The Muse of Soundtracks
- J.J. Richardson
- Oct 20, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
All through my school years, my friends did their homework while listening to pop music. This never worked for me because song lyrics competed in my mind with the words in the textbooks I was trying to study.
If you don't believe that pop music isn't distracting, I challenge you to study anything substantial while listening to the following exuberant song: Independent Women. Or how about this masterpiece by Tower of Power: Soul Vaccination.
What I needed while studying was music meant to exist only in the background—the equivalent of a musical sidekick rather than a main character.
Movie and video game soundtracks
What type of music is subtle enough to create mood, theme, scene, and characterization? I’m speaking of movie and video game soundtracks.
"What?" you ask.
Listen to a movie or video game soundtrack if you want to immerse yourself in a unique atmosphere that sends you to a distant land. This is because they're specifically designed to do just that. You can do this for free by going to YouTube and entering your intended movie or video game title into the search field, followed by the word soundtrack.
"But I’m not into video games," you say.
Who says you must know where the music comes from? I have never heard of or played almost all of the games included in the lists below. But I have listened to their soundtracks countless times because they provide the mood-enhancing background music I need when writing, entertaining guests, or housecleaning.
Soundtracks sound pretty but aren’t heard.
They're attractive but aren't the center of attention.
They give life but aren't the life of the party.
Unlike pop songs, soundtracks often last for hours. Open up Homeworld, and you’ll be freed from your present thoughts for 3 hours and 19 minutes. The Surviving Mars soundtrack goes on for 5 hours and 14 minutes. Or you can listen to soothing, ancient-sounding music that tells a story from ages gone by for a whopping 6 hours and 3 minutes.
You may be bored if you listen to Thief: Deadly Shadows on its own. But if you listen to it while writing something creepy or suspenseful, it will create a mighty magical muse muscle for you.
I'm not into Western movies, but their musical scores have their own style. Listening to this track takes me to the untamed West. Why go through the expense and trouble of flying to the American Old West when you can just listen? I find the musical score of Westworld haunting even though I've never seen the HBO show.
I’ve heard of famous authors who have taken illegal drugs for inspiration. It's too bad they didn’t experiment with musical soundtracks.
Dinner Guests
When you invite guests over for dinner, put on a good video game soundtrack. Even your most hoity-toity guests will not stick up their powdered noses at this music. Or even this for a more pensive mood.
I put on music because people rarely listen to it anymore, and because the purpose of soundtracks is to create a certain mood. Our guests will know that something unique is happening. On their drive home, they'll say to each other, “We should be more like the Richardsons.”
Background music is like using spices in good cooking.
If you can taste them, you’ve put in too much.
What does all this have to do with writing?
Soundtracks will help you as much as they will help your dinner guests. Hearing calm, romantic, or exhilarating music will spur your imagination in the direction you choose, which will help you enrich your stories.
Caution: Not all soundtracks are helpful
Unfortunately, many soundtracks will not be helpful to you when writing. Those are the ones that,
are too loud (distracting)
are too boring
contain lyrics
are too recognizable
Background music cannot be too recognizable because its purpose is to take you to a detached and unrecognizable place to be immersed in your emotions. In such a state, you don’t want to be reminded of Hobbits or lightsabers.
Avoid soundtrack compilations (collections) because just when the music gets good, the music switches to the next track. Soundtracks that yank you from one place to another aren't useful.
The best soundtracks I’ve found so far
The following soundtracks have helped me richly while writing. I will continue to develop this list as I discover new music.
Honor, loyalty, beauty, perseverance
Tension, suspense, adventure, determination
Horror, creepy
Strength against overwhelming odds
Exuberant, enthusiastic, exaggerated, over-the-top, whimsical
The only exception to the "no lyrics" rule above is Need for Speed: Most Wanted. I'm not a rap music fan, but the songs' lyrics and energy are so motivating.
Never enough music
I am open to suggestions! Email me your favorite writing music at jeff@jjrlore.com, or add a comment at the bottom of this post. Let’s help each other become better writers as we fill the world with our creative, colorful, and stimulating stories.
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