Please welcome Annalisa Crawford to:
5 Reasons to Write to Music
By Annalisa Crawford
I love music. If I could sing in tune, I’d definitely have been a singer. I did the next best thing and married one.
That’s pretty much all you need to know about my relationship with music.
- Music sparks ideas. A line, a phrase, a feeling you get when you listen to a chorus—it might not be an immediate effect, you might not even notice at first. But one day, listening to the radio, it’ll hit you, and you’ll be inspired.
- When Riverdance was popular (it was popular, wasn’t it?) I listened to the CD a lot, and found the beat made me type faster—I could easily keep up with Michael Flatley. Not only that, the ideas flowed faster. Any fast music will do: dance, heavy metal… Riverdance.
- It can put you in the right zone. I tend to get obsessive when I’m writing, so instead of selecting a different CD (copious mentions of CDs = old school) I just repeat it. Each large project seems to have its own soundtrack, which immediately puts me right back into the story.
- It’s a fantastic distraction for those days when it’s just not working. Put on your favourite tracks and dance around/do housework/curl up with a blanket and a good book.
- Having music playing makes me feel like I’m living in a musical—quite a strange boring musical where the hero sits alone, in front of a keyboard, and ignoring everyone around them for an extended period of time.
Note from Tyrean: I highly recommend Annalisa's books. She may not sing, but she has a musical ear for words that shows up on the page. Her writing is beautiful!
I always wished I could sing, too. Well, I'll put it this way - I CAN sing but whether I SHOULD is a different story. :)
ReplyDeleteLol. I think we should, no matter what :-)
DeleteLOL! A strange, boring musical... LOL. That was awesome. I'm actually really sensitive to sound. Too sensitive. I'm a composer, vocal performer, and choir director, so my issue is being inundated with too much music. Especially since it is ALWAYS playing in my brain. (I'm listening to Riverdance in my head right now--thanks to you. ;)
ReplyDeleteLol, you're very welcome. I hope Riverdance doesn't last too long ;-)
DeleteThanks for inviting me onto your blog today, Tyrean 😊
ReplyDeleteOops, sorry for the random replies - I was doing it all on my phone, and it looked like I could reply individually. And I've just seen your lovely comment, Tyrean, thank you :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm a slow typist, so pounding metal music does help!
ReplyDeleteMusic is very powerful. I can get a mood or, as you say, an entire story, from a song.
ReplyDeleteLove listening to music while I work on my projects. Such a great way to stay inspired, for sure!
ReplyDeleteI waver between tunes or silence. I'm easily distracted by good music, but I do agree it can set the mood. Fun post
ReplyDeleteThat one special CD can power us through an entire manuscript.
ReplyDeleteI tend to write better in silence. Not sure why but would love it to be different.
ReplyDeleteI need peace and quiet when I write. I do tend to talk to myself a lot though :)
ReplyDeleteLoved Riverdance. Saw it performed live. And it was the music my daughter's color guard performed to.
ReplyDeleteLately I've been writing to noise (e.g. thunderstorm, electric fan, airport terminal). I don't catch myself listening to the music and not writing that way.
ReplyDeleteAlex - I'm a fast typist, but end up making so many mistakes I have to delete a lot! Perhaps I ought to slow down :-)
ReplyDeleteElizabeth - there's nothing better than listening to new music and getting that tingle of inspiration!
Heather - absolutely. I'm listening to an 80s station right now - Tina Turner :-)
Joanne - I don't notice the silence if I'm deep into my writing, but it haunts me when I pause.
Diane - CDs are never long enough though, are they?
Natalie - my imagination makes up noises that I have to go and investigate if I'm in silence for too long :-)
Nicola - lol, yes, I talk too. I write in front of a large window, so when I add in gestures, the neighbours get worried :-)
Sandra - I bet it was amazing live.
John - thunderstorms are fantastic inspiration in their own right, aren't they?
Annalisa - thank you so much for joining me on my blog today! I found myself without easy internet connection for much of the day today - sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteHi Annalisa and Tyrean - good to see you both. If I could sing .. that'd help, if I was musical .. that'd be even better! Occasionally I'll work with music on - but mostly - just the quiet of life ... and now the sea pounding only yards away - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteJust stopped by to say hey. Hope your day is going well.
ReplyDeleteI can't write with music on - but I have found so much inspiration listening to music. Some of my published stories have The Decemberists and others to thank!
ReplyDeleteAhh yes I think to be able to sing would be great too! I like music, but not when I'm writing, for me I write best when it's quiet but I do understand that feeling of being taken out of yourself when you listen to a particular song or piece of music. Music is very good for stirring the emotions.
ReplyDeleteHilary - if I had the sea within hearing distance, I'd rarely listen to music :-)
ReplyDeleteSandra - hello ;-)
Linda - that's interesting, to still be inspired even though you can't write with the music playing.
Suzanne - if the house is too quiet, I start to hear footsteps and knocking sounds that shouldn't be there...
I love music, and I listen to it a lot. Never when I write. I don't know why, but I can't "leave" the same way when there's music and I like to leave when I write.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't do something, always a good idea to align yourself with those who can. ;) I really enjoy listening to music while I write too, but only if there are no lyrics! I tend to focus on lyrics and singing along instead of writing, or even thinking about writing.
ReplyDeleteYour description of a boring musical almost made me choke. Just know that. It was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteLee - That's interesting, because music helps me. The silence is sometimes too loud!
ReplyDeleteCaitlin - I don't listen to a lot of instrumental music, I wonder how that would alter my writing...
Libby - lol, oops!
Music mainly helps me when I'm trying to capture a certain mood while writing.
ReplyDeleteAnnalisa and Hilary -- The pounding of the sea against the shore takes precedence any day for me -- and the salt air and cry of the gulls overhead; but otherwise I write to music, often the same piece over and over, as you say, Annalisa. Normally, fast typist that I am, I prefer slow, classical music -- serves long periods of concentration. I could sit and listen to or watch Daniel Barenboim playing Beethoven piano sonatas for hours. He never bores me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing about writing to music. You caught my attention -- and sometimes I even include soundtracks with my blog posts.
And, ah, you Cornwall people -- or Cornish? -- Here in Delaware on the USA East Coast, I am presently in the midst of watching "Poldark," "Doc Martin," and recently watched "Jamaica Inn" -- Daphne du Maurier's book was better.