1. lozzerwrites

    lozzerwrites New Member

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    Musical influence

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by lozzerwrites, Aug 13, 2016.

    Does anyone else take heavy influence from music in their writing? No genre in particular, just anything that you might like at the time. A lot of the scenes that I write are/were influenced heavily by lots of different types of music. I form the scenario in my head, mostly in time with the music, and then I try and translate that to a page. I could create a playlist for the entirety of my novel that shows what I was listening to when I thought of any given situation :')

    Does anyone else work this way? If so, what kinds of music influence you most, if any?
     
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  2. SethLoki

    SethLoki Retired Autodidact Contributor

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    I transcribed what a song did to me once @lozzerwrites it came out as a thought stream and to read—well you'd assume the psychotropics had kicked in.

    Nowadays music plays the part of muse and mood setter. I use it to gee myself up before and through a writing session. When not writing I love discovering a deep lyric in something that I've overlooked a hundred times before—been paying special attention of late to such stuff as lyricists are but latter day poets yes?

    gee up stuff = waterboys, depeche, U2, evanescence. A special mention to Radiohead < Most'd say it's music to hang yourself to but I find that in the dirge there's such an uplifting theme.
     
  3. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Well I write with music playing, because silence is too quiet. But in some ways you could say that some of my writing is influenced by; 5FDP, Machine Head, and Kreator to name but a few.
     
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  4. Zorg

    Zorg Member

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    Like the OP, I use music as a 'soundtrack.' In that respect, I have scenes influenced by Spacemen 3, Kid A Radiohead, Brian Eno, Lyle Lovett, Tom Waits...
     
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  5. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    You might say I do. In another life, I was a working musician, so I've got tons of music permanently lodged in my brain. It plays almost non-stop, so it's always there in the background no matter what I'm doing. As a result, I'm sure it influences what I write.

    I just wish it would stop (Make it stop! Arrggghh!) :)
     
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  6. caracara

    caracara New Member

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    I tend to use whatever music I'm currently interested in the start to really inspire scenes, but as I continue writing I find certain genres/styles just fitting. I usually make a playlist for every major project that just matches the tone/mood. That way, even if I take an extended break, I can listen to the playlist and understand what I was going for.

    I have also used playlists as a character-writing exercise. I find songs that fit the characterization I'm going for and throw them on a playlist. I find that it really helps to capture some of the details of the character's personality that are hard to write down.
     
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  7. Zorg

    Zorg Member

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    I did that too and it was an awesome mixtape.
     

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