I started listening to metal when I was 21. It was back in the summer of 2003. I had been content with my happy mix of Christian punk, southern rock, and rapcore. Then I heard the song “Infected” by Demon Hunter. I thought the song was a little hard at first, but still amazing. My musical tastes dramatically changed since then.
I still listen to hard rock and such, but Christian metal is my ultimate favourite genre. I find that it is the most in tune with my creative mind. I like intense, epic, and adventurous stories. Metal helps me get into that mind frame with it’s deliberate beat and melodic chords. For example, after listening to Demon Hunter’s third album a couple of times - The Triptych – I finally began my first fantasy novel. The flow of the book went along so well with the songs.
I obviously love metal because of the way it sounds, but my mind is pretty much always in writer mode so I naturally cater to things that inspire stories. It’s crazy how one line or bridge from one song can inspire an entire story.
Writing and music definitely go hand in hand.
So, what about you? What type of music inspires you to write?
Writing and music totally do go hand in hand. A song has around three minutes to hook you, tell a story, create an atmosphere, and leave you wanting more. I can’t think of anything more atmospheric than a song.
I often listen to music, but NOT WHILE WRITING. When I listen to music while writing, I end up with horrific typos, fragmented sentences and generally incoherent chaos. Maybe writing and listening to music trigger different parts of my brain, but I consider this one of my biggest personal failings. I listen before I start writing, and take breaks to cue up specific songs that trigger certain emotions for me. But, sadly, I can’t listen and write at the same time.
I am pretty much the same way. I find listening to music before writing gets me in the mood, but music while writing can sometimes be distracting. Sometimes it works though – like with a battle scene. It’s funny how the mind works.
I listen to a mix of Jamie Cullum (and his kind…pandora station, you know), Irish Folk music, Nerdcore Hip-hop, and Hard Rock. Oh yeah, and the Harry Potter soundtracks practically run on a loop.
I almost always like to listen to music while writing. Sometimes I’ll want quiet, but usually music helps me. I tend to get too emotionally involved in my story without music. If a character is depressed, I’ll get depressed. It gets terribly annoying. But music tends to keep that kind of thing from happening.
Recently I’ve been listening to the Finnish folk band Varttina while writing, mainly their Vihma album. Its wonderful music, and very inspiring.
Awesome guys! Music does have such an influence on writing.
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Metal Yeah!
Glad I could be of some help, Wesker!