Writing Tip #2 (Music)
If you love music like me, you might want a playlist while you start writing about your characters’ journeys. This can depend on you, but I’m going to post what I listen to when I write fluff and smut and when I write novels/long stuff like fan fictions. So here are some tips when making a playlist, whatever you’re using :) I’m sticking to mainly wider known artists when giving examples, but feel free to use whoever :)
These are ideas on how to start making a playlist, to do stick to this strictly, all right, just enjoy yourself :)
1. What is the mood that you’re writing? I find this the most important part of writing with music. If you’re writing heartbreak, I wouldn’t recommend listening to songs that are happy, upbeat pop songs. You may not want to include something like Timber by Pitbull and Kesha but could think about Adele songs or some older Taylor Swift numbers or maybe some slower Ed Sheeran songs form Plus?
2. What type of story are you writing? If you’re writing a fan fiction, you may want to listen to songs from the show/film/band/artist you’re writing about. For supernatural stories, I often stick to electronic indie or pop or punk/pop rock songs. If I write Teen Wolf things, I often listen to Halsey, or All Time Low. For romance stories, I listen to more pop songs that are quite upbeat and happy.
3. What are your characters like? What do they listen to? I find knowing your characters very important when writing. I have a story where the character listens to You Me At Six, All Time Low, Green Day and other songs from the punk rock or rock genre. So when writing, I often don’t listen to Club Dance songs like from Calvin Harris or David Guetta. However even so, your characters will have guilty pleasures, which is why when writing mentioned story, I have a few Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift songs also.
4. Don’t make yourself stick to one genre/style. Even if the song wouldn’t really fit the character or genre, broaden your horizons a little. I’m not a huge fan of Avicii for example, but when writing a scene at a party, I often use his songs since it fits the environment :) I don’t hate his songs, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan, yet it fits the scene perfectly and I quite enjoy when his songs come on in a playlist as it puts me into the mood of writing them. This actually often happens when I lsiten to songs in general and then one partular one comes on and I start writing something down. Listening to the lyrics can also be great inspiration. Many great songs and fan fictions have actually started off with songs, so don’t take that out of the equation :)
5. Enjoy yourself! If a song doesn’t work for you then, don’t listen to all eight or whatever minutes of it. The point of writing is to enjoy yourself, not feel even more stressed, so make sure you do enjoy what you’re doing. You don’t have t listen to music if you don’t like it :)
6. Don’t just focus on the lyrics. I know lots of people like to quote lyrics from the songs they listened to, but sometimes it’s just about what the music makes you feel. Some heartbreak songs are disguised with happy chords and melodies, so the sad, metaphorical lyrics may not be all you need to listen to. It’s often better to feel the music :)
- I’m personally in love with music and how it can make people feel and how it can bring them/us together. So please listen to your own feelings and preferences, this is just how I choose my playlists. I’m more a fan of pop punk, pop rock and most other subgenres of rock, but I still do branch out into indie and electropop and others. It’s okay to like lots of things, you don’t have to make a playlist with just one genre because thats the type of story you are writing or because that’s what your character likes.
These’re only some ideas as to how to think about making playlists in case you’re stuck. Stick to your favourites though, so if you like One Direction, there must be some songs that’ll fit your story :) Enjoy!
My Imagines writing playlist;
Fluff; Usually upbeat, cute lyrics and smooth guitar parts (a little like the YMAS song)
Ain’t It Fun - Paramore
Cold Night - You Me At Six
Bail Me Out - All Time Low ft Joel Madden
Something’s Gotta Give - ATL
Catch Fire - 5 Seconds of Summer
Gravity - Against The Current
and similar to these (it’s a really long playlist, I’m only giving my top six from each)
Smut; I listen to mostly heavy or stable beats and songs that are often played when things get heated in a movie (seriously, they do help)
Move Along - The All-American Rejects
Loverboy - YMAS
Figure It Out - Royal Blood
Confident - Demi Lovato
Talk (Acoustic) - ATC
Permanent Vacation - 5 Seconds of Summer
Okay, yeah, please don’t judge my music taste, I tried to use well known artists for this one, because I thought that’d help out witht he style of music. But as you can see, I mostly listen to a similar genre, but then the lyrics and other extra production details help with the atmosphere I write in. I hope this helped :)