music to inspire creative writing

Writing Music: 100 Best Songs to Spark Your Creativity

I always listen to something when I write — music, podcasts, or YouTube videos.

I’ve explored various soundscapes, from the ambient noise of coffee shops to curated playlists, and I even created a rain sounds video on my YouTube channel, specifically designed to envelop writers in the comforting embrace of nature’s melodies.

From all of this research and testing, here is the best writing music for your every artistic mood.

The Power of Writing Music

Typewriter surrounded by colorful floating images of music -- Writing Music

Table of Contents

Why does music hold such power over our creative faculties?

From the rhythmic patter of rain to the soul-stirring swell of an orchestra, each note and nuance can usher us into a state of flow, where words pour out effortlessly. In this guide, I’ll share 100 songs that have been my allies in writing.

These aren’t just any songs; they are melodies that resonate with the rhythm of thought, emotion, and expression.

Each category below is a collection of tunes that have stood by me, helping weave narratives out of the silence.

Classical Calm

Classical music provides a serene backdrop for writers.

Its timeless melodies can transport you to a world of quiet contemplation, where creativity flows unimpeded.

Claude Debussy – Clair de Lune . The gentle ebbs and flows of this piece mimic the natural rhythm of thought, making it perfect for reflective writing sessions. Its ethereal quality can help ideas float freely in your mind.
Ludwig van Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata . This sonata’s deep melancholy provides a powerful backdrop for introspection and profound creativity. The emotional depth of the music can help unlock hidden layers in your writing.
Johann Sebastian Bach – Goldberg Variations . Bach’s variations offer a structured yet creative environment that can boost focus and inspiration. Each variation explores a different facet of the theme, much like exploring various angles in a story.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Eine kleine Nachtmusik . Mozart’s serenade is lively and uplifting, perfect for when you need a mood booster during long writing sessions. Its familiarity and charm can make the writing process feel more joyful.
Erik Satie – Gymnopédies . The slow pace and simplicity of the Gymnopédies provide a minimalist backdrop that can help clear your mind, making room for creativity and focus.
Antonio Vivaldi – The Four Seasons . Vivaldi’s concertos are vivid and full of life, each portraying a different season. This variety can inspire dynamic writing, offering a range of emotions to draw from.
Frédéric Chopin – Nocturnes . Chopin’s Nocturnes are soulful and expressive, ideal for writing that delves into deep emotions or complex character studies. Their lyrical quality can help smooth out the writing process.
Ludovico Einaudi – Nuvole Bianche . Einaudi’s contemporary classical piece is soothing and cinematic, perfect for writing scenes that require a touch of emotion or a sense of journey.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake . The dramatic and beautiful themes from Swan Lake can inspire grand narratives and add a touch of elegance to your writing environment.
Philip Glass – Glassworks . Glass’s minimalist compositions offer a repetitive and hypnotic backdrop, facilitating a deep focus that’s ideal for getting lost in the world of your writing.

Jazz Journeys

Jazz, with its blend of spontaneity and structure, can invigorate your writing process.

Its ability to convey emotion through improvisation makes it a dynamic companion for creative exploration.

Miles Davis – So What . The cool, laid-back vibes of this track encourage a relaxed writing pace, making it ideal for brainstorming sessions or fleshing out ideas.
John Coltrane – Giant Steps . Coltrane’s fast pace and complex chord changes can energize your writing, especially when working through challenging sections or looking for dynamic, rhythmic inspiration.
Dave Brubeck – Take Five . Its unusual time signature and catchy melody make “Take Five” a refreshing break from the ordinary, perfect for writers seeking a novel approach or a fresh perspective.
Charles Mingus – Goodbye Pork Pie Hat . This soulful, melancholic piece can provide a deep, emotional undercurrent for writing that explores complex themes or character emotions.
Duke Ellington – In a Sentimental Mood . The smooth, romantic tones of this classic can enhance writing scenes that require a touch of intimacy or reflection.
Bill Evans – Waltz for Debby . Evans’ lyrical piano playing offers a gentle, wistful backdrop, ideal for crafting detailed narratives or developing character backstories.
Thelonious Monk – Round Midnight . Monk’s intricate melodies and harmonies present a thoughtful, introspective mood, suitable for late-night writing sessions or when delving into more serious topics.
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong – Summertime . The warm, expressive vocals in this rendition of “Summertime” can add a sense of nostalgia and depth to your writing, perfect for setting a scene or developing atmosphere.
Herbie Hancock – Cantaloupe Island . With its funky groove and catchy riff, “Cantaloupe Island” introduces an upbeat, creative energy that can help spur innovative ideas.
Wynton Marsalis – Feeling of Jazz . Marsalis’ smooth and sophisticated track encapsulates the essence of jazz, providing a cool, composed backdrop for crafting narratives. It’s perfect for when you need to maintain a steady, focused approach to your writing, offering a balance between relaxation and concentration.

Ambient Atmospheres

Ambient music, with its emphasis on tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure, can be incredibly effective in creating a focused, meditative writing environment.

These tracks are designed to blend into the background, providing a calming, non-intrusive backdrop.

Brian Eno – Music for Airports . Eno’s pioneering ambient album is designed to induce calm and space for reflection, making it ideal for writing that requires deep concentration and a serene mindset.
Aphex Twin – Rhubarb . This track’s repetitive, soft melodies create a soothing environment that can help minimize distractions, allowing for a deeper immersion into your writing.
Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement Of The Decline . The slow-moving, drone-like soundscapes of this album are perfect for writers needing to maintain focus over long periods. It’s like a musical form of white noise, enhancing productivity without demanding attention.
Max Richter – On the Nature of Daylight . Richter’s piece combines strings and piano to evoke a sense of emotional depth and introspection, aiding in writing that explores complex emotions or character developments.
Ólafur Arnalds – re:member . Arnalds blends classical and electronic elements to create music that feels both timeless and modern, offering a backdrop that can inspire innovative thinking and new ideas.
Sigur Rós – Ágætis byrjun . The ethereal sound of Sigur Rós can transport you to otherworldly places, perfect for writing fantasy, sci-fi, or any work that ventures beyond the ordinary.
Nils Frahm – Says . Frahm’s minimalist electronic compositions offer a tranquil, yet emotionally charged environment for writing, especially effective for crafting narratives that require a delicate touch.
The Album Leaf – In a Safe Place . The blend of ambient electronics and live instruments creates a warm, inviting atmosphere that’s conducive to creative writing and brainstorming.
Carbon Based Lifeforms – Hydroponic Garden . This album’s ambient, downtempo tracks are great for setting a calm, yet subtly energized environment for writing, especially useful for generating ideas and fleshing out concepts.
Eluvium – Life Through Bombardment . The lush, cinematic soundscapes of Eluvium are ideal for writers looking to create a deeply immersive setting, providing a sonic world that mirrors the depth and complexity of their narratives.

If you’re looking for more a rain sounds aesthetic, here is a video I created for writers (like me and you):

Epic Soundtracks

Epic soundtracks from movies, TV shows, and video games are masterful at evoking emotions and creating expansive soundscapes that can dramatically elevate your writing sessions.

Writing music like these compositions often carry a narrative weight, making them perfect companions for writing your own stories.

Hans Zimmer – Time (Inception) . Zimmer’s powerful compositions are known for their ability to convey deep emotional resonance and epic scope, making “Time” a perfect piece for writing scenes that require a sense of grandeur or emotional depth.
Ramin Djawadi – Main Theme (Game of Thrones) . The iconic theme from “Game of Thrones” is imbued with a sense of adventure and intrigue, ideal for writing fantasy or any story that involves complex political machinations and epic battles.
John Williams – Hedwig’s Theme (Harry Potter) . The magical quality of “Hedwig’s Theme” can inspire wonder and whimsy, perfect for writing children’s literature, fantasy, or any work that aims to capture the imagination.
Howard Shore – The Fellowship Theme (The Lord of the Rings) . Shore’s sweeping score for “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy is rich with themes of heroism, adventure, and the struggle between good and evil, offering a lush backdrop for writing epic narratives.
Ennio Morricone – The Ecstasy of Gold (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) . Morricone’s compositions blend the majestic with the intimate, providing a dynamic range of emotions to draw from when writing stories that traverse a broad emotional spectrum.
Yoko Shimomura – Dearly Beloved (Kingdom Hearts) . This gentle, melancholic piece from the Kingdom Hearts series is great for writing sessions that delve into themes of friendship, loss, or the bittersweet nature of adventure.
Bear McCreary – Theme from Battlestar Galactica . McCreary’s work combines traditional orchestral elements with electronic sounds and ethnic instruments, creating a unique, compelling backdrop that’s especially fitting.
Michael Giacchino – Married Life (Up) . Giacchino’s touching composition for the movie “Up” captures a wide range of emotions in just a few minutes, from the joys of love to the pains of loss, making it a versatile background for writing deeply emotional or reflective pieces.
Nobuo Uematsu – To Zanarkand (Final Fantasy X) . Uematsu’s compositions have a unique ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing, perfect for writing that aims to explore complex emotions or intricate backstories.
Jeremy Soule – Skyrim (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim) . The epic and immersive score of Skyrim invites writers into a world of adventure and exploration, ideal for crafting narratives set in vast, open worlds full of potential stories and characters.

Lyrical Landscapes

Sometimes, the right lyrics can spark an idea or emotion that brings your writing to life.

These songs, spanning various genres, are chosen for their poetic lyrics and compelling storytelling, offering inspiration for your own narratives.

Bob Dylan – Tangled Up in Blue . Dylan’s storytelling prowess is unmatched, and this song’s intricate narrative and emotional depth can inspire similar richness and complexity in your writing.
Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah . Cohen’s lyrical genius in “Hallelujah” combines spiritual longing with human frailty, offering a profound backdrop for writing that explores deep themes of love, loss, and redemption.
Joni Mitchell – A Case of You . Mitchell’s vivid lyrics and emotive delivery in “A Case of You” paint a detailed picture of love and memory, providing a rich source of inspiration for character development and emotional narrative arcs.
The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby . The poignant storytelling and social commentary in “Eleanor Rigby” offer a great example of how to weave narrative and message into your writing, encouraging exploration of themes like loneliness and societal neglect.
Tracy Chapman – Fast Car . Chapman’s storytelling in “Fast Car” captures the essence of hope and despair, making it a powerful muse for writing about dreams, escape, and the realities of life.
Sufjan Stevens – Chicago . Stevens combines personal narrative with a sweeping scope in “Chicago,” inspiring writers to explore their own stories within larger themes and settings.
Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees . The melancholy and critique embedded in the lyrics of “Fake Plastic Trees” can inspire writing that delves into themes of authenticity, consumerism, and environmental concern.
Fleetwood Mac – Landslide . The introspective and contemplative nature of “Landslide,” combined with its beautiful melody, offers a soothing yet emotionally stirring background for writing about change, growth, and self-reflection.
David Bowie – Space Oddity . Bowie’s narrative of Major Tom’s journey into space provides a unique storytelling perspective, encouraging writers to explore themes of isolation, ambition, and the unknown.
Adele – Someone Like You . Adele’s powerful vocal delivery and the emotional depth of “Someone Like You” can inspire writing that seeks to capture the raw essence of heartbreak and the quest for closure.

Folk Reflections

Folk music offers a raw, authentic backdrop for writing that seeks to explore human experiences and emotions.

These songs are chosen for their ability to connect with listeners on a personal level.

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence . The haunting melodies and poignant lyrics of this classic folk song can inspire introspective writing, exploring themes of alienation, existential dread, and the search for meaning.
Nick Drake – Pink Moon . Drake’s delicate fingerpicking and soft, melancholic voice in “Pink Moon” create an intimate atmosphere, perfect for writing that focuses on personal journey and introspection.
Joan Baez – Diamonds and Rust . Baez’s reflective and bittersweet recounting of a past love offers a masterclass in narrative lyricism, inspiring writers to explore the depths of their own past relationships and the emotions they evoke.
Bob Marley – Redemption Song . This acoustic anthem of freedom and emancipation from Bob Marley can encourage writers to explore themes of liberation, resilience, and the human spirit’s unyielding desire for redemption.
Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi . Mitchell’s witty and critical take on environmental and social issues set against a catchy, upbeat melody can inspire writers to tackle contemporary issues with a blend of humor and seriousness.
Iron & Wine – Flightless Bird, American Mouth . The intricate lyrics and soft, acoustic melody create a dreamlike quality that’s ideal for writing that delves into themes of love, loss, and longing.
Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal . The harmonic vocals and the cyclical, narrative nature of the song provide a lush, wintry backdrop for writing, perfect for stories that weave together themes of memory, time, and change.
Bon Iver – Holocene . The ethereal sound and introspective lyrics of “Holocene” invite writers to explore their place in the world, reflecting on moments of personal significance and the beauty of the natural world.
The Lumineers – Ophelia . With its catchy melody and soulful lyrics, “Ophelia” is a vibrant source of inspiration for writing about love, wanderlust, and the pursuit of passion against the odds.
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova – Falling Slowly . This duet, with its beautiful blend of voices and emotional depth, can inspire writing that captures the essence of human connection, vulnerability, and the power of a shared moment.

Electronic Explorations

Electronic music, with its vast array of sounds and textures, offers an expansive landscape for creative exploration.

From ambient to techno, electronic writing music can stimulate a wide range of emotions and settings, making it a versatile companion for any writing session.

Daft Punk – Digital Love . This track’s upbeat tempo and nostalgic feel can inspire writing that explores themes of love, longing, and the joy of connection in the digital age.
Moby – Porcelain . The melancholic yet soothing tones of “Porcelain” offer a backdrop for writing that delves into introspection, solitude, and the complex layers of the human psyche.
Massive Attack – Teardrop . With its haunting vocals and trip-hop beats, “Teardrop” is perfect for crafting stories that explore the darker, more mysterious aspects of life and emotion.
Portishead – Roads . The somber mood and slow build of “Roads” create an atmospheric setting for writing that examines themes of despair, longing, and the search for redemption.
Boards of Canada – Roygbiv . The warm, analog sounds of Boards of Canada can inspire writing that captures nostalgia, childhood memories, and the subtle beauty of everyday moments.
Autechre – Nil . For writing that pushes boundaries or explores abstract concepts, the complex, textural soundscapes of Autechre offer a challenging yet rewarding backdrop.
Kraftwerk – Computer Love . Kraftwerk’s pioneering electronic sound, combined with themes of technology and emotion, can inspire writers to explore the intersection of human experience and the digital world.
Aphex Twin – Avril 14th . This gentle, piano-driven piece by Aphex Twin provides a serene and contemplative atmosphere, ideal for writing that seeks to capture moments of clarity, simplicity, and poignant beauty.
Tycho – Awake . Tycho’s blend of ambient melodies and upbeat rhythms offers an uplifting backdrop for writing, especially effective for crafting scenes that evoke a sense of hope, renewal, and forward movement.
The Chemical Brothers – Wide Open . With its dynamic build and emotive vocals, “Wide Open” is ideal for writing that explores transformation, the feeling of being on the cusp of change, or the exhilaration of discovering something new about oneself or the world.

Soulful Serenades

Soul music can bring a profound depth of feeling to your writing.

The soul genre is rich with themes of love, pain, joy, and resilience, making it a perfect writing music muse for stories that aim to touch the heart and stir the spirit.

Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer . Franklin’s powerful rendition of this classic provides a vibrant backdrop for writing that explores themes of hope, devotion, and the strength found in love.
Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay . The laid-back, reflective nature of this song is perfect for writing that captures moments of contemplation, the beauty of stillness, and the bittersweetness of reminiscing.
Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come . Cooke’s anthem of hope and resilience can inspire writing that tackles social issues, personal growth, and the universal longing for freedom and equality.
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On . With its poignant social commentary and smooth, soulful melody, “What’s Going On” is a powerful muse for writing that seeks to explore and question the complexities of the modern world.
Bill Withers – Lean on Me . The message of support and unity in “Lean on Me” can inspire narratives that delve into the power of community, friendship, and the human capacity for compassion.
Al Green – Let’s Stay Together . Green’s smooth, romantic vocals can inspire writing that explores the nuances of love, commitment, and the joy found in shared moments.
Etta James – At Last . James’ soul-stirring vocals and the timeless quality of “At Last” make it an ideal backdrop for writing that captures the essence of finding love or fulfillment after a long journey.
Stevie Wonder – Superstition . The funky, upbeat sound of “Superstition” can inspire writing that’s infused with energy, explores themes of fate and belief, or simply needs a rhythmic, lively atmosphere.
Ray Charles – Georgia on My Mind . Charles’ heartfelt tribute to Georgia can inspire writing that explores themes of home, longing, and the deep emotional connections we have to places and memories.
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black . Winehouse’s emotional depth and retro soul style can inspire writing that delves into themes of love, loss, and the complexities of the human experience.

Reggae Rhythms

Reggae music, with its laid-back beats and positive vibes, provides a unique atmosphere that can significantly enhance the writing process.

Its rhythmic patterns and distinctive sound not only offer a refreshing break from the silence but also infuse your writing session with a sense of relaxation and creative flow.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – No Woman, No Cry . Bob Marley’s soothing voice and the song’s comforting rhythm make it a perfect choice for writing sessions that require warmth and empathy. Its message of hope and resilience can inspire narratives that resonate deeply with readers.
Peter Tosh – Legalize It . Tosh’s anthem for marijuana legalization is not only a call for social change but also a song that can inspire writers to explore themes of activism, freedom, and the fight against oppression in their work.
Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come . This track’s message of perseverance in the face of adversity offers a motivational backdrop for writing, especially for stories that feature characters overcoming challenges or fighting for their dreams.
Toots and the Maytals – Pressure Drop . The upbeat tempo and hopeful lyrics of “Pressure Drop” provide an excellent environment for writing music that encourages a sense of impending change or catharsis within narrative arcs.
Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse . Isaacs’ smooth voice and the song’s relaxed groove offer a soothing background for writing sessions, particularly when crafting scenes that require a tender touch or a healing moment.
Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey . The powerful and inspiring lyrics dedicated to the Jamaican national hero, Marcus Garvey, encourage writers to delve into historical narratives, explore themes of leadership, and the impact of influential figures in society.
Steel Pulse – Handsworth Revolution . With its roots in the Handsworth riots, this song can inspire writers to tackle complex social issues, reflecting on the causes and effects of civil unrest and the community’s resilience.
Black Uhuru – Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner . This track’s reggae beat and engaging storytelling elements make it a compelling choice for writing music that explores themes of unexpected encounters, societal norms, and breaking barriers.
Alpha Blondy – Jerusalem . The song’s plea for peace and unity in Jerusalem can inspire writing that explores themes of conflict, hope, and the quest for harmony in a divided world.
UB40 – Red Red Wine . UB40’s version of this classic song brings a light, enjoyable atmosphere to the writing session, perfect for when you need to loosen up and let the words flow with ease.

Blues Beats

Blues music offers a powerful source of inspiration for writers.

Characterized by its melancholic melodies and often reflective lyrics, this type of writing music can help unlock deep emotions and foster an environment ripe for creative storytelling.

This genre’s expressive power lies in its ability to convey the complexities of the human condition.

B.B. King – The Thrill Is Gone . King’s iconic guitar licks and soulful vocals on “The Thrill Is Gone” provide a poignant backdrop for writing about loss, heartbreak, and the journey to recovery. Its bluesy essence captures the bittersweet nature of moving on.
Muddy Waters – Mannish Boy . The deep, gritty voice of Muddy Waters combined with the song’s powerful riff offers inspiration for writing strong, defiant characters or narratives that embody the spirit of resilience and rebirth.
Etta James – I’d Rather Go Blind . The emotional intensity of “I’d Rather Go Blind” can inspire writers to explore the depths of love, betrayal, and the complexities of human relationships, making it perfect writing music for scenes charged with emotional turmoil.
John Lee Hooker – Boom Boom . Hooker’s foot-tapping rhythm and bluesy vibe in “Boom Boom” provide a lively atmosphere that can energize writing sessions, perfect for crafting scenes with dynamic, compelling action or dialogue.
Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightnin’ . The haunting harmonica and raw vocal power of “Smokestack Lightnin'” create an atmospheric setting for writing, especially suitable for stories that delve into darker themes or explore the human psyche.
Robert Johnson – Cross Road Blues . Johnson’s tale of desperation and deal-making at the crossroads offers fertile ground for writing music that inspires stories of choices, consequences, and the eternal search for redemption.
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood . The virtuosic guitar work and emotional delivery of “Texas Flood” are ideal for writing music that evokes a sense of longing, intensity, and the raw edge of passion.
Buddy Guy – Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues . With its expressive guitar solos and heartfelt lyrics, “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues” can encourage writers to tap into their own emotions, exploring themes of despair, endurance, and the catharsis of expressing one’s truth.
Janis Joplin – Me and Bobby McGee . Joplin’s raspy voice and the song’s narrative of freedom and loss make it a compelling choice for writing music that explores themes of adventure, companionship, and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love.
Gary Clark Jr. – Bright Lights . The modern blues sound of “Bright Lights,” with its gritty lyrics about city life, can inspire writers to explore contemporary themes, setting their narratives against the backdrop of urban landscapes and the dreams and struggles found within.

Best AI Song Generators for Writing Music

Believe it or not, you can actually now generate your own writing music to your exact specifications.

You can use this to inspire your writing or create a cool soundtrack for your stories.

Try these generators:

Suno – This is my current favorite!

Final Thoughts: Best Writing Music

Now you have a writing playlist for every mood.

For even more inspiration for your writing, check out some of our other great guides below.

The Best Music for Writing: 26 Playlists for Inspiration & Focus

February 21, 2024
12 min read

Why music helps you write, 26 best music playlists to listen to while you write, writing music for every mood: english lyrics, 1. morning rhythms, 2. shoegaze classics, 3. have a great day, 4. chill + atmospheric, 5. melantronic, writing music in a foreign language, 6. french indie pop, 7. japanese city pop, 8. soweto beat/township jive, 9. bhangra bangers, 10. spanish tapas bar, 11. korean indie/chill/r&b, musical choices without lyrics:, 12. japanese lofi hiphop, 13. classical music for reading, 14. minimalism, 15. instrumental pop covers, 16. composer weekly: ryuichi sakamoto, 17. relaxing spanish guitar, 18. ludovico einaudi complete playlist, instrumental scores from games and movies, 19. soundtracks for studying, 20. minecraft soundtrack, 21. studio ghibli summer night piano collection with nature sounds, electronic music, 22. brain food, 23. yoga electronica.

24. Mother Earth's Plantasia

25. Women of Electronic

26. coding concentration by spotify, finding your optimal sound, experiment with different genres, create playlists based on projects, ambient noise vs. music, potential downsides of music, it can be distracting for some:, lyrics can be distracting:, changing songs interrupts flow:, other auditory background.

Music can be a writer’s best friend or their worst enemy. The right tunes keep you focused and motivated as the words flow effortlessly onto the page. But choose the wrong playlist, and you might find yourself tapping your feet instead of typing away.

That’s why finding the optimal soundscape for your writing sessions is important. With the perfect mix of songs, you can transport yourself into a flow state, cranking out page after page on even the toughest assignments. The wrong sounds, however, can shatter your concentration or sap your creativity.

This guide will explore the best music for writing across genres and contexts. You’ll discover upbeat tracks to energize your efforts, ambient mixes to enhance your focus, and playlists tailored specifically for creative writing. Read on to find your perfect background audio, guaranteed to inspire great work.

Music can be a powerful ally in writing and enhancing creativity. The right tunes can help improve focus and block out distractions. They can put you in the optimal mindset for flow and imagination.

When seeking inspiration strikes, music has an incredible ability to spark creative thinking and new ideas. Many writers can attest that a familiar playlist can trigger your muse, unlock writer’s block, or help words and thoughts flow freely.

The noise-blocking and distraction-minimizing effects of music can also give a useful boost to concentration. Getting in the zone for writing becomes easier when music cuts down external sounds and chatter. The predictability of rhythms and melodies helpfully directs mental focus.

Music also has a profound impact on mood and mindset. Choosing playlists that evoke energy, positivity, or relaxation sets the stage for productive writing sessions. Upbeat tracks promote motivation, while calmer songs lower stress. Getting in the right headspace with a tailored soundtrack helps writing come easier.

Here is our expertly crafted selection of 26 writing music playlists and songs. These playlists are especially favored by the wordsmiths at Ghost Writing Founder , who understand the power of the perfect backdrop to writing sessions.

Whether you’re seeking inspiration to kickstart your writing journey , here are some collections of writing music playlists that you can listen to.

Begin your day with a gentle nudge into the writing flow. This playlist offers an eclectic mix, from funk to soul to jazz, designed to uplift your spirits without fading into the background.

Originally dubbed “dream pop” upon its emergence in the UK during the 1980s, shoegaze music features ethereal vocals, distorted guitars, and a distinctive aura of distortion. It’s a brooding yet oddly uplifting genre, perfect for those reflective writing sessions.

As the title suggests, this playlist brims with cheerful melodies guaranteed to brighten your mood. Featuring tracks from Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Steely Dan, Blondie, and Stevie Wonder, it’s a surefire way to inject some energy into your writing routine.

This playlist is tailor-made if melancholy melodies and rainy-day ambiance resonate with your creative spirit. Immerse yourself in haunting tunes that evoke a sense of introspection and calm.

Described by Spotify as “beautiful electronic music for melancholy moments,” this playlist strikes a delicate balance between sadness and rhythm. Expect soul-stirring tracks from artists like Thom Yorke, Caribou, and Aphex Twin, perfect for those reflective writing sessions.

Professional book writing service providers sometimes like to write music while listening to some good foreign language music. The tunes offer intrigue, keeping one motivated without the distraction of lyrics.

Below are writing music playlists liked by the team from around the world:

This writing music playlist embodies dreamy, mellow French indie pop. It leans heavily on electronic music and vibrant beats, evoking a “low-key Paris” vibe rather than the frenzy of club-hopping.

During the late 1970s and 1980s, Japan embraced “City Pop,” influenced by Western music. With jazz, soft rock, and funk elements, it’s reminiscent of yacht rock—a perfect choice for those seeking peppy tunes.

Soweto, a vibrant township in South Africa, resonates with musical energy. This playlist highlights mbaqanga music, a rhythmic style with deep Zulu roots originating in the early 1960s. Its upbeat tempo ignites energetic bursts of writing.

For enthusiasts of upbeat music, Bhangra is the epitome of delight. Originating in the British Punjabi community, it blends traditional Indian folk melodies with hip-hop influences and infectious percussion.

This playlist promises a surge of vitality, featuring traditional flamenco and Spanish folk tunes with a quick tempo. It infuses the writing space with vitality, ideal for those seeking energy.

Hop on a 54-hour musical odyssey through Korean R&B, pop, ballads, and lo-fi melodies. This extensive mix offers a spectrum of emotions, from uplifting anthems to soulful ballads, perfect for any writing journey.

Explore these eclectic playlists and let the global melodies inspire your creativity.

For those who find lyrics distracting, there are many musical choices to maintain focus. Consider classical pieces, hip-hop beats, instrumental renditions of favorite songs, and contemporary composers to enhance productivity.

This playlist, a personal favorite for writing sessions, offers lyric-less, Asian-inspired hip-hop beats. It balances chill vibes and upbeat rhythms as the backdrop for about 50% of writing sessions.

A 2.5-hour compilation featuring selections from Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, and other classical masters. If it’s suitable for reading, it’s also conducive to writing.

Minimalist compositions, characterized by repetitive patterns or steady drones, are ideal for fostering concentration. This mix showcases works by iconic minimalist composers like Philip Glass, Michael Nyman, and John Adams.

Perfect for top-40 radio and pop classics fans who seek to maintain focus. From basic guitar covers to full orchestral renditions, it offers a variety of instrumental interpretations.

Explore the instrumental music of Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, renowned for his movie soundtracks and piano compositions. This playlist offers a 30-track introduction to his sparse, dark, and contemplative works.

Experience the expressive power of the Spanish guitar, characterized by its rich emotion, quick riffs, and rhythmic cadence. Let its zest infuse your typing sessions.

You can also listen to the solo releases of Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi, renowned for his film and television scores. Explore his diverse works, including the seven-part “Seven Days Walking” series.

For those seeking instrumental scores from games and movies, the world of music offers a range of options to enhance focus and productivity.

From Downton Abbey’s grandeur to Braveheart’s adventure, this playlist encompasses a wide range of movie soundtracks, including Ratatouille and Sherlock. Despite the diverse cinematic themes, the music strikes a harmonious balance between epic and subdued, providing an ideal ambiance for concentration.

Renowned as the bestselling video game of all time, Minecraft captivates players with its enchanting music. The soundtrack exudes an understated yet uplifting vibe, subtly infusing happiness and motivation into your writing space.

Hop into the serene world of Studio Ghibli with this 7-hour YouTube collection featuring gentle piano performances intertwined with soothing nature sounds like chirping crickets. Indulge in soft and tranquil melodies to create a serene writing atmosphere.

When you enter the world of electronic music, you’ll find all sorts of styles, from electronica to house, techno to drum and bass, each with its own feel. While some folks love jamming to rave tunes, others prefer playlists that are lively but not too wild. Here are a few tracks to boost your writing sessions:

Engross yourself in subtle, hypnotic electronic melodies to enhance focus and relaxation. With no distracting lyrics, this playlist is ideal for those easily pulled away from their creative flow.

Featuring downtempo and deep house tracks, this playlist provides the perfect energy balance without inducing a desire to dance. Its repetitive beats offer a steady rhythm to anchor your writing endeavors.

24. Mother Earth’s Plantasia

A cult classic electronic album by Mort Garson, “Plantasia” was initially released in 1976, resurfacing to wider acclaim in 2019. Crafted as “warm Earth music” to aid plant growth, its sweet, hopeful, and spacey tunes, infused with Moog synthesizers, evoke a sense of fantasy and wonder.

Highlighting innovative women in electronic writing music, this playlist offers diverse styles and voices. From Yaeji’s quiet, mellow vocals over house beats to Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s intricate synthesizer compositions and Charlotte De Witte’s dark and stripped-back techno, each artist brings a unique perspective to the electronic landscape.

This playlist offers more than 100 instrumental tracks that are ideal for keeping you concentrated on your tasks. With genres ranging from classical melodies to electronic rhythms, there’s a diverse selection to help you stay in the zone.

Everyone has different preferences regarding finding the right auditory backdrop for writing, especially when embarking on becoming a novelist . Here are some tips for discovering your optimal sound:

Try out various musical genres to see which ones work best for you. Some writers do their best work with classical or instrumental music playing in the background.

Others find upbeat pop, rock, or dance music more motivating. Don’t limit yourself to one genre—explore various types of writing music to find which styles get your creative juices flowing.

You may want to make different playlists depending on the type of writing project you’re working on. For academic or technical writing, mellow acoustic or classical music may help you focus without distraction.

For creative writing like poetry or fiction, instrumental movie soundtracks or ambient electronica could help spark ideas. Tailor your playlists to fit the tone and nature of your writing.

You don’t necessarily need a musical soundtrack to write. For some, ambient background noise like the hum of a coffee shop, rainstorm sounds, or crackling fireplace audio can provide a soothing atmosphere without pulling focus like lyrical music might. Experiment with different natural noise soundscapes to see if they help your writing productivity more than music.

The key is trying out different auditory backdrops to discover what puts you in the optimal headspace for writing without distracting you from the task. Be open to finding new music, sounds, or playlists that boost your creativity and focus. With experimentation, you’ll find the right sonic environment tailored specifically to your writing needs.

While writing music can be a great tool for enhancing focus and creativity while writing, it has some potential downsides to be aware of.

Individual responsiveness to music is highly personal. For every writer who thrives with a harmonious background, there’s another who may find it overstimulating. Just as some writers deepen their skills by read classic books in silence, you might discover that a quiet environment helps you concentrate better. It’s crucial to experiment and determine if music is a helpful tool or a hindrance to your process.

Songs with lyrics, especially in a language you understand, can pull your focus towards listening to the words instead of writing your own. Instrumental music is often a better choice for writing sessions.

Having new songs constantly start-up can disrupt your concentration and pull you out of the writing flow state. Consider playlists that blend songs without gaps or extended mixes that play for 30-60 minutes without interruptions.

Nature sounds, and white noise has also become popular options for writers seeking ambient background audio. The sounds of birds chirping, rain falling, or waves crashing can promote relaxation while blocking distracting noises.

Many people also enjoy the background chatter and clatter of a coffee shop or cafe. The indistinct voices and sounds of espresso machines and dishes create a soothing backdrop, emulating the buzz of creativity and productivity. Cafe ambiance playlists aim to mimic this energetic yet unintrusive environment.

Binaural beats are a more unconventional option. Each ear’s tracks play slightly different frequencies to encourage specific mental states.

For example, beta-wave binaural beats from 14-30 Hz may boost energy and focus, while theta waves from 4-8 Hz induce calmness and creativity. However, research on binaural beats’ effects remains limited.

Any repetitious, low-key background noise could pave the way for engaging writing sessions. We see this in practice daily at our Seo blog writing agency , where various sounds accompany our writers on their creative journeys. Experiment to determine which auditory environments optimize your concentration and inspiration. Let your productivity and preferences guide you towards your ideal soundscape.

It’s worth experimenting to find your optimal soundscapes to write to. Remember that lyrics can sometimes be distracting, and pay attention to how your productivity is affected. While music works for many, reduce the volume or avoid it if it seems counterproductive.

Listening to music while writing can greatly boost creativity, focus, and productivity for many people. Throughout this article, we’ve explored different genres and playlists that can inspire focused writing sessions and soothe nerves or spark new ideas. With this guide and multiple playlist options, we hope you can now increase your productivity while crafting a book .

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Table of Contents

Mood Music with English Lyrics

Music in a foreign language, music without lyrics.

Game & Movie Scores without Lyrics

Electronic Music

Ambient noise, the best music for writing: 32 playlists for inspiration & focus.

Music can set the tone when you’re writing a book . Or, it can help you avoid writer’s block by motivating you through the hard, boring work of sitting in your chair.

But it has to be the right music for you (and your book).

Some people can write to anything. Heavy metal, construction noises, or catchy pop tunes, nothing derails their focus.

I am not one of those. I need the music to match my mood or the mood I’m writing in. How am I supposed to write about the most challenging moments in my life while upbeat kids’ music is pounding in my headphones?

Some people can only write to music if there are no lyrics or if it’s in a foreign language they can’t understand. There’s no right answer for the “best” or “perfect” playlist. It’s just whatever works best for you.

You need something that will motivate you to write quickly and write well so you can get your published book into the world.

It may take some trial-and-error to figure it out. But here’s a list of options that have worked for me and other members of the Scribe Crew . I’ve broken our top recommendations down into categories, so you can try them out yourself.

32 Best Music Playlists & Songs to Listen to While You Write

Whether you need to psych yourself up to write or just want to match the tone of your book, here are some of our favorite options for a range of moods.

1. Morning Rhythm

This is upbeat but gentle music to ease you into the writing groove. There’s a little bit of everything here, from funk to soul to jazz.

Every song has a beat, so this list will motivate you without fading into the background.

2. Shoegaze Classics

Shoegaze was initially called “dream pop” when it emerged in the UK in the 1980s. It features ethereal, shimmery vocals, distorted guitars, and a lot of distortion.

Shoegaze is brooding music that somehow manages to be upbeat and depressing at the same time.

3. Have a Great Day!

You can probably guess from the name—this list is full of happy songs to brighten your day.

You’ll find tracks from Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Steely Dan, Blondie, and Stevie Wonder.

If you’re stuck, it might help to get a dose of energy with familiar, fun music.

4. Chill + Atmospheric

Do you prefer melancholy music?

Do you like songs with haunting melodies?

Do you like the idea of writing on a rainy day?

If the answer to any of those questions is yes, give this playlist a shot.

5. Melantronic

Spotify describes this playlist as “beautiful electronic music for melancholy moments.”

There’s definitely some sadness here. But don’t expect a playlist that’s going to kill your spirit. These songs have solid beats.

Think Thom Yorke, Caribou, and Aphex Twin.

I’ve found that sometimes I like to write to music in a foreign language. The music is interesting enough to keep me motivated, but I don’t get distracted by the lyrics.

Here are some playlists we liked from around the world.

6. French Indie Pop

This playlist is full of dreamy, mellow French indie pop.

It’s heavy on electronic music and sparkly beats. Think more “low-key Paris” vibe than club-hopping.

7. Japanese City Pop

In the late 1970s and 1980s, the term “City Pop” described a type of music popular in Japan.

City pop borrowed heavily from Western music and had elements of jazz, soft rock, and funk.

If you like yacht rock or need some peppy music, give city pop a try.

8. Soweto Beat/Township Jive

Soweto is a township in South Africa that’s well known for music.

This playlist features mbaqanga music, a style of South African music with Zulu roots that originated in the early 1960s.

It’s upbeat and rhythmic, so it’s great for energetic bursts of writing.

9. Bhangra Bangers

If you like upbeat music that makes you nod your head, this is it.

Bhangra originated in the British Punjabi community during the late 20th century.

It’s got a little bit of traditional Indian folk music, a little bit of hip hop, and a lot of percussion.

10. Spanish Tapas Bar

Only listen to this if you’re looking for a jolt of energy.

This playlist features traditional flamenco and Spanish folk tunes with a quick tempo.

11. Korean Indie/Chill/R&B

This is the longest mix of Korean RnB, pop, ballads, and lo-fi songs on Spotify.

Clocking in at 54 hours, there’s a little bit of everything, from uplifting to downtempo.

If you get easily distracted by lyrics, you still have plenty of musical options.

Classical music, hip hop beats, instrumental versions of your favorite songs, and modern composers can help you find your focus.

12. Japanese Lofi HipHop

This is one of my favorite writing playlists. It’s a collection of lyric-less, Asian-inspired hip hop beats. It’s chill, but upbeat enough that it won’t put you to sleep. I write to this about 50% of the time.

13. Classical Music for Reading

If it’s good for reading, chances are it’s good for writing.

This 2.5-hour playlist features a sampling of pieces from Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, and other famous classical composers.

14. Minimalism

Minimalist compositions are perfect for writing.

They usually have repetitive patterns or pulses or steady drones. They’re easy to get sucked into (without giving them too much attention).

This mix features some of the most iconic minimalist composers: Philip Glass, Michael Nyman, and John Adams.

15. Instrumental Pop Covers

Try this if you like top-40 radio and pop classics but don’t want to lose your focus.

It’s got everything from basic guitar covers to full orchestral versions of songs you probably already know.

16. Composer Weekly: Ryuichi Sakamoto

Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto has played many different styles of music over the course of his career.

Lately, he’s been recognized for his movie soundtracks and piano compositions.

This playlist is a 30-track introduction to his instrumental music. It’s sparse, dark, and contemplative.

17. Relaxing Spanish Guitar

Don’t underestimate the power of Spanish guitar.

It’s full of emotion, quick riffs, and rhythm. It may put some zest in your typing.

18. Ludovico Einaudi Complete Playlist

Ludovico Einaudi is an Italian pianist and composer.

He’s well known for his film and television scores, but this playlist features his solo releases, including a seven-part series called Seven Days Walking , which he released last year.

Game & Movie Scores without Lyrics

Some of the best composers in the world write for movies and video games.

Unless you’re using a specific movie or game to purposely set a mood, I recommend choosing one you’re not very familiar with. That way, the music won’t distract you.

19. DirecTV’s Movie Score Channel (Channel 822)

If you have DirectTV, make the most of your TV’s speakers and tune into the DirectTV Movie Score Channel.

Their non-stop instrumental music is the perfect soundtrack for writing your book.

20. Soundtracks for Studying

This playlist covers everything from Downton Abbey and Braveheart to Ratatouille and Sherlock .

Movie-wise, that’s a big range. But musically, all these songs strike the perfect balance between epic and lowkey so you can focus.

21. Minecraft Soundtrack

Minecraft is the bestselling video game of all time.

There are many reasons people love it, but 1 big reason is the music. It’s the kind of music that makes you feel happy without even realizing it.

It’s “barely there” but still optimistic and motivational.

22. Studio Ghibli Summer Night Piano Collection with Nature Sounds

Studio Ghibli is a famous Japanese animation studio. This 7-hour Youtube collection features piano performances of some of their gentlest music, overlaid with cricket noises.

If you’re looking for something soft and soothing, this is it.

There are many styles of electronic music: electronica, house, techno, drum and bass, jungle, garage, trance, IDM, etc.

If you’re already a fan of electronic music, you might have a favorite type.

While some people can write to rave tunes, most can’t. So, I’ve added some energetic playlists that aren’t too dancy or aggressive.

23. Brain Food

This is subtle, hypnotic electronic music that promotes focus or relaxation.

There aren’t any lyrics, which makes this a good option for people who are easily distracted.

24. Yoga Electronica

This playlist features downtempo deep house. That means it’s a perfect dose of energy without making you want to get up and dance.

You can latch onto the beats, but it’s repetitive enough to help you stay in the writing zone.

25. Mother Earth’s Plantasia

This is a cult classic electronic album by Mort Garson. It was first released to a limited audience in 1976, but it gained wider circulation when it was re-released in 2019.

The album features “warm Earth music” designed to help plants grow. It’s sweet, hopeful, and spacey.

If you like Moog synthesizers and fantasy, you’ll love Plantasia .

26. Women of Electronic

This list features women who make innovative electronic music. Most of the tracks have lyrics.

This playlist offers a wide range of styles. For example, Yaeji is a Korean-American artist who sings over house beats in a quiet, mellow voice.

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith uses synthesizers to create layered, elaborate songs.

And Charlotte De Witte is a Belgian DJ known for her “dark and stripped-back” techno.

When we asked the Scribe Crew for playlist recommendations, this was by far the category that got the most responses.

Ambient noise is a great option if you hate working in total quiet but also get easily distracted by music.

It’s also a helpful workaround if you like working in coffee shops or coworking spaces but can’t right now because of the pandemic.

Ambient sounds can give you the impression that you’re out of the house even if you’re still sitting at your desk.

27. My Noise

This is, hands down, the coolest ambient noise and white noise generator.

It’s run by an engineer and sound designer who collects recordings from around the world.

It has everything from Tibetan bells and waterfalls to street recordings and gardens.

28. Coffitivity

Many writers love to write in coffee shops, but you may not have that option if you have a l imited time frame (or if you’re still under COVID lockdown).

Streaming background noise on Coffitivity can give you the feeling that you’re in a coffee shop even when you aren’t.

You can also choose between different levels of activity. For example, “Morning Murmur” is less hectic than “Lunchtime Lounge.”

29. Rain Sounds

I LOVE the Spotify playlist that features rain sounds. I like to curl up on a rainy day and just chill, and the rain sounds create that mood. It’s a gentle and soothing way I use to get into writing, and it helps keep me in my flow state once I get there.

30. 8 Hours of Ocean Sounds

These calming wave sounds were recorded at Playa de Piticabo in the Dominican Republic.

With 8 hours of recordings, you could literally listen to them all day if you want some soothing background noise while you write.

31. OM Chanting @ 417 Hz

These Om chants are repetitive and positive. They can help you tune out the outside world and get into a meditative pattern.

32. Binaural Beats: Focus

When you hear a slightly different tone in each ear, it creates a binaural beat. Your brain falls into sync with the difference between the tones’ frequencies and creates an auditory illusion.

Binaural beats can lower stress, promote creativity, and encourage relaxation. This playlist is designed to enhance your focus.

The Scribe Crew

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Music for Creative Writing: 9 Songs That Inspire Me As a Writer

It's Tuesday evening, and you just sat down with a pen and paper to unearth the setting scene of your newest story. You finished your calculus homework, wolfed down the black beans and rice that your mom cooked for dinner, and even chatted with your friend on the phone for a while. Now, everybody’s gone to bed, most of the lights are off, and the night moths are creeping out of the corners of your world. The moon is out, and it’s time to write. You put your headphones on, too, but what do you play?

If you’re a writer like me, chances are you’re an intense music lover too. So, finding music for creative writing is a challenging feat when your focus is easily diverted by the passion you feel for the songs you’re listening to. That’s why it’s key to turn on a playlist that doesn’t distract you from your piece, while still elevating the rhythm, drama, and autonomy of that story.

Music is the fire of my writing – if the song is right, every note unlocks a plethora of dimensions that push from the underground to deepen my characters, plot, and setting. And every time I find a song like that, I collect it in a special playlist like a treasure. So, while a part of me wants to gatekeep them from you, here is a list of my favorite songs for writing – handpicked, homemade, and curated with the love of a fellow writer. Listen to the full playlist here .

Resting (Tyler, the Creator)

We all know Tyler, the Creator for his extraordinary rap verses and timeless productions, but did you know that this crowd-favorite rapper composed an underground album for a Louis Vutton runway known as The Sunseeker ? Second-to-last in the collection, this romantic song takes me to a dream where colors dance together, where moons talk with moons in a disheveled sky, and where the drama of memory still rides the tide of the extreme.

Weight Off (KAYTRANADA)

Geometric, mystical, and ambitious, I first heard this song as a teen writer myself, but never wrapped my head arou nd its value as music for creative writing u ntil recently. Its repetitive, unwavering nature provides a force of reason and rationale in the irrational dialogue you have with yourself while trying to put together a scene for your story. This beautiful song fills the gap of logic in the otherwise emotional project of writing.

Other Side of the Game (Erykah Badu)

She’s the voice of R&B, so if this is your genre, then Erykah Badu likely made it to your Spotify Wrapped. Yes, this song has lyrics, but her words are but another instrument alongside the base, percussion, and saxophone. “Other Side of the Game” is a human song, and I often find it helpful to listen to when trying to evoke an secretive, personal setting.

El Soñador Está Cansado (Roberto Fonseca)

This one, you don’t know, but it’s one of my favorites. As the daughter of a Cuban woman infatuated with the jazz of our island, “El Soñador Está Cansado” (“The Dreamer’s Tired”) returns me to the swaying swing on the red flamboyán tree looming over my childhood house, the daily visits to our blue ocean neighbor, the taste of a salty fried plantain dipped in soupy black beans and rice. Maybe this one’s very personal to me, but I think you’ll like it, too.

Montego Bay Spleen (Saint Germain)

A song of experimentation, “Montego Bay Spleen” plays with sound like there’s no tomorrow. From technology to love to the watchful eye of society, this song evokes a versatility of themes in its message from note to note, while still blending in with the air of thought. This is the song I put on when trying to escape the habit of writing what I know, and diving into a scene that goes beyond my own memories.

Perfidia (Café Tacvba)

“Perfidia” is the stab of drama to this playlist of music for creative writing. T old with but a few instruments, this is a story of heartbreak, obsession, and deceit, a story unfamiliar to few but easily told wrong. This song drove many of the pieces that I wrote about Havana after moving away mid-pandemic: the nostalgia for the scent of fresh mango, seaweed, or gasoline, for my friends that I never finished saying goodbye to, for the scorching 20-minute walks to school along Quinta Avenida. “Perfidia” can be your heartbreak song, too.

Candy (Lifafa, Hatchback Hashish)

I fell in love with this one instantly, because “Candy” isn’t the song of drama – it’s the song of simplicity, of the universe just as it is gifted to us. This powerful tune by secretive artist Lifafa reminds me to always describe the effortless things in my stories – the razor-edge taste on her coffee, the angle of the emperor scorpion’s poisonous tail, the way in which her voice rode the telephone line as she said goodbye just like any day. “Candy” is the soundtrack of the magical real.

Last Tango in Paris (Gotan Project)

Back to drama – the title here says it all. To me, “Last Tango in Paris” evokes instability and unwanted change, just as you would feel dancing the tango one last time with someone you love before parting ways forever. The melodramatic build-up in this modern piece of tango music tells you that this is the song you put on when you’re trying to write a climactic moment in your piece.

For My Ladies (Yussef Dayes)

One of my favorite contemporary jazz pieces, this is a song of time and its cycles. “For My Ladies” builds softly from its subtle origin to its peak, where time can’t tell itself apart and trips over its own feet in forward movement. Doesn’t growth feel that way, too? For a story that plays with time, “For My Ladies” is your song.

About the author:

Tula Jiménez Singer, Write the World intern, is a Cuban-American writer and third-year student at Northeastern University. You can read her work on The Green Blotter, The Teen Magazine, The Weight Journal, Indigo Literary Journal, and Coelacanth 2022 , among others. In addition to writing and her work with Write the World, she has been an intern at GrubStreet and The Boston Globe, and also works as the Social Media Manager of Spectrum Literary Arts Magazine, the Events Coordinator of Artistry Magazine, and a writer for Woof Magazine. Her pieces are a slice of her life — filled with jazz, oceans, identity crises, and chocolate. She writes because she cannot let it go.

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Nine Teaching Ideas for Using Music to Inspire Student Writing

By Natalie Proulx

May 10, 2018

Some of the greatest written works of our time have been inspired by music. Walt Whitman conceived of and wrote “Leaves of Grass” while listening to opera . Alice Walker, Langston Hughes, Ntozake Shange and Ralph Ellison were all moved by spirituals, jazz and blues . And Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rap musical “Hamilton” was born of his love of hip-hop . These writers understood what many educational researchers know — that music opens up pathways to creative thinking, sharpens our ability to listen and helps us weave together disparate ideas .

In this teaching resource, we suggest nine exercises to use music to inspire student writing — from creating annotated playlists and critical reviews to music-inspired poetry and personal narratives. Each idea pulls from Times reporting, Opinion pieces and multimedia on music to give students a place to start. The activities are categorized according to three genres: creative and narrative writing; informative and explanatory writing; and persuasive and argumentative writing.

How do you use music in your classroom? Let us know in the comments.

Creative and Narrative Writing

Exercise #1: Write a story or poem inspired by music.

One way you might let your students be inspired by music is to have them describe in words what they hear, a method Jean-Michel Basquiat employed in his poetry and paintings.

In “ Bowie, Bach and Bebop: How Music Powered Basquiat ,” Ekow Eshun writes:

In 1979, at 19, the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat moved into an abandoned apartment on East 12th Street in Manhattan with his girlfriend at the time, Alexis Adler. The home, a sixth-floor walk-up, was run-down and sparsely furnished. Basquiat, broke and unable to afford canvases, painted with abandon on the walls and floor, even on Ms. Adler’s clothes. The one item that remained undisturbed was Ms. Adler’s stereo, which had pride of place on a shelf scavenged from the street. “The main thing for us was having big speakers and a blasting stereo. That was the only furniture I purchased myself,” said Ms. Adler, who still lives in the apartment. When Basquiat was around, she recalled, “music was playing all the time.” On Thursday, the exhibition “Basquiat: Boom for Real” opened at the Barbican Center in London. The show focuses on the artist’s relationship to music, text, film and television. But it is jazz — the musical style that made up the bulk of Basquiat’s huge record collection — that looms largest as a source of personal inspiration to him and as a subject matter.

Invite your students to read the article and then listen to the Times-curated Spotify playlist “ The eclectic taste of Jean-Michel Basquiat ” as they view his art and read his poetry . Discuss what they notice about the musical influence in Basquiat’s work. How do the content, colors, textures and shapes in his paintings resemble the sounds they hear? How are these reflected in the words, phrases, mood and rhythm of his poems?

Next, have students listen to a song or playlist (perhaps one they created, one you created or one of these Times-curated ones) and, like Basquiat, let them write what they hear:

• describe the images that come to mind; • name the feelings and thoughts triggered by the imagery and sounds in the music; • mimic the pacing and rhythm through word choice, sentence structure and line breaks; • borrow the words, phrases or lines that resonate most; • or build on a theme or message.

Here’s an example of what one composer wrote as he listened to his own classical piece, “Become Desert”:

From the stillness around you a high glassy sound descends, like first light. Each new sound seems to breathe — emerging from and receding back into the stillness — and the glint of bells, like desert plants, here and there. Almost imperceptibly the music swells and continues falling in pitch. From somewhere above — like a gleam of metal, like sunlight emerging from behind a ridgeline — comes the sound of flutes. You are in a strange landscape. You don’t know how to read the weather or the light. You are unsure how long you will be here, or how challenging the journey may be.

To take this exercise a step further, students might use what they wrote while listening to music to develop a short story or poem. They might share their writing and song choices with the class so their classmates can analyze how music inspired their writing.

Exercise #2: Pen your own song or rap.

Invite students to write their own music about topics, events or themes you are studying in class. How can they summarize in song the role of the mitochondria , the main themes of “Romeo and Juliet” or the events that led to the Civil War?

Here’s an example from Julien Turner , 20, who produced this music video called “ XY Cell Life ” for a college biology class:

For inspiration, students might check out the Times “ Diary of a Song ” video series to see how songwriters and musicians like Zedd , Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber make hits. What stands out to them about these songs? What are the artists’ processes for making music? How do they write lyrics and sounds that resonate with an audience? How do they communicate content and emotion?

You might have students simply write lyrics — like these students who wrote “Hamilton” hip-hop verses and these young people who summed up the year’s news in our annual “Year in Rap” challenge .

Or, invite them to make their own music videos or recorded songs. In this case, you might refer to use our lesson plan “ Project Audio: Teaching Students How to Produce Their Own Podcasts ,” which has a helpful section on audio editing and advice for gathering non copyrighted sound effects and music.

Exercise #3: Share what music means to you.

What role does music play in your students’ lives?

What are they listening to right now? What musicians and bands mean the most to them? What music inspires them? What song lyrics do they consider literature? Which artists do they believe are the future? Which do they think will stand the test of time?

We have published over 1,000 writing prompts for students , including many, like the questions above, dedicated to personal and narrative writing about music. You might have your students choose a question that speaks to them and read the related Times article. Then invite them to share their thoughts, stories, opinions and experiences in writing.

You can search “music” to find our newest music-related writing prompts here , which are open for comment indefinitely.

Informative and Explanatory Writing

Exercise #4: Connect songs to current events.

Music has always been a reflection of and window into society, culture and history — and the current era is no different. Hip-hop, folk, classical and even opera music draw on current events and politics for source material.

What connections can your students make between the music they listen to and current events? How does learning more about the context in which a song was written help them better understand it?

You might start by having students read and analyze how journalists make connections between music and current events every day. Take Childish Gamino’s latest video, “ This Is America ,” for instance. In a roundup of the best writing about this music video, Judy Berman writes:

But Glover’s graceful moves aren’t exactly the point. There’s plenty of messaging about race, violence and the entertainment industry in the song and video — which helps explain why fans and critics have devoted so much time to dissecting its references and debating its meaning.

And Doreen St. Félix from The New Yorker relates the video to the present day:

The video has already been rapturously described as a powerful rally cry against gun violence, a powerful portrait of black-American existentialism, a powerful indictment of a culture that circulates videos of black children dying as easily as it does videos of black children dancing in parking lots.

You might have students read the roundup or one of the articles it excerpts, or let them choose another topic or genre that interests them, such as:

Beethoven’s 200-Year-Old ‘Fidelio’ Enters Today’s Prisons Mouse on Mars at M.I.T.: A Symposium Becomes a Dance Party Eminem Lashes Out at Trump in Freestyle Rap Video New ‘Hamilton Mixtape’ Video Takes Aim at Immigration Celebrating Women’s Rights, ‘That Most American of Operas’ Watch 5 Moments When Classical Music Met Politics Can North Korea Handle a K-Pop Invasion? Review: Beyoncé Is Bigger Than Coachella

For whichever article they choose, students should consider: What current events does the music they read about reference? How do these allusions contribute to the artist’s message? What other themes in the music can they relate to what is happening in the world?

Then, challenge students to pair a song of their choosing with one or more Times articles and write an essay that explains the relationship between the song and the current or historical events.

Students might start by annotating song lyrics themselves or referring to Genius to find explicit connections and discover underlying themes that in some way relate to society, culture, history and politics. Students may also choose to research the artist to find out more about his or her background, beliefs and politics.

For help in writing the essay, what we call a text-to-text pairing , we also have a whole lesson plan that guides classes through the process of generating and writing about relevant connections between their studies and the world today, as well as dozens of example essays written by teenagers .

Exercise #5: Create an annotated playlist of songs related to a topic.

Every Friday, The Times publishes “ The Playlist ,” a weekly tour of notable new music and videos. Times pop music critics choose about a dozen of the week’s most popular or intriguing songs and music videos and write a short commentary for each. They even create a Spotify playlist of the songs each week.

You can use “The Playlist” as a model for students to compile their own annotated playlists — playlists with explanatory text or commentary for each song — related to a topic you are studying in class. It might be straightforward, such as songs that reference historical or current events, use a particular literary device or exhibit a specific musical technique. Or, the playlist could be more symbolic, like pieces that tell a story when played together, demonstrate a theme from a novel or capture the essence of a time period or setting. (You might use one of these as an example of a theme-oriented playlist.) Playlists could even be autobiographical, with students selecting songs that express aspects of their own identities.

Students can read through several of the past columns and listen to the playlists to determine what makes for compelling commentary. For example, on Billie Eilish’s and Khalid’s “Lovely,” Jon Pareles writes:

“Lovely” is the song of someone inextricably attached or trapped: “I hope someday I’ll make it out of here,” Billie Eilish sings with Khalid — not in dialogue or counterpoint, but in unison, as if they’re each others’ partner and burden. “Wanna feel alive outside/I can fight my fear.” The backdrop is piano and strings lingering on two chords; the melancholy never lifts, and at the end Khalid and Ms. Eilish share a chilling greeting: “Hello-welcome home.” J.P.

And on First Aid Kit’s “Fireworks,” Mr. Pareles writes:

First Aid Kit, a duo of sisters from Sweden who usually favor a folky, countryish approach — they’ve got a song named “Emmylou,” after Ms. Harris — turn to a gauzy retro sound in “Fireworks,” a song always about ending up lonely: “Why do I do this to myself every time/I know the way it ends even before it’s begun.” With a 1950s slow-dance beat and echoey guitars, it’s already nostalgic for the next failed romance. J.P.

Ask students: What do they notice about h ow the commentary is written? What does the writer include and why? How is it organized? What makes it interesting (or not)?

After students have curated their own playlists, they are ready to write song annotations. Some ingredients they should include in their writing are: a claim explaining how the song relates to the topic or theme; evidence from the song (e.g., lyrics, instruments, rhythm or melodies) illustrating their claim; and analysis that explains the significance of these aspects of the song.

Students can share their final playlists on Spotify so that everyone in the class can listen to and comment on them.

Exercise #6: Profile an artist in an imagined interview.

The Times Music section regularly profiles artists from different genres, time periods and corners of the globe. Students can use these articles and interviews as mentor texts before doing research and writing their own mini-biographies of a music figure they admire.

In an “imagined interview,” students, working individually or in pairs, play the part of both interviewer and interviewee. They do background research on an artist they select, come up with a list of questions and answers for the interview, and then write a profile on their subject.

To start, have students read one of these interviews with musicians:

Khalid, the Teenager With 5 Grammy Nominations: ‘They Got It Right This Year’ Jay-Z and Dean Baquet, in Conversation John Mayer Has More to Say: The Outtakes Bruce Springsteen on Broadway: The Boss on His ‘First Real Job’ Adele on ‘25’: Song by Song In Hip-Hop, Inspiration Arrived by Way of Kirk Franklin Gwen Stefani on Spirituality, Insecurity, Pharrell and ‘Truth’

Ask students: What types of questions did the interviewer ask? What subjects did the two discuss? What questions were missing from the interview that you wish were asked?

If you plan on having students write narratives based on their imagined interviews, they should also read at least one example of how Times writers write narratives based on interviews. Here are a few:

The 5 ‘Handsome Girls’ Trying to Be China’s Biggest Boy Band ‘I Could Barely Sing a High C’: Pretty Yende Finally Conquers Lucia For Milford Graves, Jazz Innovation Is Only Part of the Alchemy Dua Lipa Was Raised on Pop Bangers. Now She Writes Them. Valee, Kanye West’s New Signee, Is a Rapper Who Just Might Build You a Koi Pond Rafiq Bhatia Is Writing His Own Musical Language Ashley McBryde Takes Nashville, No Gimmicks Required

While reading, they should consider the following: What information did the reporter include and why do you think they made these choices? How did they effectively weave in biographical details to tell a story about the artist and the music?

Next, assign students to choose their own musical artist to interview and profile. The following steps can guide students through the process:

1. Do Your Research : To learn more about the artist you selected to interview, do an in-depth study of several song lyrics or an album, read published interviews with the artist, watch a video or listen to radio interviews to see how the artist speaks.

2. Prepare Your Questions : Consider this artist’s particular music and biography. What more do you want to know about the artist and his or her music? What in the songs or videos you studied struck you that you would like to ask about? For more inspiration, our lesson plan “ Beyond Question: Learning the Art of the Interview ” provides additional advice on how to conduct good interviews.

3. Conduct Your Imagined Interview : Based on your research of artists — their background, their music and the way they speak — imagine how they might respond to your questions. Be creative, but try to stay true to who the artist is. Alternatively, you could role-play the interview in partners, where one person is the interviewer and the other is the artist. It might be helpful to record the interview and take notes.

4. Write Your Article : You may choose to write your interview in a question and answer format , or create a narrative .

5. Share the Final Product : Share your imagined interviews with your classmates and reflect on the activity. Was your writing convincing to readers? What did you learn about writing artist profiles?

Persuasive and Argumentative Writing

Exercise #7: Review an artist, album or song.

Which artists, albums and songs can your students not stop talking about — either because they love them or hate them? Channel that energy into an argumentative essay using our culture review-writing lesson plan . In this lesson, students read Times reviews and heed advice from Times critics to write their own. They practice developing a clear claim, citing evidence and writing with a strong voice.

You might allow students to choose one of their favorite (or least favorite) artists or songs to practice writing passionately and knowledgeably about a subject. Or, challenge them to explore a genre of music they might not normally listen to and see what they can learn.

Consider having your students submit their finished pieces to our annual student review contest . They can read winning reviews from past years here .

Exercise #8: Weigh in on the latest criticisms, trends and news in music.

Music today incites opinions not just about the artists and albums themselves, but also about universal themes, like the music industry , social media , morality , the human condition , culture , the past and the future. “ Popcast ” is The Times’s podcast dedicated to discussing these very criticisms, trends and news in music.

You can invite students to weigh in on the music-related topics they care about most in a group writing activity that mimics the conversational style of this podcast. Here, they learn how to make a claim, develop it with evidence, write counterclaims and respond directly to one another in an informal and fun way.

First, you might start by having students listen to one full episode or excerpts from “ Popcast ” to analyze how the discussion unfolds. What background information is provided? How do the critics talk to and respond to one another? How do they open and close each episode?

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar Break Boundaries

Or, you might have students examine what a conversation like this looks like in writing. “ Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up the Pulitzer Game: Let’s Discuss ” by Times music editors provides a good example. The conversation begins:

JON PARELES To me, this prize is as overdue as it was unexpected. When I look at the Pulitzers across the board, what I overwhelmingly see rewarded are journalistic virtues: fact-gathering, vivid detail, storytelling, topicality, verbal dexterity and, often, real-world impact after publication. It’s an award for hard-won persuasiveness. Well hello, hip-hop. ZACHARY WOOLFE … But there is also wariness, which I join, about an opening of the prize — not to hip-hop, per se, but to music that has achieved blockbuster commercial success. This is now officially one fewer guaranteed platform — which, yes, should be open to many genres — for noncommercial work, which scrapes by on grants, fellowships, commissions and, yes, awards. PARELES That response is similar to many publishing-world reactions when Bob Dylan got the Nobel Prize in Literature — that a promotional opportunity was being lost for something worthy but more obscure, preferably between hard covers. A literary figure who had changed the way an entire generation looked at words and ideas was supposed to forgo the award because, well, he’d reached too many people? Do we really want to put a sales ceiling on what should get an award? The New York Times and The New Yorker already have a lot of subscribers … uh-oh.

Then, in small groups, have students come up with their own music topics worthy of debate. For inspiration, they might browse some of the past “Popcast” episodes.

You might then have them brainstorm some initial ideas and conduct research in the Times Music section to deepen and broaden their knowledge about the subject.

Next, invite them into a written conversation about their chosen topic. One student initiates the conversation and then each person in the group takes a turn responding to what each other writes — acknowledging their classmates’ remarks, voicing their own opinions, making connections and citing evidence to support or disagree with others.

Exercise #9: Write an editorial on a music-related topic.

Many musicians and music aficionados also contribute Opinion pieces to The Times, where they write passionately and persuasively about music’s influence in their lives, culture and society.

What music-related topics do your students care about? Do they believe music should be a required subject in school? What do they think today’s artists say about the world they live in? Can and should musicians’ work be separated from their personal lives?

Have your students write an editorial on a music-related topic that matters to them. We’ve written several lesson plans on teaching argumentative writing, including “ For the Sake of Argument: Writing Persuasively to Craft Short, Evidence-Based Editorials ,” “ I Don’t Think So: Writing Effective Counterarguments ” and “ 10 Ways to Teach Argument-Writing With The New York Times .”

You can pair any one of these lessons with music editorials as mentor texts, like the ones below:

A Note to the Classically Insecure The Real Song of the Summer Three Cheers for Cultural Appropriation The Heartbreak of Kanye West Is Music the Key to Success? Graceland, at Last The Songs That Bind

Students can also search for their own examples in the Music or Opinion sections. Or, refer to the many music-themed argumentative writing prompts we have published.

They might consider entering their finished editorials into our annual student editorial contest . And they can read essays from past winners here .

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Songs for Creativity: 30 Melodies to Inspire Your Inner Artist

Last updated on June 29th, 2023

In the magical symphony of life, the harmonic strains of music often set our spirits soaring and spark the creative fire within us. Delve into a riveting playlist of thirty awe-inspiring tracks, each a brushstroke of brilliance that paints vibrant hues onto the canvas of your mind. Immerse yourself in the rhythm, let the melodies carry you to uncharted realms of creativity, and let your inner artist shine like a supernova.

Welcome to our melodic journey of thirty songs for creativity, handpicked to awaken your imagination, ignite your passion, and redefine your world, one note at a time.

Unlocking the Symphony of Creativity

Embrace the harmonious dialogue between music and the mind as we dive into a curated playlist to reignite your imaginative spark and break free from creative confinement.

“Imagine” by John Lennon
“Beautiful Day” by U2
“Viva La Vida” by Coldplay
“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor
“Roar” by Katy Perry
“Pompeii” by Bastille
“Let it Be” by The Beatles
“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten
“Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2, Album: “The Joshua Tree”
“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield
“Brave” by Sara Bareilles
“Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + The Machine
“Heroes” by David Bowie
“Firework” by Katy Perry
“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
“Yellow” by Coldplay
“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor
“On Top of the World” by Imagine Dragons
“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys
“Dream On” by Aerosmith
“It’s a Beautiful World” by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
“Hall of Fame” by The Script feat. will.i.am
“Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey
“I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash
“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley
“Feeling Good” by Nina Simone
“One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston
“What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes
“Happy” by Pharrell Williams
“Dancing Queen” by ABBA

Amazon Music
John Lennon

Description

With its thought-provoking lyrics and soothing melody, we personally think that the song urges us to envision a world free from barriers and strife. This anthem stirs our inner artist by evoking a sense of boundless possibilities and encouraging us to explore new realms of imagination. Its profound message of unity and peace resonates deep within, awakening our creative spirits and reminding us of the transformative power of art.

Beautiful Day

All That You Can't Leave Behind

In our personal opinion, its energetic rhythm and uplifting lyrics evoke a sense of joy and optimism, inspiring me to see the world through a new lens. With its powerful melodies and uplifting message, the song invites listeners to embrace the beauty and potential in every moment, encouraging us to express ourselves freely and fearlessly. It serves as a reminder that, even amidst challenges, each day is a canvas waiting to be painted with artistic brilliance.

Viva La Vida

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

“Viva la Vida” is a mesmerizing song that deeply resonates with my inner artist as its grandiose orchestration and poetic lyrics transport me to a world of vivid imagination. The song’s exploration of power, revolution, and redemption stirs a profound sense of introspection and inspires listeners to challenge conventional boundaries. With its sweeping melodies and introspective tone, it fuels our artistic spirit, urging us to embrace change, embrace life, and fearlessly pursue our creative visions.

I Will Survive

Gloria Gaynor
Love Tracks

What I really loved about the song was its lyrics, which tell a tale of resilience and self-empowerment, igniting a spark of creativity within. The infectious disco beat and Gloria Gaynor’s passionate delivery infuse the song with a contagious energy, encouraging listeners to embrace their artistic spirit. It serves as a reminder that no matter the setbacks faced, one has the strength to rise above and express their unique creativity with boldness and authenticity.

The song resonates deeply with me due to its powerful lyrics and uplifting melody, which ignite a sense of strength and self-assurance. The song encourages individuals to find their voice, to overcome obstacles, and to unleash their authentic selves without fear. With its empowering message and catchy hooks, “Roar” fuels the artistic spirit, reminding us to embrace our uniqueness and boldly express our creativity, roaring with confidence and embracing our true potential.

Personally, we think that the song’s haunting melodies and evocative lyrics transport listeners to a world of introspection and imagination. The song’s exploration of loss, resilience, and the passage of time sparks a deep well of emotions, encouraging artistic expression. With its powerful chorus and atmospheric soundscape, “Pompeii” serves as a catalyst for creative exploration, urging individuals to delve into their innermost thoughts and create art that resonates with the depths of their souls.

The Beatles

The song’s soothing melodies and introspective lyrics provide solace and guidance during challenging times. From our perspective, the song’s message of acceptance, resilience, and finding inner peace encourages artistic exploration. With its gentle harmonies and profound wisdom, “Let It Be” serves as a gentle reminder to let go of worries, embrace the present moment, and trust in the transformative power of art to heal, inspire, and uplift both the creator and the audience.

Rachel Plattern

The song’s uplifting lyrics and energetic melody serve as a rallying cry for resilience and determination. In our experience, the song inspires individuals to find their voice, stand tall in the face of adversity, and embrace their unique artistic expression. With its empowering message and infectious chorus, “Fight Song” fuels the artistic spirit, reminding us that our creativity has the power to overcome obstacles, inspire change, and make a lasting impact on the world around us.

Where the Streets Have No Name

The Joshua Tree

We would like to highlight the song’s sweeping soundscapes and poignant lyrics, which transport listeners to a realm where social barriers dissolve and freedom reigns. The song’s yearning for a world without divisions or limitations ignites a sense of artistic exploration. With its soaring melodies and evocative atmosphere, “Where the Streets Have No Name” inspires individuals to venture into uncharted territories of creative expression, breaking free from conventions and embracing the vast possibilities of imagination.

Natasha Bedingfield

The song’s empowering lyrics and infectious melodies ignite a sense of possibility and freedom. I’ve noticed that it encourages individuals to embrace their authentic selves, to break free from societal expectations, and to boldly create their own path. With its uplifting message and catchy rhythm, “Unwritten” fuels the artistic spirit, reminding us that our stories are waiting to be written and we have the power to paint our lives with the colors of our imagination, uninhibited and unapologetically.

Sara Bareilles
The Blessed Unrest

Its empowering lyrics and infectious melody encourage individuals to break free from self-doubt and embrace their true selves. It’s worth mentioning that the song serves as a reminder that vulnerability is a strength and that taking risks leads to personal growth and artistic expression. With its uplifting chorus and infectious energy, “Brave” emboldens the artistic spirit, urging us to step outside our comfort zones, share our unique voices, and fearlessly create art that resonates with the world around us.

Dog Days Are Over

Florence + The Machine

We were really impressed by the song’s pulsating rhythms and soaring vocals, which create a whirlwind of energy, urging individuals to break free from limitations and embrace a new chapter of artistic exploration. Its lyrics evoke a sense of liberation and release, inspiring individuals to let go of past struggles and embrace the present moment. With its captivating melodies and fierce spirit, “Dog Days Are Over” ignites the artistic flame, encouraging us to unleash our creative potential and revel in the transformative power of our artistry.

David Bowie

The song’s iconic melodies and poetic lyrics evoke a sense of bravery and resilience, urging individuals to transcend their limitations and become heroes in their own right. We can’t deny that its powerful message of hope, unity, and self-discovery serves as a catalyst for artistic exploration. With its anthemic chorus and David Bowie’s captivating vocals, “Heroes” fuels the artistic spirit, reminding us that we have the power to break barriers, create meaningful art, and inspire positive change in the world around us.

Teenage Dream

The song’s uplifting lyrics and vibrant melody inspire individuals to embrace their uniqueness and let their light shine brightly. Speaking from personal experience, it encourages self-expression and empowers individuals to break free from self-doubt and societal expectations. With its catchy hooks and empowering message, “Firework” fuels the artistic spirit, reminding us that we all possess an inner fire waiting to be unleashed. It sparks a sense of confidence and encourages us to embrace our creative brilliance, lighting up the world with our unique artistic expression.

Chasing Cars

Snow Patrol

It’s worth mentioning that this soul-stirring song’s tender melodies and heartfelt lyrics create an intimate atmosphere, evoking a sense of introspection and raw emotion. The song invites individuals to embrace the beauty of simplicity and the power of connection. With its captivating harmonies and poetic storytelling, “Chasing Cars” becomes a catalyst for artistic exploration, urging us to dive into the depths of our emotions and express them authentically. It inspires us to chase our artistic dreams and create art that resonates with the deepest parts of our being.

Personally, we think that its ethereal melodies and heartfelt lyrics evoke a sense of longing and nostalgia, transporting listeners to a realm of emotional depth. The song’s gentle yet captivating soundscapes invite introspection and inspire artistic expression. With its dreamy atmosphere and Chris Martin’s emotive vocals, “Yellow” becomes a catalyst for artistic exploration, urging individuals to delve into their emotions, embrace vulnerability, and create art that captures the essence of human experience. It sparks a radiant brilliance within, illuminating the path towards artistic discovery and self-expression.

Eye of the Tiger

We strongly believe the song’s powerful beats and empowering lyrics ignite a fire within, propelling individuals to conquer challenges and reach new heights. Its relentless energy and infectious rhythm inspire artistic determination and unwavering focus. With its iconic guitar riffs and motivational message, “Eye of the Tiger” becomes a rallying cry for artistic greatness, urging creators to embrace their inner strength, persevere through obstacles, and create art that resonates with the spirit of triumph.

On Top of the World

Imagine Dragons
Night Visions

We really loved how the song inspires individuals to embrace their dreams, conquer their fears, and soar to new heights of artistic expression. With its catchy melodies and jubilant spirit, “On Top of the World” becomes a catalyst for artistic exploration, encouraging us to break free from limitations, celebrate our accomplishments, and create art that spreads positivity and inspires others to reach for the stars. It instills a sense of limitless possibilities and empowers us to unleash our creative brilliance.

Good Vibrations

The Beach Boys
Smiley Smile

The song’s innovative melodies and harmonies struck a chord with me as they created a tapestry of sonic bliss, enveloping listeners in a euphoric musical experience. The song’s positive vibrations and uplifting lyrics inspire artistic exploration, urging individuals to embrace the beauty of the world and channel it into their creations. With its vibrant instrumentation and infectious energy, “Good Vibrations” becomes a catalyst for artistic expression, inviting us to infuse our work with the same sense of joy and harmony.

This soul-stirring rock anthem resonates deeply with me due to its soaring melodies and Steven Tyler’s impassioned vocals, which evoke a sense of longing and determination. The song’s introspective lyrics and powerful instrumentation inspire artistic exploration, urging individuals to chase their dreams fearlessly. With its timeless sound and emotional depth, “Dream On” becomes a catalyst for artistic expression, reminding us to embrace our deepest desires, unleash our creative potential, and create art that echoes with the raw authenticity and unyielding spirit of the song.

It's a Beautiful World

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Who Built the Moon?

The song invites individuals to see the world through a new lens, embracing the wonders that surround us. With its uplifting harmonies and Noel Gallagher’s distinct vocals, “It’s a Beautiful World” becomes a catalyst for artistic exploration, urging us to find inspiration in the simple joys and create art that celebrates the beauty and richness of our existence. We must admit that it fills our hearts with gratitude and encourages us to express our unique artistic visions, contributing to the beauty of the world around us.

Hall of Fame

The Script feat. will.i.am

We strongly believe that with The Script’s soulful vocals and will.i.am’s magnetic presence, “Hall of Fame” becomes an enchanting portal into the realm of artistic exploration, urging us to embrace our distinct talents, unleash our creative prowess, and etch our names in the tapestry of artistic legends. It resonates with the echoes of dreams, whispering that we possess the power to craft our own extraordinary narrative and claim our place in the hallowed halls of artistic immortality.

Don't Stop Believin

From our point of view, the song instills a sense of unwavering hope and resilience, inspiring individuals to persevere through challenges and embrace their artistic journey. With its electrifying energy and Steve Perry’s soulful vocals, “Don’t Stop Believin’” becomes a conduit for artistic exploration, urging us to trust in our abilities, follow our passions, and create art that resonates with the deepest parts of our being. It reminds us that as long as we hold onto our dreams and keep believing in ourselves, the possibilities are limitless.

I Can See Clearly Now

Johnny Nash

The song’s joyful melodies and Johnny Nash’s soulful voice inspire individuals to embrace newfound clarity and explore artistic expression with renewed purpose. With each note, “I Can See Clearly Now” invites us to shed the limitations of the past and embrace a future filled with artistic discovery and endless possibilities. We were really impressed how it emboldens us to paint our canvas of creativity with vibrant hues and create art that radiates with the same clarity and brilliance as the song itself.

Three Little Birds

The song’s gentle melodies and uplifting lyrics create a sanctuary of peace and positivity. Its timeless message of resilience and embracing the present moment inspires individuals to find solace in their artistic pursuits. With its infectious rhythms and Bob Marley’s iconic voice, we must admit that “Three Little Birds” becomes a vessel for artistic exploration, urging us to let go of worries, spread our creative wings, and create art that resonates with the spirit of harmony and unity.

Feeling Good

Nina Simone
I Put a Spell on You

With its sultry vocals and powerful instrumentation, we’ve noticed that the song evokes a sense of empowerment and liberation. The song’s lyrics celebrate newfound freedom and a renewed perspective on life. Its soul-stirring melodies and Nina Simone’s impassioned delivery invite listeners to embrace their unique artistic voices and fearlessly express themselves. “Feeling Good” becomes a catalyst for artistic exploration, igniting a fire within and reminding us that we have the power to create and inspire through our artistry.

One Moment in Time

Whitney Houston
1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in Time

The song elevates spirits and ignites a sense of determination with Whitney’s unparalleled vocal prowess and heartfelt delivery. Its lyrics struck a chord with me as they captured the essence of striving for greatness and seizing the opportunity to shine. The powerful melodies and uplifting message create a canvas for artistic exploration, reminding us that within a single moment, we have the potential to create something extraordinary. “One Moment in Time” encourages individuals to embrace their unique talents and reach for the stars.

What's Up?

4 Non Blondes
Bigger, Better, Faster, More!

In our opinion, the song’s infectious melodies and powerful vocals create a cathartic space for artistic expression. “What’s Up” becomes a catalyst for artistic introspection, urging us to delve into our own experiences, discover our unique perspectives, and channel them into transformative art that resonates with the universal human condition. It serves as a reminder that within the depths of our introspection lies a boundless wellspring of creative potential waiting to be tapped into.

Pharrell Williams

I firmly believe that the song is a joyous anthem that awakens the inner artist and unleashes an explosion of creativity. Its infectious beats and uplifting lyrics ignite a spark of pure happiness within listeners. The song’s irresistible groove and Pharrell’s exuberant vocals inspire individuals to embrace their truest selves and express their artistic passions with uninhibited joy. “Happy” becomes a catalyst for artistic exploration, urging us to tap into the limitless wellspring of creativity that resides within us.

Dancing Queen

My personal favorite feature of the song is its irresistible disco beats and catchy melodies, which create an enchanting atmosphere of pure joy and liberation. In our experience, the song inspires individuals to embrace their inner dancers, letting their bodies move to the rhythm of their artistic desires. “Dancing Queen” becomes a portal to artistic expression, inviting us to unleash our vibrant imaginations and create art that captivates hearts and minds.

The Crescendo

As our symphony of inspiration reaches its resounding crescendo, remember the power of creativity lies in the unique rhythm of your soul. These thirty tracks, handpicked for their invigorating energy and thought-provoking lyrics, are not just songs but gateways to self-expression and innovation. Each melody beckons you to explore the diverse landscapes of imagination, sparking the daring artist within. We sincerely hope this musical journey enlightens, enlivens, and empowers your creative process. So, plug in your headphones, turn up the volume, and let the symphony of inspiration guide your artistic spirit to create masterpieces that echo your distinctive tune. After all, the world is your canvas, and the music your muse.

John Chiong is a creative writer with seven years of experience writing engaging and informative content for various industries. More so, he has a deep love for music that fuels his passion and creativity. John enjoys all types of music and has a favorite song from every genre. His love for music has greatly influenced his writing.

More From Playlists

S.J. Siedenburg

An author helping writers with their novels.

11 Pieces of Inspiring Music for Writing

Inspiring music to help you start writing.

I love inspiring music that compels me to start writing. Music is a lot like a story: It has a beginning, crescendo, and an ending. Whether instrumental or with lyrics, music has been a lifeline of mine for years. A good song can lighten my chest or tear my heart out, and I love both feelings.

If you enjoy inspiring music for motivation, inspiration, pleasant background for writing, or simply to relish in good songs, I’ve curated a few pieces you may like.

So, here are some of my memorable songs, what they mean to me, and why you may like them.

Song 1: All I Have by NF

During the writing of my first novel draft for The New Dawn (working title), I listened to this song probably everyday for over a month. In the lyrics, NF talks about his raw desire to be a rapper, and why it’s so important to him.

This song helped me realize how powerfully I felt about writing my stories, and gave me validation that I was not crazy to put my effort into something creative.

When I felt my drive wavering, I loved listening to this song. To this day, it is one of my favorite listens. You may find it inspiring as well.

I am a huge fan of NF. If you liked All I Have, I encourage you to try his later albums as well. They are emotional, real, and clever.

Visit NF’s website here.

Song 2: Audiomachine

For some symphonic and electric scores to listen to while writing, you should try Audiomachine. They have a whole lot of albums, and many different moods of music.

Their scores can be beautiful, eerie, light, or dark. Highly recommend you give them a listen on YouTube , Spotify , or your music service of choice. I’ve linked to one of their YouTube playlists below to get you started.

Audiomachine is a also great starting place to find similar orchestral and cinematic artists.

Visit Audiomachine’s website.

Song 3: Eschaton by Tony Anderson and Chris Coleman

I have been listening to Eschaton on repeat for a few of the scenes I’m writing for my novel The New Dawn (working title).

It’s an instrumental song with a breathtaking crescendo—the strings just wash over me while I write. This piece puts me in a perfect mood for crafting emotionally charged scenes, and may do the same for you.

Song 4: Tommee Profitt, Artist and Producer

Tommee Profitt produces amazing cinematic music. I probably listen to at least one of his songs everyday, and am always inspired. Highly recommend giving his music a listen.

Below is the Cinematic Songs (Vol. 1) playlist to get you started.

Visit Tommee Profitt’s website.

Song 5: Chillstep and Epic Music Mixes

When I first started a writing habit, I listened to chillstep music mixes on Youtube while I wrote. I still go back to these mixes from time to time, because they are simply great.

I also recommend epic instrumental music mixes on YouTube. You can find both uplifting, dark, and emotional moods in these mixes. Just type what you’re looking for into YouTube’s search bar.

To get you started, I’ll link to a couple mixes I have enjoyed.

Song 6: Movie Soundtracks

When I stumble across a movie or TV show with a similar vibe to my own stories, I’ll look up the soundtrack and use it for inspiration.

However, sometimes soundtracks to my favorite movies and TV shows are never officially released. Or, they use songs from various artists and I don’t have time to track all that music down. When this happens, I’ll do a quick search on Spotify or YouTube, and if I’m lucky someone has made a playlist for me with those songs I want to find.

So give listening to a soundtrack of your favorite a shot.

Song 7: This Mountain by Faouzia

I love songs about overcoming obstacles, and This Mountain by Faouzia is a great one. As soon as I heard it I hit the like button on Spotify.

If you need a little courage to face your writing session, play this song.

Visit Faouzia’s website.

Song 8: Ruelle

I love Ruelle. Whether I’m searching for dark or light music, she has a unique, dramatic feel I enjoy. Whether for writing or listening throughout the day, Ruelle is a great option. Below is her Earth Glow playlist to get you started.

And again, she is a great place to start when searching for similar artists.

Visit Ruelle’s website.

Song 9: Got It In You by BANNERS

When you begin to seriously doubt your ability to write, or you feel like your effort isn’t paying off, listen to Got It In You by BANNERS and remember that you are capable of overcoming your struggle.

You are stronger than you think you are. Despite what you may feel sometimes, you have it in you to be a writer.

Also, check out BANNERS’s album Where The Shadow Ends —it’s an uplifting and inspiring one.

Visit BANNERS website.

Song 10: Toxic Thoughts by Faith Marie

Maybe it’s the typewriter sound in the background, but this song seems the perfect fit for a writer, especially one struggling with doubts, anxiety, or perfectionism.

Toxic Thoughts poetically carries you through a journey of struggling to write, and to having hope in overcoming the obstacles your mind presents. Plus, the music is beautiful.

Song 11: Lunatic by Andy Grammer

This is a fun song about writing—songwriting, but I think it can be adapted to fiction writing. I love this songs cause it gives us permission to be our creative selves, and to not worry about how other people may judge our life to be a bit weird.

Have faith in your dreams, and go for it.

Andy Grammer’s album Naive is another of my absolute favorite listens. Give it a try!

Visit Andy Grammer’s website.

I hope you find some pleasure and inspiration in my above selections. Inspiring music can be such a powerful tool for us, whether to lift our spirits or transport us into the world of our stories for writing.

Whether you’re a beginning fiction writer or looking for resources to help you hone your existing writing skills, join my newsletter for bonus content, updates, special offers, and INSTANT access to the Library of Resources!

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Sarah Siedenburg is a blogger, author, freelance proofreader, and copy editor with a passion for stories and helping beginner writers finish novels. In her past life she was hired as Editor for a start-up interior design magazine, although she knew very little about the world of luxury interior design when she began.

Her blog talks about all things creative writing, and she is the creator of the guidebooks Character Presentation: The Advanced Guide to Character Description and Before the First Draft: The Plantster’s Guide to Pre-Writing , as well as the online course “How to Write a Novel: An Email Course for Writers.” Sarah lives amongst the noble evergreens in the northwest corner of Washington state.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5

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Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing.

10 Ideas For Inspiring Your Writing with Music

by Ellen Buikema

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” – Plato

Music, the art of sound through the use of rhythm, harmonies, and melodies, is food for the soul—divine, effective, mathematical – the science of sound. Its language is universal.

A tuneful writing exercise

Music has the ability to spark our imaginations. Here’s how to channel that muse into inspiration for your writing. Turn on a tune that you love and listen carefully.

Where does the music take you?
What memory does the music send you to?
How does the music make you feel?
Now use that song to envision a character or setting.
Then take a few minutes and write what the song inspired in you.

Music to get us motivated

For those weeks full of Mondays when nothing is going right, turn on a get-moving playlist to drag yourself to your writing space.

I’m a fan of “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. This song always brings a smile to my face and makes me feel peppier. One writer and filmmaker recommends “In One Ear” by Cage the Elephant, a very high energy, edgy sound. Here are 52 motivational songs to get you pumped.

Score your novel

Many writers choose music based on the mood of the scene they’re developing. While listening to Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” conjure writing scenes of slicing through the waves via tall ships or helicopters soaring through clouds on the way to battle. I’ve tried this but it doesn’t work for me. I always hear Elmer Fudd singing, “Kill the wabbit …” when I listen to this piece of the opera Die Walküre . I guess I watched too many Warner Brothers Cartoons growing up.

For romance, light classical music works well. “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, used in the movie City of Angels , is a fine example. Here are 24 lovely examples in a one hour set to help with the mood.

Soundtracks swell as they maneuver your protagonist through a crime scene. Check out this crime thriller background music .

Australian science fiction author A.C. Flory uses music that fits the mood of what she’s writing. Every once in a while she shares the music she’s found that fits the mood of the piece perfectly. Here’s a recent example .

Music can transport you just about anywhere. I can remember slow dancing (okay, it was that eighth grade hug-and-waddle) to “Knights in White Satin” by the Moody Blues. If I need to return to the emotions of that time all I have to do is hear the tune and it all comes flying back to me. Not that I really want to revisit adolescence and all that teen angst. Ew . But if I need to make my way there, music is a fast ride back.

Songs from long ago or far away

If your setting is in a foreign land, music from that nation will help you get a feel for your characters and scenes. Let’s say that you are writing a scene that takes place in the American Southwest. An easy way to travel there is to listen to Native American music , deep and hauntingly calm.

If your setting is Spain, the Spanish guitar may lend inspiration. I chose Andrés Segovia for an example as I have seen him in concert and he was marvelous.

For scenes in the Australian outback listen to the drone of the didgeridoo . Lewis Burns, an ambassador of the Aboriginal Tradition, uses circular breathing for continuous sound. I can’t imagine how difficult this is to do.

Should we write while listening to music?

Neuroscientist will answer a resounding “No.” According to these scientists when we try to multitask, like write while listening to a song, or texting a friend and listening to a family member, our brain burns glucose at a faster rate and releases cortisol because our brain tries to give equal attention to all the incoming stimuli. They posit that writing while listening to music induces stress. That said, this does not seem to be the case.

Classical music played at a low volume may increase concentration. Low level ambient sound may improve creativity.

A friend grew up near an opera house in New York City. She did her homework while listening to the loud music emanating from the stage and orchestra pit. She prefers to write while listening to classical music set at a high volume. Experiences differ.

Music with or without lyrics

Instrumentals like jazz and classical can allow the world to slip away. Music with lyrics seems to be the problem child as songs with lyrics cause some writers distraction. There is always the possibility of the lyrics finding their way into dialogue.

An odd music related aside

According to one study published in 2012, people who ate at low-lit restaurants where soft music was played consumed 18% less food than those who ate in other restaurants. Not so good for the restaurant, but I wonder if writing in a low-lit writing cave while listening to soft sounds will cause less snacking.

Whatever you decide, the music you play while writing must inspire you and your book.

Do you listen to music while you write? Which comes first, the tune or the tale? How does music affect your work? Do you use music local to the story to help you get in the mood for writing those scenes?

* * * * * *

About Ellen

Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written non-fiction for parents and a series of chapter books for children with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works In Progress are, The Hobo Code , YA historical fiction and Crystal Memories , YA fantasy.

Find her at http://ellenbuikema.com or on Amazon .

Top Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay

23 comments on “10 Ideas For Inspiring Your Writing with Music”

Interesting post, and some good ideas. I listen to classical radio all day, and I'd find it hard to write in silence - or distracted by the sounds of the neighbourhood.

I am right there with you regarding neighborhood noise. That can really be jarring. When we lived in Mazatlan we were exposed to the blaring of various radios from open-air taxis and live bands traveling along the beach all afternoon and much of the night. Impossible music to write to, at least for me.

I can only write in two kinds of noise - absolute silence, to the tune of noise-canceling headphones, or the cacophony of a bar or coffeeshop. Bar noise is the best, because I worked in bars in college and I'm used to reading and studying in that environment. But that at-home peaceful quiet of an empty house is pretty awesome too. 🙂

Silence is blissful! I keep threatening to buy some noise-canceling headphones.

You make a good point regarding working in an enviroment that you are used to. That makes a lot of sense.

Like Jenny, I'm an absolute silence writer, too. Even on the most beautiful summer day, I can't write outdoors for long, as the damn cars and birds and flies are too distracting. (Cue eyeroll.) BUT, Ellen, you've inspired me to make a writing playlist that I can use to get the gears turning, and turn off when necessary.

Ooh! Send us your playlist when you have one.

I've tried writing outdoors but fall prey to the "Look! There's a squirrel" syndrome. I'm easily distracted.

I used to have a one-hour playlist. Mostly mood music, but a few with lyrics. It became so familiar I didn't "hear" it anymore, but it was part of the writing. Then, more recently when I was writing Remaking Morgan, which revolved around a classical pianist, I asked Alexa to play classical piano. What I discovered was the dog came in to listen, and I've been playing classical music in my office ever since. She seems to enjoy it.

So your playlist became white noise for you. Interesting! Do you keep the classical music at a low level while writing?

How wonderful that your pup enjoys the music, too.

Not exactly white noise, because the moods were still there. I keep the volume moderate--background. After all, dogs have excellent hearing! 🙂

I became a believer in the power of music to influence the content of writing when teaching English class to sophomores in high school. On a day when the minds of my students were rushing to summer vacation, I played three pieces of classical music (unfamiliar to most of them). Two of those pieces--Ravel's "Bolero" and Offenbach's "Gaite Parisienne" had pens pushing on paper! And my students finding they had something to say.

How awesome is that!

I know a fourth grade teacher who dims the lights, turns on a long stream of tiny orange lights, and plays spooky music during writing time just before Halloween. She calls it Spooky Writing. The students love it and write some interesting stories.

Did you use Ravel's "Bolero" before or after Blake Edwards' movie '10' ?

Ellen, this is a good one! In my case i like quiet while I'm actually writing, but I have developed a lengthy (over 6 hours) playlist of oldies -- Doors, Stones, Beachboys, and, yes, the Monkees' underrated "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" -- that I listen to while I'm editing. So it depends on what stage the WIP is at. Thanks for a cool essay!

Thank you, James!

I love the Monkees and have endured lots of teasing because of it, at which I smile. My taste in music is eclectic.

I find it interesting that you listen to different tunes depending upon the writing stage.

Hi, Ellen. Yes, when I'm actually putting new words on paper I can't use the playlist (I agree with the neuroscientists you mention in the essay), but it seems to help when I'm revising. Maybe I can edit longer, waiting for "one more song." And I've taken my share of teasing for Monkees music, too. Great to find another fan!

I wrote 52 short stories in 52 weeks with music from Youtube.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAcj8me7wGI&t=7974s This is OCB Study and Relax Music (mostly piano).

This is lovely, Cheryl. Thank you for sharing.

Yes, I find I do more of my best work with music playing. Somehow it helps me focus, rather than causing a multi-task issue in my experience. I also use music to fit the approximate decade of my fiction and that really helps. I know some writers say it's better not to listen to songs with lyrics, but that doesn't bother me at all. There is something settling about music for me, and keeps me focused and in the chair. Without music in the background, I pop up out of the chair more often for all sorts of distractions like snacks, drinks, small chores that suddenly need attention etc. So I was happy to see this article. Music might not be good for everyone's concentration, but it is the best thing for me. Thanks for posting it.

We are all so different. You have to use what works best for you.

A good friend listens to punk rock when he is writing a rant. I like to listen to music with lyrics when I'm painting, but not while writing.

I'm happy that you've enjoyed the post!

Thank you, Ellen, I have a music score in my ALBINO WOMAN Story. Right now, I'm immersed in listening to poetry readings on You Tube. I intend to write a unique poem between each section of TOXIC TIMES.

Hi Elizabeth! I remember your Albino Woman story from critique group. You are so good with dark and gritty. I look forward to reading your next works.

I listen to music while I write. It serves several purposes: if I'm actually paying attention to the song, it may inspire a scene, it drowns out other noises in the background, and as part of TRT, it provides a neutral noise to drown out tinnitus.

Glad you've brought up the use of background noise to drown out tinnitus. Excellent point. Thank you Denise!

I suppose I am different to most here. I like listening to music, softly, in the background whilst I am writing. It does not affect me but it does infect me, the cadence, style and lyrics play with what I am writing. If I listen to "the cowboy Junkies" (just an example) the tale becomes more folksey, clever, homegrown. "KIng Crimson" and it grows esoteric and fulfilling, the poetry of Pete Sinfield, pumping up my lyricism. The huge crescendos bring words unused for years from me, only to be forgotten again when written, at times Bach and Tchaikovsky illicit similar verbose literacy. Yet the truly best for me (all will have their own choices) to encourage what I wish to write are Mike Oldfield and Tangerine Dream.

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How to Use Music as Writing Inspiration

by Melissa Tydell | 120 comments

Want to Become a Published Author? In 100 Day Book, you’ll finish your book guaranteed. Learn more and sign up here.

At a wedding reception recently, the DJ played a song that was straight from my high school days. My friends and I danced along and laughed at the lyrics, while the music brought me back in time to all those high school dances.

The guys would come up with elaborate ways to ask their dates to the dance. The girls would shop for the perfect dresses. We’d make plans to get together for a group dinner beforehand. And finally, we’d dance all night long (well, until 11 pm), letting loose with that freedom only 16-year-olds can experience.

So many times, I’ve heard a song on the radio, on a commercial, during a movie, or on my iPod and found myself transported to another place and time. The lyrics and the melody remind me of a moment I’ve experienced, a memory I haven’t recalled for ages, and I’ll feel everything that I felt back then.

Music has the ability to move us—our memories and our imaginations. Here’s how to channel that power into inspiration for your writing:

Photo by martinak15

Play that Song

Turn on music that you love. Listen carefully.

1. How does the song make you feel?

Tap into the emotions the song conjures up. Consider the mood that the song sets. With a focus on that feeling—joy, sadness, triumph, love, regret, whatever it is—write a piece that also conveys the same emotion.

2. What do the lyrics make you think about?

Sometimes the lyrics will tell a story; try to expand on that story by writing it in prose form. Or perhaps the song gives you a portrait of a character; use that description and fill in the blanks to create your own scene. Or finally, the lyrics may take you back to a time in your past; mine that memory for inspiration and write about your own experience.

3. What kind of story would use this song as a soundtrack?

Imagine the story you are about to write will be made into a movie (we can dream, right?) and this song will be on the soundtrack. Use the song to dream up a movie-worthy plot point or to envision a new setting or character.

What type of music inspires you? Is there a specific song that really moves you?

Choose a song to use as your inspiration. Listen to it start-to-finish, while keeping the questions above in mind.

Write for fifteen minutes about whatever the song inspires you to imagine. (You might have to play the song a few times on repeat!)

When you’re finished, please share your practice in the comments section.

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Melissa Tydell

Melissa Tydell is a freelance writer, content consultant, and blogger who enjoys sharing her love of the written word with others. You can connect with Melissa through her website , blog , or Twitter .

Melissa Tydell https://thewritepractice.com/author/melissatydell/ July 29, 2013 What I’ve Learned from Writing for The Write Practice
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Melissa Tydell https://thewritepractice.com/author/melissatydell/ July 1, 2013 How to Integrate Travel into a Story

120 Comments

[ I don’t know how this came, but it did, while listening to “Skyscrapers”- Demi Lovato]

A cool wind caressed the twin blade of grass, on which the drops of first rain of the season rested calmly. The air was pregnant with the smell of damp earth. Birds chirped happily, emerging from their hideouts for the rain. Sun broke through the thinning mass of clouds. Crystallized bits of soil broke and sounded “SCRUNCH” under the weight of my feet as I heaved a sigh with every stride I took.

‘Why did she leave me? Why? Why?’

The beauty around me could do nothing to subdue the dread within.

Having grown up around these parts I knew my way around so, I sauntered on a path that lead into the forest. With my head dug deep into my shoulders and hands limply placed inside the pockets, I walked looking at nothing but the mud below me.

I like how you used isolation (one-line paragraphs) to show the emotional impact and the stark contrast of beauty vs. dread.

thanks melissa

The atmosphere changed as we crossed the threshold into my bedsit. The electric charges that had been sparking all evening became subdued.

A kettle boiled

On my couch-cum-bed we sat sipping hot drinks

our exhalations met in the cold air and kissed joining as one in the frozen abyss between us

nerves jangling I reach, the barest of fingertips rest on your thigh.

dormant particles in the atmosphere wake up, break up, charged ions zip across unseen lines.

hormones raised, teenage fumbled, let our bodies twist and shout together in euphoric song

and afterwards as the long saxophone solo retreats under the bushel, may this night be marked

based on “Will You” by Hazel O’Connor – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07sL2kjJqc4

hey Suzie… that’s really good!!!

thanks Ernest, got asked was it my sermon notes when I posted on FB. Guess that means my hand is slapped. How dare I listen to secular stuff!

Thanks for including the youtube link. I had to check it out after reading your post!

It is a very English song from a very English movie “Breaking Glass” the soundtrack of my youth

Ooo Suzie, I’m blushing. Seriously, that’s very good. I like “teenage fumbled.” It’s never like it is in the movies, is it?

thanks Tom, sorry to make you {**blush**} The movies do fumble so badly. Even when they are trying for it they so miss the mark. Everyone is good looking in Hollollywood

This is like poetry… The rhythm, the syntax, the details all really work well here!

thanks Melissa, indications are that it has caused problems locally, hey ho

I love the “twist and shout” line. I also like your music, very much.

thanks Marla, I was trying not to say “let our bodies be twisted but never our minds is this love”

The song – I sing this – it is my party piece,

love this! … ‘our exhalations met in the cold air and kissed joining as one in the frozen abyss between us’

Zoe, have you ever been so poor that it was warmer outside than inside in winter. This so reminds me of the future. We were unable to bring home the turf this year so have depleted stock. I will be making a one sod fire each day!

This post is perfect for me today. I was listening to Sixpence None the Richer’s Top Ten cd and “Kiss Me” brought this end of summer scene to me:

I stood at the edge of the warm pool of light the hanging lanterns on Rosie’s porch cast across the cool green lawn. Aunt Ruby had told me to have a good time, but I couldn’t bring myself to dance with any of the boys who asked me. The golden wheat field that sprung up a few feet from the open, grassy patio and ran far to the horizon where the trees sprung up was so tempting. The shafts of moonlight that played mischievously with the shadows seemed to call as if in a mysterious fantastic tongue that only faeries can understand. I took a breath of the sweet country air and just watched as the warm breeze played with the grains and made them ripple like an ocean of golden brown waves. Rosie came over and rubbed my arm and said how nice my dress looked and how I should really dance for a while. She giggled like only Rosie can and showed me where Frank stood off from the crowd, his arms crossed, his eyes watching me.

‘I’m afraid he’s angry. I promised to dance at least two times with him, but I just don’t want to at all.’

Rosie smiled and her eyes were bright from the reflection of the lanterns.

‘He’s obviously set on you. But we’ll keep him waiting ‘til we have him around your little finger, won’t we?’ Rose laughed again and walked back into the midst of the party.

I sighed. I did feel guilty for refusing poor Frank; but there was only one person I wanted to dance with. They said I was silly for waiting, saving my love, my dances for a man who everyone said ‘would never come back’.

I took a deep breath and turned back from the crowd, taking a few steps away so that the light couldn’t reveal the tears I couldn’t keep back any longer.

I close my eyes as the scent of apple pie and cinnamon and cider wafts on the breeze and remember the first dance I had here at Rosie’s house.

I look down at my shoes, my dress, and realize that they are the same as those I wore on that night. It was two years ago but it feels like a whole lifetime. And yet it feels like yesterday that we stood and swayed in the twilit night, he holding me so gently and finally kissing me as if he’d wanted to forever.

I can hear the rustling of grass as someone moves close to me. Frank, finally attempting to force me to dance? Rosie, to coax me to give in?

His shadow is cold and I start to turn but he puts his arms around me and I stop cold.

‘Won’t you dance with me tonight?’ I don’t need to turn, don’t need to see those blue eyes, those golden brown curls, that square jaw, or the scars that recount childhood adventures. I just hold his hands and smile.

Your post goes so well with the song. Had to listen to it while reading your post.

The reference to a similar night two years prior adds a great longing/nostalgia. I noticed how many of your sentences start with “I” – not sure if you used the repetition on purpose or if it would be worth switching up some of the sentence structure to add variety. Either way, this scene does a good job of capturing the emotion of the song.

Such evocative imagery. You’ve really set a great atmosphere.

Love the music idea. Wrote this while listening to “Mess of Me” by Switchfoot.

He leads her through the bone yard, and the story crawls out of his throat like a cancerous serpent. Once he starts, he can’t stop telling all of the secrets he has hidden for years. His 9 year old sister stands with mouth wide open in her white nightgown, alone with him in the forest.

He starts with the real story of the cat with 3 legs. It was an accident, but he was wrong to lie, he tells her. He kneels in the wet ferns and rubs his hands up and down his legs. He tells her about how Mr. Tucker shot Miss Gertrude’s dog for digging in his corn field. He tells her how he hid the evidence to protect Mr. Tucker. He is building to the worst story of all.

He is crumpled now, bent over like a toddler in the ferns, clutching his knees. She walks closer to him and her white nightgown moves in the breeze. She puts her tiny hand on his head, and the ruffles on her sleeve make him look up. She’s never seen him cry and it scares her. The big brother who is always strong, who always has the answers, who always comforts her scraped knees. Everything is changing this night, but she has no idea what’s coming. She takes off his hat and pushes his blonde hair back.

“Tell me” she says.

He starts and stops. He can’t get the words out. He shouldn’t tell her. Why is he doing this to her? Because he knows she will find out. It’s better if he explains it to her.

He starts again, and this time the tail of the serpent crawls out of his throat, the whole thing, and now it is she who is sitting on the ground crying and rocking. The story comes out while the wind kicks up and the leaves rustle above and swirl around them. She turns away from him and is sick in the ferns.

Very good! So intriguing!…I’m dying to know what this poor boy’s done.

Thanks for your comment, Mollie. I’m glad you see him as a poor boy. I’m still working on this one.

Yay, another Switchfoot fan! One of my favourite groups. Wow. I really do hope you carry on with this and then share with us… so powerful.

Thanks Zoe! I wonder if the scene would have come out differently if I’d listened to the acoustic version. More on the music theme. In the acknowledgments section of her books, Stephanie Meyer always includes a thank you to the various bands that inspire her. She credits the band Muse, and many others, with banishing writer’s block. Worth a try, right?

This reminds me of Step 9 in the Twelve Steps; “We made a direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” I hated seeing him hurt his little sister with his confession. And yes, I’m dying to know what he did. I love “He leads her through the boneyard, and the story crawls out of his throat like a cancerous serpent.” Great imagery.

Thanks Tom. It was uncomfortable to write this too. Hopefully he will redeem himself.

This is great. I personally love he/she tags and you rocked it. The format is cool and it makes me want to try to write something that way. It reminds me of some of Raymond Carver’s poetry. Also, you did a good job of creating suspense by building up the stories, slowly breaking away the innocent conceptions that the sister has. I really want to know what the final blow will be.

Thanks for all of the comments. You reassure me that I’m building suspense as I near the end of this tale.

Oh my goodness – very powerful.

Wow, this is powerful – great juxtaposition of innocence and guilt with the brother/sister pairing.

Strong, strong stuff.

Oh my, this is good. I just shouldn’t have read it right before bed. Such strong images!

Thanks Marla, funny I didn’t mean to write something so creepy, but it seems to be going that way.

Last Dance (Donna Summers 1978)

The music pounds, lights pulsate as they move together as one giant well-dressed orgy of forever friendship.

The perfumed cloud of sweat, cigarettes and beer hovers over the dancers as they breathe each other in.

One last dance.

Friends, lovers, cohorts for the past four years, Celebrating one last night of their glory days.

Four years of learning to love in tolerance and celebration of their many differences.

Risking vulnerability, exposing their true feelings and bodies in uninhibited drunkeness.

Feelings of regret give way to unbridled forgiveness, Belonging and acceptance weaves the common cord.

Teary eyes meet, smiles exchanged, Hugs and back-slaps interspersed with a kiss.

They have one last night, one last dance of romance But their friendship will remain a lifetime.

love the last line (and i miss donna summer…)

It’s funny how ritualistic highschool can be. It can spawn the same types of feelings and nostalgia no matter what generation.

This is such a great description of highschool It’s interesting how ritualistic highschool can be and how similar the experience is for so many different people.

Sorry for the double post, I didn’t think the first one went up!

I think my favorite line is “Risking vulnerability, exposing their true feelings and bodies in uninhibited drunkenness.” Maybe it’s because it addresses both the emotional and physical all at once.

“…one giant well-dressed orgy of forever friendship.” I love that phrase. LOVE it.

This is so good. I think you had to get your cast drunk! I love this scene.

inspired by ‘slow dancing (swaying to the music)’ by johnny rivers

her arms curled around his shoulders and her fingers combed through the back of his still damp hair and when she cupped the back of his head in her tiny palm he felt protected from anything and everything. as the song played they began to move inside its rhythm and its essence poured over them and they were lost to the world.

this was one of them – one of his first and hers too. in every life there are a handful of quintessential moments and this was one for sure. regardless of where things went from here – and as is true with most high school loves this would last for only a brief time and then things would change – for this moment under a perfect star-filled maryland night things were as they were intended. like a gift from above showing them how things could be.

hearts full and on the verge of tears they listened as the song came to its close. this was all very new and very good and like nothing he had known before and has experienced rarely since. this night no longer seems like yesterday – too much time has passed and the years have faded the colors and blurred the edges but he still fights to keep it alive in his memory.

once back in the car he turned off the radio since silence was the only appropriate sound and he pulled the car back onto the road and in the direction of her home although his home seemed to be right there. no words were spoken because none were needed. two hands on the wheel one on his knee the other in her pocket with fingers crossed and hoping to God.

I really like this, Steve. Brings back memories of my high school dances. I am intrigued by your last line. Her fingers are crossed, not his. My first thought would have been his fingers were crossed hoping to get some action or at least a kiss goodnight, but I’m thinking she’s just hoping he wont break up with her.

hi tom. no getting lucky was thought of at all. all about wishing for what they knew probably wouldn’t occur in the ling term.

My favorite part: “once back in the car he turned off the radio since silence was the only appropriate sound and he pulled the car back onto the road and in the direction of her home although his home seemed to be right there.” I like the way your sentences have a rhythm with the repetition of “and” and the linking of clauses.

Beautiful. you have captured the emotions, the images so beautifully. I love the poetry of this.

Music has always been a big part of my writing and has helped me write many stories. Thanks for the post! I think it will help me even more. 😀

Music is such a powerful writing tool. In fact, I can rarely write without an appropriate playlist for whatever I’m writing. Here’s my practice, inspired by “Remember” by Josh Groban, from the end of the movie “Troy”:

The streets were quiet, snow-laden. The sleeping windows and hushed breeze belied the dread which built up in him as thoughts of tomorrow crowded his mind.

“And to think that in twnty-four hours you’ll be half-way across the planet.” Roger’s sigh was heavy behind him. “For what? Patriotism? Vengeance?”

Nicolaus’s hand tightened on the heavy curtain. He could already imagine the streets black with the final parade of the departing army. The roses that would remain, crushed and trampled, long after the army had left.

The candles which would be lit by bereaved mothers, sisters, sweethearts. And all because of him.

“I go for duty, Roger. For the Motherland.”

“The Motherland needs you to kill a few hundred thousand innocent foreigners so her unscrupulous rulers can have a few more acres?”

Answers jostled each other in his head. Balance of power, the way of the world, men have been doing this for centuries…

Nicolaus turned abruptly, letting the curtain fall over the window, hiding the city. “Everything’s merely a matter of perspective, cousin. Innocent people, or Barbarians in the way of peace, who can say what they really are? Every government has to sacrifice somewhere.”

“You don’t have to sacrifice yourself, Nicolaus.”

“Forget the philosophy, Roger. I know what I’m doing.”

He knew what he was doing. Too well. But he was too far gone to give in to his conscience now.

“If we don’t manage to talk tomorrow, Roger…”

Roger managed a smile. “I know.”

“I wish you did.”

The first paragraph really sets the pensive tone, especially with the word choice: quiet, sleeping, hushed.

This does a good job of showing both Nicholaus’ torn-ness, and his stubborn unwillingness to show it. Has the feel of an historical novel. Good writing!

Thanks! It’s actually futuristic/speculative, but the historical feel is to be expected…it had it’s earliest beginnings in inspiration from “War and Peace” and other classics which I used to read when I was more disciplined! Thanks for the comment.

This is good. I’d love to read more of it!

This is my practice. I listened to “Eyes Open” by Taylor Swift. (This is also an excerpt of a book I am writing called “The Sorceress.”

Ronald was dueling a boy slightly taller than him. Beads of sweat were visible on both of their faces in the hot sun as they twisted and turned, trying to disarm their opponent.

Anya stepped next to a boy about her age and fingered her sword, itching to take one of the boys, any of the boys on with one of those wooden swords.

Ronald’s sword work was remarkable for only having a few day’s training.

“Well, well, well,” someone whispered. “What do we have here?”

Anya looked at the boy next to her. He was grinning maliciously, as if to taunt her.

“You think you’re really something, dressing in boys’ clothing and sneaking into training, don’t you?”

Anya bared her teeth at the burly boy. He laughed.

“I bet you aren’t so tough on the inside.”

Anya grasped her sword hilt instinctively. The boy’s blue eyes that matched his blonde hair perfectly flickered to the sword.

“A sword. Very nice.”

He snatched the weapon up and examined it.

“Give it back,” Anya hissed.

“I bet you can’t handle this thing. You’re much to small and delicate to be able to fight with it.”

Suddenly, the crowd of teenage boys cheered as Ronald held his disarmed opponent’s sword high in the air.

The training instructor clapped his hands loudly.

“Very good, Ronald! Very good. Now who volunteers to take this young man on?”

Just then, the burly boy stomped on Anya’s foot and she yelped loudly.

The instructor looked where Anya was standing. The boy sneered.

“You there, in the back!”

Anya stood, frozen.

“Don’t be shy, come on up.”

Anya stumbled forward as the boy pushed her. Half of the crowd gasped and whispered. A few boys guffawed. Ronald stared in confusion.

“A girl? How did you get in? You weren’t on the list.”

“There was a mistake, sir,” Anya explained. “I’m not-!”

“No matter,” the instructor said, cutting her off. “This should be entertaining. Let’s see what she can do.”

Anya’s face flushed red in fury. The amusement in his voice made her sick.

Anya strode down the field purposefully, ignoring the stares from the boys. She snatched the wooden sword from the boy that Ronald had disarmed, who was so overcome with laughter he could barely stand. She would show these ignorant sexists.

“I bet there’s an explanation for this,” Ronald whispered in a knowing voice as they shook out their arms and legs.

“There is,” Anya whispered back. “And don’t go easy on me.”

Ronald smiled.

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I don’t have to for you to win.”

“Assume your positions,” the training instructor ordered.

Anya and Ronald bowed to each other and lifted their swords up.

“Begin!”

Anya and Ronald circled each other, Anya ignoring the jeers and boos directed at her.

Ronald feinted left and attacked her right side. She blocked and continued to circle Ronald.

“Beginners’ luck,” Anya heard someone say.

Ronald attacked again and Anya twisted away.

Wear out your enemy and save your energy for the end.

Anya repeated the strategy in her head as she parried and dodged Ronald’s attacks.

“Quit blockin’ and get attackin’!” Someone yelled. Anya ignored him and kept circling her opponent.

Anya noticed Ronald’s face was covered in sweat and the sword hung loosely from his hand. Anya gripped her sword more tightly and began to match each of his attacks with one of her own.

As the action picked up, the booing died down. Now the boys watched intently as if it were a real battle and not a joke.

“You’re doing very well,” Ronald said in between gasps of breath. Anya knew he was sincere, but she knew not to think about the compliment just then and get distracted.

Ronald raised his sword for an attack, giving Anya just enough time to jab Ronald in the stomach. He jumped back in surprise and fought to catch his breath. Anya twisted her sword around his sword arm and with a flick of her wrist, she sent his weapon into the air and caught it.

Ronald stared at her for a split second and then broke into a smile. He shook her hand (a sign of good sportsmanship) and Anya tossed the swords aside.

Anya marched passed the gaping crowd. She held her hand out to the boy who had picked on her.

“I’ll thank you to give me my sword back.”

Sorry for the strange formatting. 😛

Hi MV, your Anya makes me think of George RR Martin’s Arya. Nice writing, but I think your parenthetical remark isn’t necessary. (a sign of good sportsmanship). If you want to add that, then do, but slip it in without the parentheses. Also, he should probably do the hand shaking after she gets rid of the swords, else it would probably be a bit awkward. Maybe something along the lines of” Anya tossed the swords aside, and Ronald shook her hand in a sign of good sportsmanship. Or … and Ronald, ever the good sport, shook her hand, whatever.

Thanks for the advice, Mirelba! 😀

Welcome! I think you do a great job, but I guess we all have room for improvement, and constructive criticism helps us get there faster.

Great writing! I love the energy of this. You maybe have too many Ronalds in this sentence ‘Ronald feinted left and attacked her right side. She blocked and continued to circle Ronald.’ – maybe she blocked and continued to circle HIM? I enjoyed reading this, look forward to the book. Will listen to the song at some point too!

I’m glad Anya showed those boys that she could hang with the best of them 🙂 And I liked that Ronald shows respect for her… perhaps they have a special friendship/relationship developing? Thanks for sharing!

There’s no way I can listen to music and type, it’s distracting. I have to hear the words in my head. Although I liked the ideas expressed here. Unfortunately, between work and the holidays no time. Will have to devote to this later. I’ve had a lot of fun though listening to your songs and reading your works. Awesome!

Song: Poor Atlas by Dessa

It’s raining outside and every drop can be seen in the pumpkin-orange streetlights. He’s on the bed with the girl. He has his arms around her, but he isn’t looking at her. He’s looking at one of the walls. He can’t stop staring at the walls. He stares at them like he is trying to see through them. But he isn’t. All he sees are blurred walls.

Her head is in her shoulder. She is weeping. She won’t look up at him and when she moves away she hides her eyes with her hair.

There’s nothing you can do, he says. Your parents can handle it. They’re there with him, it will be ok.

She doesn’t say anything. She pulls her knees up and hugs them.

It’ll be ok. They found him before he did it. ‘It,’ he thought, what kind of word is ‘it’ to describe something. It could mean anything, but all it means is this one thing. ‘It’ could mean he just won the lottery. Or he finally got all the way through a college course without giving up. ‘It’ could mean that instead of doing all those drugs, all that oxy, all that Ritalin, all that shit, ‘it’ could actually mean that those voices stopped talking to him and he stopped seeing all those faces and people and that he finally became himself again. But, ‘it’ doesn’t mean any of that. ‘It’ doesn’t mean anything that he didn’t do, and only everything he did do.

It’ll be ok, he says and looks at her, but she doesn’t look up. Please, he says but she doesn’t move.

They have him, he says. It’s going to be alright.

They’ve had him before, she says. Her voice is shaky and weak. They’ve had him before. They’ve stopped him before and then they put him back out and he just did it again. He just tried to do it again.

He looks at her like he wants to try to say something. To say anything. But he doesn’t. He hasn’t the faintest idea what to say.

The doctors are going to just give him the same drugs so he can’t even think right and after a week, let him out. My parents are going to go home and cry and fight. My dad doesn’t want to be apart of it anymore. He wants to leave and my mom can’t.

She pauses and catches her breath. He came home one Christmas, you know. He came home and tried to burn down the tree. He broke in through the window to his childhood room. The one we slept in together when we were little. He’s not him anymore. He’s been gone for so long; I haven’t seen him for so long.

That last line is really effective. Heartbreaking.

Song: Poor Atlas

It’s raining outside and every drop can be see in the pumpkin-orange streetlights. He’s on the bed with the girl. He has his arms around her, but he isn’t looking at her. He’s looking at one of the walls. He can’t stop staring at the walls. He stares at them like he is trying to see through them. But he isn’t. All he sees are blurred walls.

Her head is in his shoulder. She is weeping. She won’t look up at him and when she moves away she hides her eyes with her hair.

The doctors are going to just give him the same drugs so he can’t even think right and after a week, let him out. My parents are going to go home and cry and fight. My dad doesn’t want to be a part of it anymore. He wants to leave and my mom can’t.

Ohhh no! Sorry for double posting!

The pain and emotions are so strong here. I got a little confused here and there – it might help to add in quotation marks for the spoken dialogue and to distinguish the “he” who is the main character of this scene and the “he” who the man and woman are talking about (sounds like it’s her brother). Great dark and dramatic scene!

Whoo. This is good! I like the almost-non-use of quotation marks; it gives a stark unsparing energy to it. Leaves me wanting to know more about all of these people.

I like this! And I do like the lack of quotation marks, but at the same time you lose the benefit of separating what they think and what they say. But maybe that was your aim?

Wow. This absolutely blew me away. I’d agree with the others that sometimes you don’t know who’s talking, but the message is still really strong.

Thanks all for replying. The thinking portion is supposed to be in italics, but I don’t know how to enable that on here. I’ll work on making it easier to distinguish speakers though, thanks for pointing that out.

(I’m thunder-shy about quoting other people’s song-lyrics, so I’ll just go ahead and tell you that the song inspiring this piece is “I Can’t Escape From You” by Hank Williams, Sr., a song he never recorded in the studio with his band — just made a simple home recording of it not long before he died. It’s on You-Tube.)

He threaded the tape through the little tape recorder with hands that shook slightly.

Can’t Escape.

Whether he was at home or, as now, in some motel room on the road, this was standard procedure with all his new songs. He sniffed back the tears he’d shed in the writing of the lyrics, which touched his life with a frankness not revealed in any of his previous songs.

Can’t Escape. From You.

Who had the heart of stone? Her — or was it him? Was he writing to her, to the bottle, or to himself? What the hell had happened to them, to himself, to the world in three or four short years? There didn’t seem to be any rules for the territory they’d entered — he acted the fool on the road, she acted the fool back home, in some crazy contest that just kept gettin’ uglier all the time– ’til finally she served the papers on him. He didn’t care, he’d signed on the dotted line, let her have the house and the money and —

God, not his son! He squeezed his eyes tight shut against fresh tears.

Can’t Escape. From You. The sinking feeling he got from thinking of the future threatened to pull him completely under. Would he even be alive in a year?

He took a good hit off the bottle. Cleared his throat. Pressed the PLAY button and strummed a D chord.

Very cool how you incorporated the song as part of your practice and explored the meaning behind the lyrics. Thanks for sharing!

I dig Hank Williams, so this really resonated with me. Nice job. Well-written, too, even without the Williams factor.

Thanks all. I’ve been a Hank nut ever since I saw Junior live in my hometown in about 1970 with three of his dad’s band playing for him. What a story without end, with Hank III now!

I’m not real familiar with Hank Jr.’s or Hank III’s music, but I heard Hank III on the radio for the first time the other week, and darned if he doesn’t sound a lot like his grandfather. It was kind of eerie.

Brilliant! I love how you take us behind the scenes of a song. The line about his son is heartbreaking.

Great job! very powerful.

This writing feels so alive, with so much behind it. I love the lines ‘Who had the heart of stone? Her – or was it him? Was he writing to her, to the bottle, or to himself?’ – amazing.

I don’t know, I have a love/hate relationship with music when I write. Of course, that has more to do with being a metal head and blasting the music really loud than anything else. It’s hard to write when someone is screaming in your ear.

Haha, true! It does depend on the type of music and your personal preferences, but inspiration can come from anything and everything.

Bright Eyes

My sister Cathie was always the outgoing one, the pretty one, the popular one. She was the apple of my daddy’s eye. Her eyes shone with mischief, the brightest of bright blue. She married young, of course, and moved far away with her little family. Now she is ill, dangerously ill, my parents have flown to be at her bedside, my fatehr is distraught. I buy flowers, spending more than I can afford for them to be delivered to her hospital room in an Intensive Care Unit. I wait to hear, there is nothing I can do. The only death I have ever faced was my cat – he was old, bedraggled, he slipped away. She is not old – don’t slip away. I clean the house, I wait, I listen to the radio. Art Garfunkle’s ‘Bright eyes’ is played so often.”Bright eyes how can you close and fail….. suddenly burn so pale”. Bright blue eyes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs8bpQN6TWY&feature=related

I like that you wrote this in the present tense (aside from the first paragraph which reflects on the past), as it brings an urgency to the piece. The idea of sibling jealousy/comparison adds another layer of tension as well.

Wow, there is so much emotion in this piece, Juliana – it really grabbed me. The only thing I’d suggest is to start the piece with her eyes, so that there’s a full circle in the story.

Teacher, I did the practice! But I’m gonna be that kid who posts a link to a blog rather than posting it here. And I’m not gonna do it today because of this thing called foreshadowing…

Haha… can’t wait!

Here you go 🙂 http://www.katieaxelson.com/jesus-worldwide-i-had-a-dream-once/

Very nice! I like how the sentences build off each other as you read, showing the progression of life and time.

Thanks! It was different than I’d ordinarily write but I like the way it turned out.

Musicals like Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera get me thinking, feeling, dreaming, and drifting.

The actual Phantom of the Opera song is pretty intense.

Oh yes, I used to listen to “Phantom of the Opera” and try to sing along myself. It is a powerful song!

[I love this; I had to post something. That said, the something I came up with is something I just wrote now, right here in the comment box, so it’s a first draft and decidedly rough.]

*music: “Song For The Dumped” by Ben Folds Five*

I thought I was heartbroken. I was, I guess.

No, I was–I know I was. It’s why I slept away the summer, when I wasn’t at work or watching TV. It’s why I ate way too many Stouffer’s french bread pizzas.

Those things aren’t even good. And it’s not like there aren’t fifty pizza places around here. French bread pizzas are for people too weighed down by ennui to place an order for delivery. Food for sad people. Sad as in the emotion, and as in the first part of “sad sack”.

So I was heartbroken (although I still think that sounds too melodramatic), or sad, or out of sorts, or…I don’t know. Not so much heartbroken as just broken, maybe.

Like I had a malfunction. A blown-out self-esteem. Not worth trying to fix. The unit would have to be replaced.

But now? Now, I’m just angry.

I kind of hate you.

You have humiliated me in front of my friends. They all knew what you were up to before I did. They were too nice to say anything, or it was too awkward, or something.

What I’m trying to say is, you messed up my relationships with all of my friends. ALL of them. They’re still my friends I guess, but I’m not their friend any more.

I’m their sad sack friend. Their clueless friend. The chump.

And that doesn’t make me sad. It did, but not now. Now, I’m livid.

And yeah, I want my money back. Bitch.

Love, love, love the pizza story. What a way to describe being heartbroken.

I love that song. I can also sympathise!

Thank God, those times seem to be over!

I really do like what you said about Stouffer’s. It brings back the taste and the texture for me, and if anyone has ever tasted a Stouffer’s it would be easy to equate it with your feelings. Sort of damp, sad, and given up.

Yeah…this is (very) slightly autobiographical, and boy, do I not miss those times.

This is great, Brian, don’t think you need too much work on it.

Hey, thanks!

I LOVE this! I love ‘I kind of hate you’, and I love all the last few lines ESPECIALLY “And yeah, I want my money back. Bitch.” – awesome!

Thank you…although I can’t take too much credit for the ending. That’s just a paraphrasing of the song’s lyrics.

(James Taylor “I Don’t Want To Be Lonely Tonight)

I would not go to Zane’s house. I would not drive by or walk by or bike by. Because that’s how much I didn’t trust myself. I could imagine him inside, sitting at the kitchen table, eating something from the deli at Walmart, because he didn’t cook, or at least he didn’t when we were together. He would raise his hand to brush his black hair off his face, because his hair was always falling in his eyes.

The route I take winds around the high school, where his house is hidden by the new auditorium. I stopped once. I went right up to the doorway of Mrs. Adelmeyer’s room, where he pulled me to him, between classes when anyone could have seen, and relived the minutes when he hitched up my pleated skirt and I rock stone still while he roamed, and I was alive as I have ever been.

What you have to know about me is that I am faithful, at least since I’ve been married. I come from a long line of faithful women who suck in air and look the other way when their men come in late – or don’t come in at all. I come from women who quell boredom with good works. No telling how many orphans have benefitted from my family’s boredom. We don’t divorce, my mother told me once, the Hadleys persevere.

But at night, when my husband sleeps beside me, I think of Zane. He wore jeans worn thin, ripped at the knee, ragged at the hem. He had the kind of body you dreamt of. Muscled, but not freakishly so. So tall that even in heels, he’d lift me up to kiss him.

He married a mediocre woman the year after I married. The kind of skinny blond you see and wonder if she does drugs. He left her last spring, just as the Easter flowers bloomed. And now he is in that house, alone as far as I know, and the thought of it is wrecking me.

The last time I saw Zane, I was engaged to my husband. I’d been drinking, White Zin and Sprite, and he showed up at the Branding Iron, where I’d stopped after work on a Friday. He asked me to dance and I said yes. When he pulled me to him, I could smell him. I read once that scent is the thing that draws us together, that we don’t know it but that’s what makes us desire another person. But I knew. I’d known it as a seventeen-year-old and I knew it then. What did he smell like? Pine needles and wood smoke and the sea.

“What’s that rock you’re wearing?” Zane asked.

I felt the heat rise. “This old thing?” I said. Shameful I know, but that’s what I said, and then I turned my engagement ring around, so that the diamond cut into me when I made a fist.

“So you’re getting married,” Zane said, and I couldn’t answer him.

He didn’t ask another question. He looked me in the eye. He traced the curve of my jaw, and then on my collarbone. The strap of my blouse had fallen off my shoulder and he traced where it should have been.

I didn’t once try to stop him.

We drove out to Lost Beach, which is not a beach at all, but a lake where a city developer brought in a bunch of sand and set up a tiki hut where beer costs eight dollars a pop. Zane parked the truck and grabbed a quilt he had stashed in the tool box. We found a spot where a sand dune rose high enough to hide us.

Clouds rippled across the night sky, the stars moving in and out of sight. The moon looked as if it had been cut in half, a vertical slash like a heart cut in two. We lay beneath it, dressed and then not dressed, wild from want. His hands were hard on me, and I thought I might be bruised the next day. I didn’t care. His fingers were lost in my hair, and I moved on top of him, my eyes wide open. I wanted to watch him; I didn’t want to miss a thing.

“Leave him,” Zane said.

“And be with you?” I asked.

The night grew quiet for just a moment. And then I could hear another couple laugh, and farther away a fight was starting, the shrill sound of accusations sharp in the air. “Sure,” he said, finally. “Be with me.”

There was so much in that pause. There was every bit of trouble that drove us apart. I pushed off of him, my face hidden by my hair. I ran my fingers across his thighs, strong as stone. I kissed his chest, I touched his eyebrows. There was an ache to it, there was a letting go that left me hollow.

“I don’t think I can,” I said, as soon as I could speak.

“No,” he said, a bit of relief in that word, I thought. “I didn’t think so.”

He held me then, our skin damp against, our legs tangled. I was pale against him. He kissed my forehead. He sat up and kissed my knees. He kissed my fingers, one after the other. He was blessing me, I think, or that’s what I like to tell myself.

I’d like to blame the alcohol, but I would have taken Zane stone sober.

I married my husband four weeks later, on a perfect fall night. I walked straight to him, my lace covering everything dark inside me. I gave it my all that night, I really did, and then I fell into a deep sorrow that sank into my bones.

Tonight I am driving the black roads – I’m supposed to be Christmas shopping. The high school is decked out in giant candy canes and dancing wooden elves, courtesy of the shop students. Zane is not far away, in his house that I could see if I walked to the football field and climbed the bleachers and stood in the press box. I can feel him. You might say I’m crazy, but I can. If I rang the doorbell, he would answer. I’d say, “I’m lonely tonight,” and he’d step aside, he’d let me walk in. We would start something, I know we would. It would go wrong eventually, I can’t pretend it wouldn’t. But tonight it wouldn’t matter.

Beautiful, as always. Not gonna pick a favorite line, since your lines tend to flow one into another beautifully. One line that doesn’t, IMHO and which I’d tweak is: (The route I take winds around the high school, where his house is hidden by the new auditorium. ) I stopped once.

Although it gets clarified, when you read this, it’s not quite clear where she stopped. And I’m not sure I like the stopped.

Thank you Mirelba. Very good point.

Well I AM going to pick a favourite line and this is it “he hitched up my pleated skirt and I rock stone still while he roamed, and I was alive as I have ever been. ” – whoa. You are one seriously sexy writer, Marla. I’m jealous and in awe at once. I hope you are writing a book.

Thank you thank you thank you. No book yet. Still mastering short stories!

This is amazing, Marla! I listened to the song while I read it. So many good lines… ‘no telling how many orphans have benefited from my family’s boredom’ , the diamond cutting into her, the pause that had ‘every bit of trouble that drove us apart’, ‘my lace covering everything dark inside me’…

Thank you so much. I love James Taylor. He makes me swoon.

Wow! I love how you conveyed all the mixed emotions, passion, longing, etc and it came across effortlessly.

Needs a lot of editing, but here goes:

The Church – Under the Milky Way

The life of a radio dj can be both lonely and full.

When I ended up in college, going to the concrete campus downtown, a new chapter in my life began.

I had listened to the radio station there since I was about 13, and I rarely listened to anything else. I was determined to have the coveted post of radio dj on my favourite station. When I went on a tour of the station with other interested students, the assistant programming director, who was responsible for hiring, said that only the most persistent applicants would be considered.

So I would drop a note in his mailbox once a week, every week, until I was hired in January of my freshman year. I was the youngest person on staff at the time, having just turned 18, many of my colleagues being grad students who had been around for ages.

The new guy always starts with a shift in the middle of the night, starting at 2 am. There are a couple of training sessions with the person who comes on between 10 and 2.

The overnight rotation has a different flavour to the daytime rotation. The programming director picks the tracks from the alternative albums of the week and decides which songs get played when and how often. There was an interesting formula to it.

And there are songs and albums more suited to the night time.

At the same time I began to dj, my horizons were beginning to expand and my haunts were becoming less and less suburban and more city-based. I found myself at house parties in houses built in the 20s and 30s close to downtown, the usual haunts of twenty-somethings. There is a certain smell to these houses compared to the new-built suburban sprawl that I lived in. Sort of a musty lived-in-ness that I’ve come to appreciate here in Blighty now that I’ve lived in houses that are even older.

But I equate my nights as a radio dj with that period when my horizons expanded and I became aware of more than just the limitations of my suburban sprawl.

When I started dj-ing, the album Starfish by The Church was in the rotation. “Under the Milky Way” was the tune that we played in the middle of the night. And when I hear that song now, it brings me back to the station studio in the middle of the night, and old houses with wooden floorboards, and college girls with a completely different aesthetic from the big-haired girls I knew in high school…

Nice! i like the line ‘there are songs and albums more suited to the night time’.

I love this prompt, Melissa. My piece is inspired by Jon Foreman, Behind your Eyes.

He tried to kiss her, but Layla turned away. The excess of brandy and love on his lips scared her.

‘I want to stand on one of those,’ she said, pointing to the rock formation poised under the midnight sky.

Layla ran ahead of him, laughing at the curses bestowed on her. The sand was cold under her heels. And the tide was going out. She watched the rim of white try and catch her feet as she ran, but always she was too high for the sea to reach her.

‘Danny, wait for me!’ Patrick shouted.

‘Come catch me, you ou dronkie,’ she said to the stumbling black figure. He started to run but this unhinged his balance and he fell over, thudding onto the soft sand. She bent over laughing.

‘Get up you idiot!’

‘I can’t.’

Layla put her hands against the rock, and let them slide through the grooves and cuts. The sound of the sea, so alive and pure, surrounded her. She walked towards Patrick.

‘You’re pathetic.’

He groaned, his hands on his head. She grabbed them and tried to pull him up, but he pulled harder and soon she was on top of him. He tried to kiss her again. And because they were between sand and black sky, and in the sea’s song, she momentarily relented. Then she rolled away and found her own patch of sand.

They lay beside each other, gazing into the darkness.

‘Why do you love this place?’ He asked, reaching his hand out. She held it loosely.

She thought of the jaggedness of the rocks, and how comforting it was to touch their brokenness, and she thought of the roar of the sea, and how strong it made her, and how the sun made everything crisp and clear again, after the shadows of night.

She shrugged. ‘Dunno.’

He sat up and looked at her. She’d spread out like a starfish, her fingers, which he’d only ever known limp, were taut. They pointed in all directions.

‘That’s OK,’ he said. ‘Maybe one day we’ll figure it out.’

Gorgeous. This is my favorite line: And because they were between sand and black sky, and in the sea’s song, she momentarily relented.

Ahh, this is great Zoe! I love ‘the excess of brandy and love on her lips’ and i loved that whole paragraph where she is thinking poetically, why she loves that beach, and then she just shrugs and says ‘dunno’. Ha. Great writing. I’m having trouble getting the comma split thing…do you think you need a comma between ‘he started to run’ and ‘but’? He started to run but this…he started to run, but this…I dunno. The comma thing is confusing me so much i think i might be taking out ones that are needed now.

I know I am late with this, but I was so busy yesterday, and this is such an awesome ‘practice’ I had to join in. I wrote a creative piece when I was a teenager to ‘This city never sleeps’ by The Eurythmics. My English teacher didn’t think much to it. Maybe I can do the song better justice now.

Another tube train rattles past, shaking the old house with its crumbling plaster and loose fitting, mildew stained windows. I ram my pillow over my head trying to drown out the noise.

It’s 2am. Hopefully that was the last train tonight. Not that I will sleep any better, not in this apartment.

I’d only been living here a couple of weeks. It was all I could afford with my tin pot wages. Moving to the city was not as glamorous as I had imagined.

This house, divided as it was into too many dwellings, heaved with damp, fetid, crawling life.

I haven’t got used to the endless cacophony – the barely muffled talking, laughing, shouting, smacking, sucking, barking, clicking, switching, ticking I can hear behind the paper thin walls. I can hear people BREATH. I can hear them sweat. I can hear them moan and move against each other.

The pillow isn’t helping. I get up and walk to the bathroom. With the dull light from the flickering bulb I can see my reflection in the mirror above the sink. My eyes peer back at me from dark rims, my skin grey and breaking out in places. I splash my face with cold water, and watch the drips slide down my cheeks and drop from my chin.

Leaving the bathroom, I take a slurp of vodka from the bottle on my bed side table, light a cigarette and lay back on my pillow. Smoking has replaced sleeping, for me. I watch a moth flutter against the curtainless window, trying to get out into the darkness, and I listen to the people, whose names I do not know, struggling to survive in a city that never sleeps.

Wow! This is fantastic. I love “smoking has replaced sleeping, for me.” So, so good.

Awww, thanks Marla! You’ve made my day!

I had to laugh when I came to number three. I was thinking of two songs as I read this article, and both are already movie soundtracks (“May it Be” and “Into the West” from Lord of th Rings). Anyway, here’s my practice. I wrote it after listening to “Worn” by Tenth Avenue North.

The door slammed so forcefully the walls shook. A picture fell off the wall, others rattled, barely managing to hang on. Michael didn’t bother to turn on the light. What was the point? Every light in his life had gone out, every picture had crashed and shattered on the ground.

He threw himself onto his bed and let the tears stream from his eyes. Now that he was alone. All the tears held back from a lifetime of shame and brokenness. His arm, plastered from shoulder to wrist, pulsed throbbing pain with every heartbeat. The physical kind of pain. It was bad enough, but it was only the beginning.

His father seemed to think the broken arm was Micael’s fault. As if he didn’t care that his senior season of football, his hopes for college, everything–was all gone forever. His father cared too much. They’d just finished screaming at each other about it. About his failure as a quarterback, his failure at football in general, his failure at life. Only his father could be heartless enough to mention the fire. The fire that had killed his little brother ten years ago. It had been Michael’s idea to play with the matches. His father had never forgiven him. Never would. That’s why he pushed him so hard in football. As if winning a scholarship would ever pay for little Adam’s life.

Now, Michael had failed at even that. He’d never play football again. His father hated him for it. Hated him for everything.

The tears soaked his pillow as everything but the pain poured out. But he felt no better. He was worthless. He why was he still here, anyway? Living, but not alive. Not even surviving. Just existing. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“God,” he cried, not caring if his father heard him, “God, I don’t know if you’re out there somewhere, but I’m just worn out. When is this all going to end? My life is nothing. I need you to show me if I can be saved. That something good can come from the wreck I am. Or I’m going to end it all right now.”

He shoved his hand into his jeans pocket and found his knife. Flipped out the blade, held it above his chest, closed his eyes.

At that moment, his phone rang.

Serendipitous that this topic came up this week. I have just recently started writing short stories as practice and had always wanted to put on paper a storyline that came to mind anytime I listened to “Rain Down On Me” by Blue Rodeo. It is a first draft but I thought I would post it anyway. http://www.lyricstime.com/blue-rodeo-rain-down-on-me-lyrics.html Raid Down On Me

I’d watched Annabelle ever since we were kids. She lived 2 doors down and was 2 grades below me in school. I’d see her leave her house each morning, closing the door on the hollering that was still loud enough to reach my bedroom window. She did her best to hide her injuries, baseball cap pulled down over black eyes, long sleeved shirts to cover the bruises on her upper arms and wrists from being grabbed and yanked around. And yet, somehow, the sparkle never seemed to leave her eyes. I knew what went on behind that closing door each afternoon as she came home from school, and yet if I hadn’t known, I never would have guessed. She laughed and played with the other little girls as if her life at home weren’t a nightmare. Everybody loved her, it was impossible not to love her. We became friends, just friends, at the beginning of high school. She’d come to my house after school and we’d stay up in my room talking for as long as she felt she could safely get away with. Eventually, at the end of each evening, she’d tell me she had to go home. “Why?” I’d say. “Stay here with us. Mom and Dad won’t care. You can sleep in Mikey’s old room.” “It’ll be worse if I don’t go home” she’d say. “Your house is too close. He’d find me here. If I’m going to go, I have to go farther than here.” And I’d let her walk out the door and into the madness for another night. Cursing myself, I’d promise that tomorrow night I wouldn’t let her leave, but even though I hated myself for being such a coward, I always did let her leave. My disgust with myself would only increase the next day at school when I’d see the evidence of what she’d walked into. One morning, when we were seventeen, and I was so in love with her it made me sore with the ache of it, she came to school with her backpack so full the seams were stretched to bursting. “What’s with your bag?” I asked her, not expecting the answer to change my entire life. “I’m leaving,” she had replied, so matter-of-fact, and the words were like a punch in the gut, because I knew that this was it. She’d been talking with more conviction these days about getting out, getting away from the horror that was her home life. She had to leave, I knew she couldn’t stay there but the selfish part of me wanted to keep her here. To keep the joy, that was her very existence, in my life. I wanted to see the sparkle in her eyes, the glory of her smile as it flashed with mischief. But with each passing day, her father was dulling the flame inside her and I knew that if I wanted the beautiful enigma that was her soul to continue to exist, I had to let her go. She stayed at school that day right until the last bell. I’m not sure why. My guess is that she didn’t want to tarnish her last day with the teachers she loved, the friends she cared about by skipping out early. She wanted a clean break. The last bell rang and she chatted with her girl friends as she walked out of the classroom ahead of me. Laughing and giggling like nothing was different about this day. No one noticed her bulging backpack, or that fact that she turned right when she left the school grounds instead of the left turn that would have led her home, but I did. I stood on the steps of the school, leaning against the concrete wall for support and watched her walk out of my life. Her father had raged for days after she’d left. All the anger and meanness he usually funneled into Annabelle had no outlet and so things got broken. I could hear him tearing the house apart from the inside out. He came over to our place a couple of times, accusing my parents of hiding her and demanding to come inside and get her. He called her all sorts of names that I’d heard him hurl at her before. At least she couldn’t hear him anymore. One night, 5 days after Annabelle left, her Dad got drunker than usual and in the haze decided that Annabelle must be in our house somewhere. He got the gun she’d told me he kept in his nightstand. The one he’d pointed in her face on more than one occasion and he staggered into our yard. I awoke to his slurred hollering and I came to my second story window just in time to see him fire through into the living room, just below me. It was late enough that all of us were upstairs and no one was hurt but the potential for danger coupled with the fresh realization that Annabelle had lived with that madness for so long made me shake so hard I had to sit back down on my bed. The relief I felt that she was somewhere, anywhere else made me almost high. My father called the police and Mick was so drunk that he was still on our front lawn when they arrived. He was taken away and I heard a little bit over the next six months about prior convictions and assaults and DUIs and what shook out of the whole thing was jail for Mick. I didn’t really care. All I cared about, even after all this time, was Annabelle. I graduated high school and used the money I’d made pumping gas for the last three years to buy a used Corolla. I told my parents I needed a break before I started college and was going on a road trip for the summer. What I didn’t tell them was that I was going to find Annabelle. I’d seen her picture a month before in a magazine at the dentist’s office. I almost hadn’t recognized her, her hair was cropped much shorter than she’d always worn it (she didn’t need it to cover the bruises around her neck, anymore, I thought) and it was no longer blonde but dyed a deep mahogany. I had almost flipped the page, oblivious, when the spark in her eyes had almost jumped off the page and grabbed me. Those eyes pierced through me in print the same as they would have if she had been sitting beside me. So she was a model now. It made perfect sense, of course. Her beauty was universal. I did some research over the next couple of weeks and managed to find out which modelling agency was representing her. They were based in LA and even though I couldn’t get them to give me her contact information, I decided to drive out there and find her anyway. I got to Los Angeles after 6 days of driving and, like an omen, as I took the ramp off the highway that lead into the city I was greeted by a billboard. Twenty-five feet of Annabelle, wearing nothing but flowers in her hair. She was as beautiful as ever but her eyes were what shocked me. They were flat, almost dead. Something was wrong, I could tell even from a photograph. I had to find her. After exhaustive searching over the course of more than a week, my finding her ended up being a coincidence. As I left a diner after lunch one day, I walked past a beautifully dressed woman deep in discussion with a homeless man. She was sitting on the curb beside him as he ate what looked like turkey and stuffing out of a Tupperware container balanced on his lap. At first I paid no attention, but as I walked past the man said something and the woman threw her head back and laughed. The sound filled my heart with love and nostalgia and I knew that I had found her. “Annabelle?” I asked. “Yes,” she replied politely, looking up, clearly not recognizing me at first but then she jumped to her feet. “Billy!” she cried as she threw her arms around me and hugged me in a way that soothed my very soul. As close as we’d gotten back home, as many times as I’d wanted to touch her, I’d always known that if I pushed too hard she’d push me away and so I’d always kept my distance. How long I had waited for this contact. And yet, instead of enjoying it, I found myself noticing how thin she’d become. Even through her clothes I could feel every rib against my chest. “Come home with me,” she said, grabbing my hand. Without a word, I followed her, knowing I’d follow her anywhere. “Hey,” the man still sitting at our feet called out as we went to walk away. “All done.” He said, and he handed her the container. She took it from him, telling him she’d bring it back again tomorrow, and led me home. The next few months were a hazy blur. It didn’t take long to see how good, and how bad her life had gotten. Clearly her look was what the modelling world was after and work was coming in from all directions. She modelled all day, living on cigarettes and compliments and partied all night. I tried to keep up with her at first but I couldn’t stand the lifestyle, moreover, I couldn’t stand watching her live it. Night after night she’d come home, drunk, high, malnourished and still emotionally damaged from the childhood she’d never dealt with. She’d stumble through the door and I’d jump up to help her with whatever she needed, whether it was a shoulder to cry on, someone to hold her hair or someone to haul her nearly unconscious form into bed and remove her shoes. I hated myself for doing nothing positive to help her but I loved her too much to care. Some nights, she’d come home lucid and I wouldn’t be able to help myself. I’d unload all the hurt and the hate and the anger I was feeling toward this life she was living and what she had become when she was so very special, so innately beautiful inside and out. How could she destroy herself, when her very being was my entire world? I’d yell myself hoarse, telling her that she’d let her Daddy win by finally managing to escape the horror, only to create a new one. And then I’d sit with my head in my hands and cry. She’d wait, propped in the door frame watching me, until I’d exhausted myself with words and tears. Then, slowly, she would come to me. She’d kneel down in front of me and lift my chin to force me to look into her eyes. In these moments, I’d see just a hint of the kindness in her eyes that had always made me love her so painfully. She’d smile, just a little, and say “Thank you. For caring so much about me.” And she’d kiss me, just lightly, on the lips, knowing that no matter what I’d just said, my need for her could not be denied. And in that moment, my ability to be rational, to be in control would always leave me and I would channel all the passion that I had churning inside me into desperately making love to her. All the while thinking, stupidly, that if I loved her enough I could fix her. One night, as the rain poured down on the city, beating on the windows of our apartment like it was trying to break its way in, she didn’t come home. There was a chill in the air that made the rain feel icy. As I waited, my emotions shifted from annoyance into anger which finally slid into panic. And so I pulled on a hooded sweatshirt and headed out into the rain. I walked the city, talking to anyone who might know where she is. Strangers, people I would never talk to if I were living my normal life, I walked up to, because I knew they might know her. These days, Annabelle spent all her time with strangers. I spoke to the homeless man I had seen her giving food to as I walked by him, huddled in a storefront to keep most of his gaunt, shivering body out of the rain. He’d seen her go by at some point in the evening but his perception of time and even the date or the year he was living in was shaky, so I couldn’t depend on the answers he gave me. I walked until my clothes were soaked through, my shoes were heavy with water. I walked until I was exhausted and freezing and out of options, and then I turned back to the apartment, afraid that this was it, that she was dead somewhere and I’d have no way to find her because nobody would know, or care enough, to call me. As I rounded the corner and turned onto our block, I stopped dead in my tracks. A cab was parked in front of our building, one of the back doors wide open. Annabelle was standing outside of the cab but leaning completely into the backseat, talking to whoever was still inside. She was swaying slightly with the intoxication of whatever substance she had been presented with on this particular evening and I could hear her beautiful, voice, slurred slightly as she tried to make some nonsensical point to whatever friends she’d made that evening. It was just another night in her world. Nothing was wrong. She hadn’t overdosed or been raped or any of the other horrors I spent my evenings trying not to imagine. And so she went about her frivolous activities while I ached and I staggered under the weight of her life, which she refused to carry. As I stood there, Annabelle made to take a step back from the cab, staggered and fell. She lay there in the rain, laughing sloppily and not even attempting to right herself again. A pull from within made me start to move toward her, to help her, to save her, to fight for all the beauty that was within her. And then a voice in my head asked me, when had I last seen that beauty? I thought back to the kindness I used to see in her eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen anything but my own tired, haggard reflection when I’d looked into her eyes. Why was I still fighting for her? What was I even fighting for? I used to think I knew, and yet, in that moment in the rain, I realized that I don’t think that anymore. The rain started to pour down harder, obscuring my view of Annabelle. None of her friends in the cab had come to her aid and now she was trying, clumsily, to get herself up, without much success. And I realized that it wasn’t my job to keep her standing, it was hers. I wanted to be with her, I wanted to love her with every ounce of who I was, but not at the sacrifice of my soul. As the rain beat down, I imagined the chains that had shackled me to Annabelle and all of her childhood baggage starting to dissolve, as if they’d been made of sugar. It was if I’d been dragging the weight of Annabelle around by those chains for a lifetime, and once they were lifted, I felt light and free. I turned around and walked back in the direction from which I had come. I didn’t know where I was going as the rain poured down on me, except that it was away from Annabelle. It felt as though each rain drop were cleansing me of the burden I had been carrying for Annabelle, as if the cold water were absorbing the agony I had been experiencing on her behalf for so long and carrying it in rivulets down the city street, through the gutters to where she lay in a heap of oblivious denial. I hoped that this action, my leaving, would cause her to wake up, see herself for what she’d become and start to do the work to bring her back to the precious girl that I once knew, that I still loved. I know that this is what I had been waiting for. I may always hope, but I won’t wait anymore.

I think for helping you to create something really good, music you listen to should be deep and close to your hurt) as for me http://ringtones.rocks/the-weeknd/in-the-night

http://ringtones.rocks/ed-sheeran/photograph

I don’t know if this particular post is still open, but I stumbled upon it while doing some research for story ideas and tried out this method. Here’s what I wrote while listening to Haley Reinhart’s rendition of “Creep”.

Catherine peeked around the corner of the hallway swinging doors to watch the rare spectacle before her. It wasn’t everyday a member of the royal family visited her humble woodland town after all. It was a once in a lifetime chance for her to catch a glimpse of one of the revered militant princes.

she caught sight of her father, a smile on his face as he conversed quietly with the small group of men in military wear. Two of the men were without a doubt twins. They stood together a little distance back. Both had blonde hair cropped short and dark green eyes that calmly surveyed the inn. The one closest to the bar had a small copper cuff in his ear, signifying his rank as a lieutenant. Her father, being a tall and heavy muscled guy, blocked her line of sight on the third soldier, no doubt the prince, so Catherine leaned out a bit more. She had just got a glimpse of hair the color of ink and a tanned ear when the blonde with the copper cuffed ear caught sight of her.

She sucked in a breath, quickly ducking back behind the kitchen wall, but not before the blonde male smirked in her direction. She remained with her back pressed against the wall for a moment. She counted slowly under her breath before attempting to look once again. A broad chest blocked her line of sight over the swinging doors causing Catherine to freeze.

“Curiosity killed the cat, y’know” A deep timbre rumbled from the chest.

Catherine raised her gaze to the man’s face, her dark eyes connecting with mirth-filled green. The copper cuff on the lieutenant’s ear glinted in the nearby lantern light as he crossed his arms and stepped aside to reveal the other occupants who were all now looking her way.

The man’s twin was frowning slightly, and Catherine could see that he possessed a silver cuff on his ear. Her father wore a similar expression upon his face, his usually kind eyes narrowed in disapproval, and Catherine knew she would be in trouble after their guests were no longer in earshot.

On the bright side, she finally had a clear view of the prince. He stood half a head taller than the blonde twins with wavy hair that was indeed as black as ink. His tan skin seemed bronze under the low lighting of the inn and his eyes…dear gods, his eyes were lavender. She’d never seen a person with lavender eyes before. It was quite a sight to behold. The prince looked at her in mild curiosity. A muffled chuckle came from her left, snapping Catherine from her reverie. Geez, had she been staring? She felt her face go warm from embarrassment and was glad for the low lighting. She returned her gaze to the blonde who had ousted her. A slim brow was raised as he looked at her and she squared her shoulders at him.

“I-I wasn’t spying! I just came to fetch my father on mother’s behalf…” She trailed off, the look on the blonde’s face showing he didn’t believe her. Not entirely at least. “Um…sorry…”

“I’ll be there in a bit, Catherine” her father’s voice reverberated around the quiet room. His stern expression told her it was time to leave. she nodded once and turned to make her way back towards the kitchens, completely ignoring the blonde lieutenant as she went. Her feet were silent on the floorboards as she entered the warm room.

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Does Listening to Music Stimulate Creative Thinking, or Stifle It?

L istening to music while you work “significantly impairs” creativity. That was the conclusion of a study published earlier this year in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology that examined the effect of different types of background music on creative problem solving.

For the study, UK researchers presented people with a series of word puzzles designed to measure creativity and “insight-based” processes. The study participants completed the puzzles either in a quiet space or in one with music playing in the background. Whether that music was familiar or unfamiliar, vocal or strictly instrumental, people’s scores on average fell on the creativity test compared to their scores in the quiet condition. “The findings challenge the view that background music enhances creativity,” the study authors wrote.

But don’t pitch your headphones or desk speaker just yet. More research on music and creativity has found that, depending on the kind of creative task a person is grappling with, certain types of music may be helpful.

A 2017 study in the journal PLOS ONE found that listening to “happy” music—defined as classical tunes that were upbeat and stimulating—helped people perform better on tasks that involved “divergent” thinking, which is a core component of creativity. Divergent thinking involves “making unexpected combinations, recognizing links among remote associates, or transforming information into unexpected forms,” the authors of that study wrote. Basically, divergent thinking is coming up with new, outside-the-box ideas or strategies.

“We can only speculate why happy music stimulates divergent thinking,” says Simone Ritter, coauthor of the PLOS ONE study and an assistant professor at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. One theory put forward in her study is that the stimulating nature of lively music somehow energizes the brain in ways that promote a “flexible thinking style,” which leads to unconventional or innovative ideas.

There are other theories. Research has shown that listening to music can lower anxiety and improve mood , and these shifts could facilitate creative insights. “For breakthrough moments of creativity, positive mood is generally helpful,” says Mark Beeman, chair of psychology at Northwestern University and principal investigator at NU’s Creative Brain Lab. Meanwhile, if someone is anxious, “this [anxiety] tends to cause them to focus more, which is not helpful,” he says.

How could focusing on a creative problem be a bad thing? Beeman has spent two decades studying the brain and its creative processes, which he explores in his 2015 book The Eureka Factor: Aha Moments, Creative Insight, and the Brain . He explains that the process of creative problem solving tends to unfold in predictable stages.

The first stage, he says, involves studying a problem or dilemma, assessing the obvious solutions, and realizing that none of them works. “At this point, if you keep focusing too hard on a problem, that tends to make it more difficult for the brain to come up with different or novel ideas,” he says. He likens it to a dim star that disappears when you stare straight at it. “To see the star, you have to look at it out of the corner of your eye, and creative ideas may be like that too,” he says. “You need to take your focus off the strong, obvious ideas to avoid squashing the others.”

This is where music comes into play. Once a person has closely examined a problem and hit a roadblock, the next creative stage is one Beeman calls “incubation.” During this stage, “there’s some kind of continuing process in the mind where you’re still mulling the problem at an unconscious level,” he says. This incubation period often produces “aha!” insights or realizations—like when you can’t recall a word, but then it pops into your head later in the day, after you’ve thought you’d stopped thinking about it.

But not all activities foster incubation, Beeman says. “If you’re reading email or doing other demanding tasks, there aren’t enough background resources to do any work on the problem.”

Listening to music, on the other hand, may be just the kind of mild diversion that relaxes the brain’s focus while still allowing it to do its fruitful new-idea incubating, he says. And indeed, there’s evidence that listening to music can stimulate the brain’s default mode network, which is a collection of connected brain regions that research has linked to creative insight.

Beeman doesn’t dispute the results of the new study that found music impairs creative problem solving. He says music might not help people solve the type of verbal puzzle the study employed—which he himself helped design and validate years ago in an effort to better measure some aspects of creative thinking. This specific type of puzzle requires “multiple cognitive processes,” he says, some of which require “focused attention.” And all types of distraction—music included—may impair focused attention.

So if a person is in the midst of the first stage of creativity, the one that involves analyzing a problem and eliminating the obvious choices or solutions, background music probably isn’t helpful. “It’s either a distraction or you just block it out,” he says.

But if you’re stuck on a problem and you’re looking for creative inspiration, taking a break to listen to music or engage in idle “mind wandering” may allow the brain the freedom it needs to “dredge up” new ideas or insights, he says. He also cites research linking mind-wandering to creative inspiration.

In those cases, what type of music should you turn on? “I think that will vary a lot depending on the individual,” Beeman says. “For most, I think something that’s pleasant and familiar—not so novel that it’s distracting—would be helpful.”

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10 Music Inspired Writing Prompts by Adriana Bielkova

Adriana Bielkova

27 December 2016

Creative prompts are the saviours of an imagination gone dry. If you listen to music for writing inspiration, why not try out some of our writing prompts based on music?

Describe an imaginary landscape based on music

For this exercise it’s good to pick longer pieces of music that unravel slowly. Imagine the music is describing a landscape: what do you see? Try to move from the bigger picture into the smallest details like the texture of the leaves on a tree. Not sure what music to pick? Our favourites are Alone in Kyoto by Air or soundtrack to Once Upon A Time In The West .

Write lyrics like you write prose

Morissey’s Autobiography is famously written in a style that is easily recognisable in his lyrics for The Smiths or his solo albums. If you’re a frequent prose writer, try doing something similar, but in reverse. Write a poem or some lyrics based on one of your prose pieces and see how your usual style translates into another genre.

Expand the narrative in a song

Take a song with lyrics that contain narrative or introduce a character. Think about how the story is told and sung by the musician. Can you take this story and its character further once the song has finished? This is your chance to keep them living even after their 5 minutes of fame. Why not try Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel or Billie Jean by Michael Jackson ?

Free-write to the music

This is a great exercise for those writers that have troubles starting with a blank page. Put some music on really loud, close your eyes for a couple of minutes and immerse yourself in the sound. You could focus on your feelings, invent a story to go with the song or try to describe the tones. There are no right or wrong answers – the idea is to rid your mind of the thoughts that prevent you from writing.

Describe an action scene with the help of a film score

Do you know the feeling of seeing a great action scene in the cinema, accompanied by a loud, thrilling score? Try to replicate it on a page. Maybe there are action scenes in your book or you could invent one for the purpose of this exercise. Of course, put some great soundtrack music on in the background. Our favourite is the score from The Dark Knight .

Invent a completely new musical instrument

It’s easy to forget that beyond the usual and well-known instruments such as guitar, piano or violin there are thousands of types of musical instruments, many of them quite obscure. Can you come up with an instrument that hasn’t been invented yet? Could it be something that has other functions too, such as lawn mover or a ballpoint pen? Let your imagination go wild.

Get inspired by the sea

CompletelyNovel team is fortunate (sometimes less so!) to live and work by the sea. Your mission in this exercise is to translate the music inspired by nature into words and give it a new form of life. You can start with Claude Debussy’s La Mer , which, unsurprisingly, was completed during the composer’s visit to the seaside town of Eastbourne, just a few miles from Brighton.

Describe the feelings you get while listening to your favourite music

This may seem too simple and easy – but have you ever stopped and thought how your favourite song makes you feel? Put the song on repeat and dive in – what is it that you love about it? Why is it significant to you?

Imagine your life was made into a film

Everyone’s life is, in one way or another, interesting and unique. Take the key events of your life and supply them with music. Now describe the life event again, but with the right soundtrack on play. A different take on this exercise is to choose the mundane activities in your life, such as cleaning or weekly grocery shopping and make them into Academy Award-worthy moments with the help of some epic score.

10. Write about a character’s sensitivity to music or noise

I know, the whole point of this article is to encourage you to write with music. But the reality is, many people (including authors) prefer to write in complete silence. If you are not one of those people, you might want to have a go at replicating their feelings. Imagine a character that is sensitive to music or noise. The sensitivity can be of varying degrees – perhaps they are ‘allergic’ only to certain noises or types of music?

Hopefully you’ll find these writing prompts based on music inspirational. Do you have any other suggestions? Let us know!

About the author

Adriana Bielkova is part of the Communications team at CompletelyNovel , a friendly publishing platform and author community specialising in print-on-demand. You can find more about editing in our Get Your Book Fit course , featuring advice from top editors, agents and authors.

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1. Morning Rhythm

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3. Have a Great Day!

4. Chill + Atmospheric

5. Melantronic

6. French Indie Pop

7. Japanese City Pop

8. Soweto Beat/Township Jive

9. Bhangra Bangers

10. Spanish Tapas Bar

11. Korean Indie/Chill/R&B

12. Japanese Lofi HipHop

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24. Yoga Electronica

25. Mother Earth’s Plantasia

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Music for Creative Writing: 9 Songs That Inspire Me As a Writer

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Beautiful Day