The Writer’s Coin

Last week I wrote a post about a formula I found that works for me whenever I want to “inspire” myself to write. Well, there was something I left out of the equation that merits being discussed: music.

A couple of things made me realize how stupid it was to not even mention music: one was our last trip to Michigan and the other was a discussion on a writing forum. On our drive back from Michigan we were pretty tired and we had the music going, so it was almost the same circumstances that gave way to the “original formula.” But I was driving and all of the sudden ideas started to come, so I asked M if she could write them down for me. I typically use mnemonic devices so it didn’t really make sense to her but she got the ideas down and I didn’t have to worry about forgetting them.

Then, thanks to my 31 Days to a Better Blog series, I joined a writing forum and there was a discussion going on about whether you write with music or not. I can’t write with music or any other loud sounds going on — I need silence. But music does play a very important role in creativity. It helps my mind wander and mixes up all kinds of emotions and memories that brew to eventually come up with some writing ideas. Some are OK and some are pretty bad, but that’s just the way it goes.

What role (if any) does music play in your writing or in your life in general?

Tags: inspiration, music, Writing