My Writing Playlist

I was recently asked by another writer in one of my author networks if there was any particular type of music that I listen to when I write. Actually, as an avid music collector for many years, I have an ever-evolving list of songs that I listen to while I work. So today, just for fun, I thought I’d share what types of music I prefer to listen to for various types of writing.

Dialogue – 60’s Pop

I grew up listening to the Oldies, so there’s always been something soothing for me in the upbeat, simple melodies and messages in this style of music. As well as just making me feel better, I find that everything from the British Invasion to Motown makes it easier for me to formulate responses between two or more people in a written conversation.

Description – New Age

Whether it’s Clannad or Yanni, I really prefer tranquil music when I am trying to translate a breathtaking visual scene in my head into written words on a screen.

Sad Scenes – 70’s Soft Rock

Much of pop music in the 70’s took on a subdued tone after the tumultuous 60’s, which is often well suited to writing melancholy scenes.

Action Scenes – Hair Metal

The 80’s were filled with music that was equal parts ethereal and powerful. With driving rhythm sections and soaring guitar solos, these songs provide a perfect backdrop to the type of other-worldly battles that seem to happen so frequently in my writing.

Line-editing – Classical

I’m not normally a classical music fan, but I find Mozart and Bach are very stimulating during the sometimes brain-numbing process of fixing grammatical errors.

Proof reading – Anything Loud

By the time I get to the proof reading stage on a story I’m usually so familiar with the manuscript that I could recite it from memory, making last-minute troubleshooting very difficult. At this point, I find that it helps to crank up my music as loud as I can stand it so that I really have to focus in order to see what I’m reading, forcing me to pay close enough attention to spot any lingering mistakes.


Do you have a special playlist of music that you listen to while writing? Leave a comment below!