Good Writing Music...

[blgarver]

For those of us who listen to music while writing, does anyone have any good suggestions?

I listen to movie scores, from Howard Shore, Thomas Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, John Williams, etc...  I also listen to select rock; Celldweller, Tool, Led Zepplin.

Celldweller I like for my action scenes, and I hoped someone could recommend other groups similar to them.

[Kiriath]

I usually listen to instrumentals.

Video game soundtracks, mostly, like Symphony of the Night, Lunar II and anything from OCRemix. I've been listening to my classicals more, too.

Have any definition for Celldweller? Dark gothic? Power rock?

[blgarver]

I guess Celldweller would be power rock, similar to Adema.

[LizW65]

Anything with lyrics distracts the hell out of me.  I might listen to songs for inspiration but when writing I really prefer silence.  Some very quiet jazz in the background is OK though -  Coltrane's Blue Train is a nice choice, as is Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.
-Liz

[blgarver]

Ooooooo, Jazz.  Good call!  I need to add some to my library. 

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I can write to music with lyrics only if I either know them very well or they're in a language I do not know, which is why the bulk of my writing gets done to the Sisters of Mercy, Leonard Cohen (Waiting for the Miracle and The Future), VNV Nation, and the Leningrad Cowboys.  I think VNV Nation would be my foremost recommendation for forward momentum.

Sometimes it depends on the mood, too.  I have more than once done viewpoint-character-in-extremely-uncomfortable-situation scenes to the tape of dance remixes to "My heart Will Go On" my stalker bought me, which has both the right uncomfortable associations and is just not music I like at all.

[Kiriath]

That's rather original, Neurovore, about the stalker song. Psychological warfare versus yourself!

Hey... jazz would actually do very nicely for some of my novels. Cool suggestion.

Celldweller sounds like Rammstein to me, blgarver. For power rock Ilike Sonata Arctica... I just like their music in general, hehe. The Wikipedia helps me look for more music, so that's something you could try.

[eviladam]

Depending on what I'm writing I usually try to find something moody on my mp3 player. Some Bush songs, Kittie, most anything by Korn ect. Some times though, if I'm trying to write a battel scene I gotta get the Led out with The Imigrant Song.

Oh most My Chemical Romance tracks work well for me too. Especailly from their first album.

[Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)]

I listen mostly to movie soundtracks when I'm writing, since they tend to be more dramatic/emotionally engaging. I try to avoid listening to music with words, otherwise, sometimes the lyrics accidently end up in my story and I have to back track and remove them so I don't have to go to the expense of getting clearance from ASCAP or whichever music publisher owns 'em. Currently, the original score to "Underworld" (please don't shoot me for liking that movie) and the soundtrack to one of the anime versions of "Hellsing" are a good backdrop for the non-mushy paranormal romance novel I'm writing.

[BobSkull]

I listen to Lacuna Coil, Staind, Sentenced, Musical scores, Lordi, Apocalyptica, Soundtrack to Last Samurai, it all depends upon what mood I'm in. Although I usually stick to hard rock/metal because it makes it easier for me to concentrate(as odd as that may sound).

[RMatthewWare]

Anything that is loud enough to block outside noises.  It usually helps if it's something I've listened to a lot.  I can almost use the music as white noise so I can get in my zone without being distracted by the music itself.  I listen to a lot of Cake, Evanescence, and The Dresden Dolls.  Sometimes I even put on Alice Cooper.

Matt

[Kathleen Dante]

I listen to music to get me into the zone, particularly when my brain doesn't want to write. Some of my reliables are Yanni and various anime soundtracks. But my current fave is DragonForce; their Inhuman Rampage and Sonic Firestorm CDs really get the blood pumping. 

Kath

[Cyclone Jack]

Anything with lyrics distracts the hell out of me.  I might listen to songs for inspiration but when writing I really prefer silence.  Some very quiet jazz in the background is OK though -  Coltrane's Blue Train is a nice choice, as is Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.
-Liz

There's no way I could listen to Kind Of Blue while writing. It builds a world of its own and puts me in something close to a trance.