Ask the Author–Do You Play Music While You Write, and if so, What Kind?
It’s May Day today! I remember when I was in kindergarten, we set up a Maypole and danced around it with all the colorful ribbons. The weave looked pretty cool when we were done, but I actually loved it better before, because I liked the long ribbons fluttering in the wind. It seems like something that would happen in Aviandria. I mean, they don’t exactly celebrate May Day like that, but if they knew about it, they would love it. But I stray from the topic, which is an author question. And the question is………………………………….. Do you play music while you write, and if so, what kind?
And the answer is, I sometimes play music while I write. Not always. Not even super often. I often just write when I can, and setting up music is just one extra step to distract me. It’s not the music itself that distracts, it’s the extra step of having to find it and turn it on. And often, I am with other people who would get distracted by music, complain about my music choice, or even worse, try to play their own music over mine. I don’t have music apps on my phone (I don’t like a lot of extra stuff on my phone. I find lots of apps a bit annoying, so my phone stays simple), and I find connecting headphones to my computer to be a hassle. So I just write without music.
However, if I am completely alone, where I can play whatever I want, and I’m not too worried about being distracted, then music is nice. I usually pick something classical (not classic) without words. I really like the William Tell Overture (the entire thing, not just the finale), or Dvorak’s New World Symphony. Generally something from the romantic period. Or I choose soundtracks, again without words, or something that feels similar. Sometimes music with nature sounds is nice. Sometimes, oddly enough, I focus better when I have something to tune out, so once in a while, I even put on an audiobook I’ve heard a ton of times and just tune it out so I can write. Weird, I know, but I’ve had to fit writing into places with other things going on so much, that I’ve become good at tuning out extra noises, so sometimes it just works.
Anyhow, now that I’ve given away how nerdy I am in my music choice (though I’m not sure that’s going to be a new revelation for anyone that knows me or has read a lot of my stuff), I’ll just say that yes, sometimes I listen to music if all the conditions are right. But I can write with, or without it. I’m not exactly a picky writer. I can’t be, or I’d never get anything written.
What about you? Do you listen to music while doing something like writing or doing homework? What kind do you prefer?