The Muse of Soundtracks
- J.J. Richardson
- Oct 20, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 27
All through my school years, my friends did their homework while listening to pop music. This never worked for me because listening to song lyrics competed with my studying. I couldn't do both at the same time.
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 (see lyrics).
Nirvana's music might have been okay, since I can hardly understand a word he sang. But Nirvana came out after I graduated from college.
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 promote mood, genre, theme, scene, and characterization, yet not get in the way of your creative literary ideas? I’m speaking of movie and video game soundtracks.
"What?" you ask.
Movie and video game soundtracks immerse you in a new atmosphere, transporting you to a distant land. You can do this 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've never heard of or played nearly all the games included in my 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 takes you to 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 help create in you some mighty magical muse muscle.
If you're working out or doing housework, listen to either of these: Vikings (TV series) or Need for Speed: Most Wanted (game). Your muscles and your beard will grow just from listening to these.
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 outskirts of Nevada, Colorado, or Arizona when you can just listen?
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. On their drive home, your guests will say to each other, “We should be more like the Richardsons.”
Background music is like spices in elegant cooking.
If you can taste them, you’ve put in too much.
Caution: Not all soundtracks are helpful
Excessively loud or boring soundtracks will distract you from your work. Also, background music should not be recognizable because its purpose is to take you to an unknown, faraway place so you can be alone with your emotions. You don’t want to be reminded of wizards, Hobbits, or lightsabers.
The best soundtracks I’ve found so far
The following soundtracks have helped me greatly 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 I've found 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 and stimulating stories.
Brave Internet browser
If you detest Internet ads as I do, install Brave as your default Internet browser. It automatically blocks all Internet ads, including YouTube ads. You can then listen to your favorite videos without the obnoxious and soul-destroying interruptions.
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