Movie music when writing

[kdawgs34]

I don't know if this will help those who are stuck in an area of their writing or writers block. But I have always listened to movie music when I write. It gives me moods, settings, ideas, and etc.. I will also listen to specific music for scenes and action. I've never really had writers block. I usually imagine to many choices. Anybody else listen to music?

[Lookin^Up]

I do, on occasion. Sometimes I write while incidental music plays in my head from TV series I have recently watched on DVD. Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Wild Wild West, Man from Atlantis, and many others have taken turns dominating my mind while I write.

But for me, playing a Christian CD by the Martins or Darlene Zschech provides actual inspiration for what I'm writing about, since my sci-fi does have a strong Christian theme.

[Phy]

I listen to music when I write all the time.

I love instrumental music on occasion: Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Pat Matheny, Peter Frampton, Liquid Tension Experiment, etc.

Soundtracks are awesome: Anything by Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, John Williams, Alan Silvestri, James Horner, James Newton Howard, Marco Beltrami, Dario Marinelli, David Arnold, Peter Gabriel, Michael Giacchino.

[kdawgs34]

You got it Phy. I love the same soundtracks.

[michaelsnyder]

Good stuff. I'm a big Carter Burwell fan, as well as some of Ry Cooder's soundtrack stuff. And I have a Pat Metheny soundtrack as well, now that I think of it. I need to go dig that out. Thanks for the reminder!

Mike

[Tarin]

Don't forget John Williams and Howard Shore. :)

[Tommie Lyn]

I listen to music when I'm writing a first draft. But it's not movie soundtracks, Christian music or anything like that.

When I'm contemplating writing a story, it seems to generate a mood, a feeling, and the music I choose to listen to is a piece (or pieces) which will foster or generate that particular mood in me. I put on earphones, set the music to repeat and listen continuously while I write. (And there is one piece of music that just fits my writing mood, in general, and I can listen to it no matter what I'm writing: "Sky King" by Danny Gatton.)

The pieces of music for High on a Mountain were "Dulaman" by Altan and "High on a Mountain" by Del McCoury.

For ...And Night Falls, the music was "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs.

For Tugger's Down, the music was "Don't You Forget about Me" by Simple Minds.

For Crawdads and Co-colas, the music was 50s and 60s oldies (this was the only time when I didn't listen to one or two specific songs -- I tuned the satellite receiver to the Sirius Oldies channel and listened to whatever they played -- all of it was nostalgic, which was the mood I sought.)

For Deep in the Valley, the music is "Go Rest High on that Mountain" by Vince Gill and "Cabin on the Hill" by Lester Flatt.

[tlm]

My son writes for an on-line group--and listens to music from video games when he writes.

[tlm]

One of the stories I was writing was a teen book that was set in Brazil. I had some Brazilian music that I listened to, which brought back to mind all the sensations from my mission trip to Brazil.

[Naomi Musch]

I Love listening to those movie tracks. I like to go to sites that stream continual movie tracks when I can find them, and if they don't make my computer have seizures. Yeah, it pumps me up and helps me get into setting without distracting.

[Thebigguy]

You guys got it John Williams rocks, Tangerine Dream definitely. My genre is more of Superhero fantasy. Coming from another world but like ours it's western type mentality and 20th century or 21st century technology but with some twists. So I don't know what to listen to for mood music as far as sound tracks, what do you guys think?

[michaelsnyder]

Bigguy,

I mentioned him before, but based on your description you really ought to check out Ry Cooder's stuff. Here's the amazon link where you can sample a bunch of different things. It's all very moody and cool. And since this recording encompasses his entire soundtrack career (up to 1995), the styles are all over the place. So you could easily find a few tracks you like better than others, then get that particular soundtrack instead of this collection (if that makes sense?).

http://www.amazon.com/Music-Ry-Cooder/dp/B000002N0X/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1213505058&sr=1-12

Hope you find something you like...

Mike

[Thebigguy]

Interesting Michael some of that may work. It's a little more down to earth and I think my writing is a little more ethereal. But you never know what off shoot stories that may come up when you write.I'll bear that in mind when I do write something open space and gritty.

[tneeley]

While I love instrumental music, hymns, prayersoaking, etc., most often I am writing to the tune of my 10 year old daughter's chatter, her bouncing off the walls, and her channel surfing. Not the best for concentrating, but since I've resolved to write, write, write it has not been wasted. I do crave, though, at ALL times periods of complete silent alone-time where God's nature is my background music and I pray I can hear Him whisper to my soul.

[ekovax]

During early drafts of my novel I felt like I needed to set the stage with music. My choice was Miles Davis' album "Jazz Track", which was partially the soundtrack of the French film "Ascenseur pour l'échafaud" ("Elevator to the Gallows" for us non-Frenchified-types). It really catches the mood of 50's noir mystery that I was looking for in my book.

I love Ennio Morricone's stuff, too, but if I wrote to it, I'd feel like I had to fit in an epic gun battle between western anti-heroes. Such things are hard to justify artistically.

[hellodolly]

I love to write to any kind of instrumental music. Helps me with my moods.

[tlm]

I wanted the last part of Chance Encounters to follow Handel's Messiah. I wanted it to seem quiet, then begin to build, then end in the Hallelujah Chorus--but I didn't want a trite Cecil B. Demille ending.

I am told that I accomplished this.

[Andrewboy]

Music is a + for me. I sometimes watch TV, but that sometimes dominates the writing time, especially if I haven't seen a certian movie or tv series. I'm a big fan of the Movie Music (Instrumental) I like Gladiator, and the M Night Stuff, and I agree that it does spark the juices when I feel I can't push forward.