Young Writers Society

Yes, music. I couldn't write without it. I ALWAYS have music on when I'm writing, unless I'm stuck at school. I can write to anything, but it can be easier if I know the song so well I don't need to think of the lyrics if I want to sing while writing so I can concentrate on what I'm writing fully.

So, what do you guys listen to when you write? Do you listen to music when you write? Maybe you don't.

I listen to a lot of stuff like Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera. I know most (Spesh KC) that it's easy to write and sing my heart out. But really anything in my iTunes library. Usually when I use my iPod, I suffle the songs or don't look and pick a song at random.

I write to music all the time. Maybe it accounts for my lack of writing as of late, but if music while writing is wrong then I don't want to be right.

Long songs, instrumentals preferrably, or perhaps with lyrics in a language I don't understand. Sigur Ros is perfect for this, and so is Rammestein even though their songs aren't especially long.

Dream Theater are a heavy metal band that produce song that are 10 minutes+ frequently, with winding trails of guitar and keyboard that thoughts can take hold of and move around.

Pink Floyd. Need I explain?

Explosions in the Sky, Do Make Say Think, Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor are all post-rock bands that make purely instrumental music that has more feeling in it than lyrics could ever convey. I don't know how many ideas I've gotten from these sounds.

Although sometimes I just listen to catchy stuff that I can mouth the words to and write my own at the same time. AFI, My Chemical Romance, Bright Eyes, The Decemberists, Death Cab, Ben Folds, Muse - that sort of stuff.

Music makes for more lively writing, I think.

I'm not a big fan of music, in fact I hardly ever listen to it and I certainly don't have any on when I'm writing. Strange I know but my sister loves it enough for the both of us.

I love music, but not for writing. Maybe it's just 'cuz I don't write prose, but I hate listening to music while writing. It detracts from whatever emotion I'm trying to show; and I just can't focus on the poem at hand. The same goes for reading and critiquing, I hate to turn my music off, or it just murders the flow of the poem I'm trying to read.

It often depends on what I'm writing, but I almost always need background noise, and music comes in handy for that.

It's also inspirational; today I was listening to Dire Straits while cleaning my room and there was one word that made me want to write a poem...I like it when that happens.

Classical is nice when you don't want to be distracted by lyrics...I'm not really a fan of classical music, though. The only composer I really enjoy is Tchaikovsky.

I like to listen to music that matches the mood of what I'm writing.

It helps put me in the right element so that the emotions are as realistic as possible.

But mostly I forget to put it on.

I like listening to music when I'm writing, whether it matches what I'm writing or not.