Music To My Ears... And Writing

How music can inspire and help you connect with your writing

Illustration ©Lis Maestrelo

Throughout 2024 I've been focusing on writing short stories, but recently I got this craving for investing some time in a longer project. I simply miss spending time in a single fictional universe, slowly discovering the story and characters.

The last time I tried to work on a novel project was during my first year of journalism school, when I was young and innocent, and had no idea about the sorrows of writing a thesis defense yet (one is never the same after that.)

So, I'm a little rusty when it comes to writing long stories, but very excited to go back to it. Which brings us to today's topic: Music.

You see, I'm guilty. I'm that type of writer that can get easily sidetracked, focusing more on the vibes of a project than the actual writing. What can I say? Some writers focus on outlining their plots, ideas and scenes... well, I create playlists.

I'm currently working on a playlist for this new project (which I'm nicknaming Project Ghost), and I've been thinking about how music can be an important part of the creative process. And how the "vibes" can actually be an important aspect of writing.

For me, music is always a great source of inspiration. When writing short stories I — sometimes unconsciously — select a song that represents the story and listen to it during my writing session. For longer projects, I choose a song per chapter/scene.

I noticed that I have an easier time connecting to the stories that have a song attached to them. So I'm starting to think that music can be a key element for inspiring ideas, and help one stay connected to their story.

In his memoir On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft, Stephen King talks about how important it is for a writer to have a writing routine, to write, as he puts it, with the door closed, without external inputs and interruptions. He also talks about music as part of his routine:

"I work to loud music (...) For me the music is just another way of shutting the door. It surrounds me, keeps the mundane world out. When you write, you want to get rid of the world, do you not? (...) When you're writing, you're creating your own worlds."

So music can help you block external input, but that's not the only reason it can help you stay focused on writing. There's more to it:

Rituals make routine

When you put on your pajamas, brush your teeth and turn the lights off, you are giving your body physical signs that bedtime is ahead, and the body should behave accordingly. And your brain goes okay, time to relax now.

When creating a writing routine, it is also important to establish some small rituals that let your brain know that it is time to be creative, time to write and let the ideas flow. Listening to some music can be one of these rituals. And there's some science behind this idea:

The 2018 study Neural Correlates of Familiarity in Music Listening found that listening to familiar music activates motor areas in the brain, and it's suggested that this motor response can increase attention, while the familiarity with a song can induce positive feelings.

So listening to the music you like while writing can help your brain develop this sense of routine and get into the writing mood more easily, making the whole process more enjoyable.

I find that assigning a song or playlist to my story also helps me:

Keep track of an idea

*On Writing, Stephen King talks about his writing frequency: He writes every day, because otherwise he feels that the story gets "stale".

Now, I'm not the type of person who writes every single day, but I do relate to the feeling that if I stay away from a story for too long, I lose the feel for it. Where was I going with this idea again? I'll be asking myself while scratching my head in confusion.

When a project has a playlist connected to it, I can always refer back to it. If I take too long of a break from the project, I can go back, listen to the music and have an easier time clicking back into the ideas again. Oh! Okay, I was trying to discuss this topic and I wanted this kind of atmosphere for the story. Almost like a note-to-self.

Another aspect I like about creating playlists for my projects is that it

Keeps me connected with the story when I need a break

I know I'm not alone when I say that I don't write as much as Stephen King. Most of us need a break from writing here and there for a series of reasons.

Although I'm excited about this Project Ghost idea, I'm currently taking a break from writing fiction. Because, well... It's December.

During the whole year you go around forcing yourself to go through all sorts of tasks, then December comes, and your brain decides it has had enough. It's time for a revolution. "I don't want to do this anymore". It tells you, "I quit." And a mass of enraged neurons raise their tiny signs in protest, which reads NO MORE WORK!

There's also a lot happening in my life, and I'm having problems focusing when I sit down to put the words on the paper. Solution? Time to take a break and do some other passive creative activities. Such as... creating a playlist.

I believe that taking some time to slowly build a playlist with songs that resonate with your story can be a great exercise if you run out of energy to write. You can take time away from writing, and still be engaged and connected with your story. This way, you keep the ideas flowing on your mind.

The key is that writing goes beyond words on a page, and I think people often ignore this. Sometimes I feel that a writer’s value is measured by word count, while the more passive aspects of writing, such as creating a playlist for your story (or making a mood board, or day-dreaming about your story), can be tagged as procrastination.

Music is such a fundamental ritual in my writing routine, and I can't possibly see it as a waste of time. Actually, it makes the whole writing process more fun.

So, my suggestion is: make a playlist.

Because without some day-dreaming and vibes, writing can easily become grammar-checked paragraphs down on a white, boring page.

P.S. Some Good News!

My short story Here Lies The Cake (a dark comedy about a mortician's baking gone wrong) was featured in the anthology Tales From The Kitchen, presented by The Writer's Workout, and it is available now in digital and print. You can purchase the anthology HERE.