim - Celebrate - Something broken, betrayal, revelation, maybe acceptance

Tenhi - Hallavedet - Isolation, loss, serenity

VNV Nation - Forsaken - Desperation, descent, self-betrayal

. What about when you want to write something a bit more uplifting?!

pH

 

[Venusian Broon]

. What about when you want to write something a bit more uplifting?!

pH

You want to write something uplifting! We're artistes darling. We must stare out of the window of our garrets into the abyss. Tsk!

 

[The Big Peat]

. What about when you want to write something a bit more uplifting?!

pH

Drink absinthe and stare at photos of things and people you will never have until the desire goes away.

 

[The Big Peat]

. What about when you want to write something a bit more uplifting?!

pH

As a birthday present, I've decided to try and address this complaint

Vitamin String Quartet's cover of Knights of Cydonia is great stirring stuff for victorious showdowns and this Midnite String Quartet version of Heroes is perfect for a homecoming after great struggle

Liberation by Outkast would be fantastic for a bittersweet moment of realisation that ends up with a stronger person.

And finally, this is just very uplifting altogether:

 

[Vaz]

There is no such thing as too much Peat inspired music writing sessions.

Cheers, duly added to my playlists

v

 

[monsterchic]

I've got several playlists for my stories but right now I'm listening to one of my daily mixes on Spotify. It includes Faun, Two Steps from Hell, Erutan, Elaine, and more of the like. It's amazing.

 

[Penny]

I only recently got into spotify it's very good at finding stuff that is like stuff you have already heard but not the same. especially good if you don't feel like listening to the same music all day

I used to listen to Linkin Park as a kind of zen thing to get in the zone while working on stuff. But I think music on the same theme as whatever you are working on is good as long as it doesn't have any vocals.
Vocals and writing do not seem to mix well for me.
I used to watch TV series for background noise while I made 3d animation but with writing, I can't have words getting in the way of my train of thought.

So my current playlist atm has alot of Synthwave stuff like Magic Sword (they did some of the stuff for thor ragnarok) so its kind of cyberpunky its very 80's