Tune In or Tune Out (MOTW Playlist)
Writers tend to fall into two camps when it comes to music: those who need complete silence to work, and those who build entire soundscapes around their stories.
I’m firmly in the music camp.
Music has always been part of my writing process. It helps clear the mental clutter and creates a rhythm that allows the words to flow. Sometimes the music sets the emotional tone for what I’m writing, and other times it simply becomes background noise that lets my mind slip into the story.
Over the years I’ve built several playlists that I return to while writing. My personal writing playlist pulls from a wide variety of genres depending on the mood I’m working in that day.
You can listen to it here:
Another style of music I often listen to while writing is lofi creative writing playlists. The relaxed beats and ambient tones create a steady atmosphere that helps me stay focused without distracting me from the words on the page.
Here is a playlist I am working on of my favorite tracks.
Recently, though, I’ve discovered something new that has quickly become one of my favorite things to write to: dark cello music.
There’s something powerful and almost cinematic about the sound of a cello in darker compositions. The deep tones feel epic and atmospheric at the same time. When I listen to it, my mind clears and the noise of the world fades out. It becomes much easier to focus completely on the story in front of me.
Lately this has become one of my favorite pieces to write to:
Music has a strange ability to unlock creativity. Neuroscientists would say it engages multiple regions of the brain simultaneously—emotion, memory, rhythm, and pattern recognition. Writers simply know it works.
Sometimes the right song becomes the doorway into a scene.
So whether you write in silence, build massive playlists, or chase the perfect instrumental soundtrack for your stories, music can be an incredible creative tool.
And if you have a writing playlist of your own, feel free to share it. I’m always looking for new music to add to the rotation.