Writing Soundtracks

Clock tower dings. Street musicians. Elevator hums. These are all a part of Writer Abroad’s typical writing soundtrack. She usually prefers to write in this so-called silence because she likes to hear the rhythm of the words she is writing. Often, she is guilty of writing a sentence or two and then immediately rereading it in order to hear how the sentences sound together. Sometimes, though, she does use background music to set the mood for a particular project. Depending on the piece, this could potentially lead to a pretty strange iTunes collection. In these cases, Writer Abroad would like to say, God Bless YouTube, since it allows her to listen to entire songs without having to buy them.

Here are some of Writer Abroad’s recent writing soundtracks and its coordinating project:

Song: MacGyver Theme

Perfect for: Writing a One Big Yodel blog post about how to create a fondue dinner using cemetery candles, duck tape, and a pot.

Song: Abide with me

Perfect for: Writing a funeral scene in a novel.

Song: Far Away

Artist: Nickelback

Perfect for: Writing a television commercial for an airline on the theme of connecting people.

Song: China

Artist: Tori Amos

Perfect for: Writing a personal essay about distance and family.

Song: Alone in Kyoto

Artist: Air

Perfect for: General use. Writer Abroad often puts this song on a loop so she can concentrate in noisy environments like an ad agency or a train.

Does anyone else have a strange writing soundtrack?