A new twitter prompt game has emerged recently called #MusicalChaos; the brainchild of a group of clever gents who go by @CreatorChaos. (I definitely suggest finding them on soundcloud and listening to their podcast.) Anywho, the game involves writing a twitter story based on a song. Initially, I just found it fun trying to guess what the song was based on the stories but it got me thinking more about music and writing.
There have been a few discussions about whether people can write with music or not and what’s the best thing to listen to. Basically, everyone seems completely different; some need complete silence others can’t work without. I do like to have music sometimes but the type of music is key. If it is something I love and know the words to, then I can’t write, I’m too busy following the song’s words. You’d think classical music would work then, but it’s just not my style and it doesn’t fit the genre of my story. The genre of music needs to match the scene I’m writing; no point playing a love song when I’m writing a fight scene, my brain can’t compute. If I need something general in the background which keeps me going I like Django Django or Rodrigo Y Gabriela .
Recently, someone asked what songs fit your WIP and it got me thinking. For my current WIP (which was actually inspired by a song), I chose Muse’s Knights of Cydonia. It was the only one I could get to fit but it fit well. Thinking about this made me remember how I used to get my good ideas and think them through when walking to walk with my mp3 going. I gave it a go the other day and felt inspired by Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, nothing fully formed but it got me the right headspace. It also helped me realise that an idea I had to fit a competition was too tailored to fit the competition’s specs and it didn’t fit with me!
I was told, when training to be a teacher, music would help children write, but it has to be a lower number of beats per minute, no words and probably classical. Personally, that may work for some children but I bet there are some it annoys and others that need faster music. Just like us. We all have different ways and methods and some of you will think I’m crazy for listening to music as I write. Sometimes I do!
I’ve read a couple of books lately that come with a track listing to go alongside the story. I can definitely see me doing that one day but for now, I’m off to twitter to canvass the population for their favourite writing song! I’ll update later if I get a clear winer!
Lexikon 