Writing Blog Number 2

20240716 Music And Writing

Music And Writing

There seems to be a lot of talk about music here on WdC. People posting clips, Jeff’s many and varied music-based activities (in fact, Jeff has made me forego my aversion to contests because his Musicology challenge is just way too tempting), people discussing music… it is there almost as much as writing.
         So, what is it about music that relates to writing?
         I am going to ignore the fact that song-writing is still a form of writing, and not an easy one (I have written a few, had one played on the radio, and I know how difficult it is to write lyrics and put tunes to them). This is how music and the writer interact.
         Disclaimer: I am not a psychologist, but this is one of the many topics I wrote about when I did my Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing, so I have done the research.
         I will also say that I like most musical styles. Not a fan of what modern artists call r&b (not the r&b of my youth!), nor disco, nor hip-hop/rap, but even in those genres there could be individual songs I like (or even artists). I am also a sucker for lyrics; a lousy piece of music can be saved by great lyrics; a great piece of instrumentation can be ruined by inane lyrics. But that is me, and might be the writer in me.
         So, why do writers gravitate towards music?
         Some – and I am one of these – use music as a background while writing. The psychological reasoning behind this is some people while working at something that requires concentration find their minds wandering; background noise, especially something with a definite rhythm like music (or rain), keeps that part of the mind not focused on writing doing something else (no, the whole mind does not focus on any one task; it comes from when we were hunter-gatherers and had to be aware of the sabre-toothed cat wanting to hunt-gather us). It can, interestingly enough, keep focus.
         I also use music for this – as a tempo tool. A recent example – I had a Discord virtual write-in on Saturday night. I was clocking in at around 50wpm for the entire hour (5 x 10 min sprints). This is because I had Dragonforce playing and was typing along to the speed of the music. I was so caught up in the story – a new one I have started – that in one hour I typed over 2000 words.
         Then there are stories based on songs. I have had 4 published in anthologies (two of them were dedicated to all stories based on songs), and even did one for an activity here at WdC ("A Sky Full Of Stars" ), plus my Musicology entries. In all, I have written over 50 of them. Sometimes songs just tell me a story, a different one to the lyrics.
         Another reason for listening to music is that it can calm. The soothing ability of music can be enough to relax some writers into a mental state where any blockages in the creative process can be overcome. This relaxation can also open and free the mind, allowing it to be more susceptible to new ideas, letting story ideas form while the brain is in a state of partial shut-down.
         Music can also help set a mood. I do know one horror writer who listens to heavy metal while writing because of the atmosphere it creates in his study. An old friend who used to write children’s books used 1960s pop – especially anodyne pop music like 1910 Fruitgum Co, The Archies, et al. – as her atmosphere. And I have found that one of the Discord writers uses classical music when writing science fiction or fantasy, and no music at all when writing horror. It is an “each his own” scenario, but there is something to be said for that mood creation.
         Some artists in general (not just writers) find that having a secondary art to the one they are most involved with broadens the way they look at their own art. Many song-writers are readers and/or writers (Nick Cave springs to mind). Some musicians, like David Bowie and Bob Dylan, are painters. Stephen King played guitar in a band. Salvador Dali was a film-maker as well. What this does is give an extra outlet to their creativity. Sometimes their chosen art doesn’t allow the expression of an idea; a secondary one can help. (For the record, I am a very amateur artist and very bad musician, but do indulge in both.) This secondary art means that ideas don’t just rot in the brain and create stress; they are released into the wild.
         Finally, the use of music in the background can simply bring joy or happiness to the writer. A feeling of elation can make a story come alive in the writer’s head. Sounds simple, but that is sometimes all that matters.
         Now, it has to be noted that not every writer has this need for a musical addition. Quite a number of writers do not like any background noise. Then again, some like rain; some like whale song; some like the sound of a crackling fire. But for many, it seems, music is a big thing.
         And I am one of them.