simpleek

Every writer has a spot they have chosen as their writing space. Whether it’s by a window in their favorite cafe or sitting on their bed with a laptop propped on their lap, the location hardly matters as long as you’re getting your story written. Whenever I prepare myself to sit down and write for the day, one of the first things I do is put on some music.

Playing some music, while writing, has been a longtime habit I picked up ever since writing papers became a regular part of my high school and college assignments. I’ve had an affinity for music ever since I was a kid, and the apartment never felt the same when there wasn’t some 80s or 90s jam blaring through the stereo.

I always found music to be a huge motivator to get things done. It made all those times I had to clean my room or dust the shelves much less boring. When I’m in the middle of writing, not only does it motivate me to get words on a page, it also gives me that extra boost of inspiration I really need.

I don’t exactly compile a curated selection of music to play while I write, though I have toyed with the idea of creating a playlist that sets the mood for my story or expresses the personality of my characters, but I do find the ideas come together better when there’s a bit of “background noise”.

There have been a number of times, when I was in the middle of writing, a new idea for a character or scene to incorporate into my story popped into my head. Usually when that happened I almost always had music on in the background. When the room was too quiet, I struggled to get a sentence or two out.

Music has a powerful affect on one’s creative muse and it’s a part of my writing process I can never do without.