Music as Inspiration

If you're having trouble concentrating on your fiction writing, you may try listening to music that matches the tone and mood of your story.

One of the projects I'm working on at the moment is a YA paranormal novel set in a Catholic convent in the 1970's. As you can probably guess, I'm striving for dark and spooky.

Well, the other day I was having trouble focusing on the story, so I decided to get my earphones and write while listening to the score of The Village. I had listened to this CD a few years ago while writing another paranormal thriller. I had forgotten how effective listening to 'mood' music could be.

Immediately, I was right inside the story, talking with the characters, feeling their emotions, hiding from the nuns in the convent's dark corridors. Everything else around me disappeared.

Listen to this first piece. This is the one I start with, perfect for those scenes where the girls are talking in whispers, planning their next medium session in a desolated chamber of the convent...



I love this one for writing tense action scenes. Picture a nun in black robes running after a girl up a spiral staircase...



The complete CD is about an hour, perfect for completing my daily quota of 2-3 pages.

Next time you feel stuck or distracted, consider listening to music while you work.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what type of music do you listen to?