Do you listen to music when you read or write? Does the melody transport you to another place, where dragons breathe in puffs of smoke or women and men fall hopelessly in love with kismet kisses?
I usually don’t have music in the background while I type. I write during my children’s peaceful slumber or while the harmony of their laughter and activity echoes around me. Sometimes, I am jolted out of a scene by a question, usually about a second or third breakfast.
I love music. Sadly, I never learned to caress the keys, strings, or wood of an instrument, but my radio plays constantly in my vehicle, and I listen to every genre of music. Metallica may move into Tom Petty or Cyprus Hill, and Dolly Parton may follow Alanis Morrisette, Newsboys, or Etta James. Yes, I really like all types of music.
I might be able to listen to music while I write, but I worry that it would influence my characters. I glide from one emotion to the next in their stories, and “Tangerine” could be the product of the main character’s tears, instead of the despair or anger he or she is feeling. However, I could benefit from playing a certain style of music if I were having trouble achieving the raw emotions I needed to make a scene unfold naturally. For instance, my happy mood may keep me from expressing a character’s grief or unhappiness in the best way. I could let “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” fill the air while I dismantle a heart or allow “Passionate Kisses” to set the ambiance of a romantic scene.
Just because I usually write without musical accompaniment does not mean that music is exempt from my writing. In my unpublished novel, Finding Emma, one of the characters is a Dave Matthews Band fan. The relationship between the character and the music so clear to me that I think of him every time I hear a Dave Matthews Band song.
As a reader, I have thought of certain artists as I have read the books by a particular writer. Linkin Park’s music seemed to describe Stephen King’s It, especially “Crawling” from the Hybrid Theory album. The specific scenes of the book were so clear to me when I heard the song, that I wished that I could have placed the song in the movie.
What writer doesn’t imagine his or her novel as a movie or a series on a popular streaming platform? As I wrote the books in my Pale Woods Mystery Series, I felt Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” would accompany the opening credits. The lyrics and tone of the music flowed smoothly and naturally into the story’s design.
I have used music in some of my works, but I have had to edit it out later. There are so many opinions on the percentage of the song that can be used in my story, and I can’t pay for a yacht for a band’s lawyer. Of course, there are songs that are public domain, but I don’t think the characters in my books will be jamming out to “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”, although, “Sweet Georgia Brown” might be familiar to them. I understand the reason that artists may not want their works associated with writing that may misrepresent their beliefs. Sometimes, though, I wish I could directly communicate with the artist and ask, “Hey, David is a nice guy in my story, and he likes your music. May I quote your music if I give you credit?” I think a lot of musicians would green light my request without all of the red tape.
As a reader, I would be interested in playlists that paired well with a novel. As a writer, I have thought of songs that have harmonized with my writing or the characters, even though I did not listen to the songs while I was actively writing. I have toyed with the idea of designing a playlist for the additional materials of my next book. I hope that I can find a place for it.
Do you listen to music while you write? Could you release a playlist to accompany your book? Do you write your own songs, and is your writing influenced by them? Or are you a reader who envisions melodies surrounding the characters as scenes unfold?
Let me know!
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