Writing to Music

Sitting here writing, I can hear my exceptionally talented son practising the Mozart clarinet concerto in his bedroom, which is very relaxing - a bonus I don't normally get when, as he's usually away at school.

I must admit I don't normally listen to music while I'm writing, although it would be an easy enough thing to do as my computer has a CD player built in.

There's also a radio gathering dust on the window sill. I can't remember whether I put it there or whether it's a left-over from when my husband used to share the study with me in the days before we became a two PC family. All I know is that although I love listening to the radio, I never use do it while I'm writing.

Because I'm really interested in music and I play musical instruments, I'm always afraid that music might distract me from my writing because I'd have my attention on what was being played rather than on what I'm supposed to be writing.

Other writers find it essential to have music playing while they work as they feel it helps them relax and become more creative. I might cope with a soothing instrumental, but anything with words would really divide my attention too much - I couldn't juggle words in my head and words in my ear.

But my friend, David Darling, who is a science writer, will happily work with rock music on full blast, and there are many other writers who have their own favourite type of music to help them write - be it Baroque, jazz, classical.... I don't think anyone would choose to write to 20th century twelve-tone serialism, but you never know!

Some writers choose their music to suit the mood they want to evoke in their writing, a stirring Beethoven symphony for something grand and momentous, delicate Debussy for lattice-work poetry, jazz if they want to write about smoky bars.

Sometimes writers even experiment with music in writing workshops, to see what sort of an effect writing to music will have on the participants.

That's something you could try. If you always write to music, try one session where you write in complete silence or at least play a different type of music from usual. If you never write to music, put some on and see how it affects your writing.

At the very least, it will stop your writing sessions from getting into a rut, and you may even find that the change in your listening habits leads to some sort of creative breakthrough.