All through my school years, my friends did their homework while listening to pop music. That never worked for me because the lyrics were too distracting.
To prove my point about distracting words, I challenge you to read or write anything substantial while listening to the following exuberant song: Independent Women. Or how about this great song by Tower of Power: Soul Vaccination.
When I did my schoolwork, I needed to hear music meant to exist in the background, which thrived as the sidekick rather than the main character.
Pop music is entertainment,
not background music.
What type of music is best suited to help create mood, theme, scene, and characterization? Which compositions are subtle, yet provide mysterious, secret powers?
Movie and video game soundtracks
What I’m speaking of are 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 mood-enhancing background music, and that's what matters to me.
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.
If you listen to Thief: Deadly Shadows on its own, you may be bored. But if you listen to it while writing something creepy or suspenseful, it will create for you mighty magical muse muscle.
I'm not into Western movies, but their musical scores definitely 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 know about 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 do anymore and because the purpose of soundtracks is to create a certain mood. Our guests seem to know that something unique is happening, and on their drive home, they 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 spurn your imagination in the direction you choose, which will help you enrich your stories.
Caution: Not all soundtracks will help you
Unfortunately, most soundtracks will not be helpful to you when writing. I am forever searching for better soundtracks that promote a wider range of imaginative thought.
I can describe with only four bullet points why most soundtracks are not useful to you when writing. Non-useful soundtracks,
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 faraway and unfamiliar place. You don’t want the music to remind you of Hobbits or lightsabers.
Avoid soundtrack compilations (collections) of the “most romantic” or “most exciting” soundtracks. Good ones are rare because they usually don't provide enough musical content. Just when the music gets good, the track switches to the next movie theme. Music that yanks you from one place to another isn'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. While I’ve organized these pieces into categories, most can be applied to several categories.
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.
As an added bonus, here is a compilation of exceptional classical guitarists. These aren't sound tracts, but they're pleasant enough to listen to while imagining new people and worlds.