Music is necessary for the creative process of many writers and artists. While some creators prefer dead silence, others require a symphony of lyrics, imagery, and sounds to help them generate ideas, transport themselves to a fictitious world, and develop ideas for characters and plots. I always think of my writing music as the background score for my novel. In a way, music gives the writer's brain just enough distraction to focus.
For me, music when writing is a necessity. Aside from sporadic incidents, I always need music that goes with the story I'm working on, and I find wearing headphones also increases my ability to focus. During the actual writing process, I like instrumental music or music with vague or limited lyrics. Alternately, if I'm on a long drive or a six hour weaving shift, I want music with deep and complex stories to help me brainstorm new plots and characters.
I am here today to share some of my favorite writing music in hopes that others will find inspiration for their own stories.
AFI aka A Fire Inside
Before I write another word about AFI, I must put a disclaimer: this band has been playing on stage longer than I've even been alive, therefore I am no authority on their music nor on goth music/culture in a general sense.
That said, I consider AFI to be one of my favorite bands, if not my favorite. I have been listening to them for about 9 years now, and their songs have seen me through all of the up and downs during such a long period of time. I had a writing block where I didn't create any stories, unless assigned by school, for a solid 3 years. I credit AFI as one of the main inspirations that ended that writing block, for it is the combination of their three albums Crash Love, Decemberunderground, and Sing The Sorrow which gave me the idea for my first novel, and subsequently, the trilogy it developed into.
If you like dark music with obscure ideas and intense visuals, AFI is the band for you. Each song has enough fodder within it, lyrically and instrumentally, for a short story. If you're more on the sci-fi, technological spectrum, you might want to check out singer Davey Havok and guitar player Jade Puget's side project, Blaqk Audio.
Unfortunately, Anberlin disbanded in 2015 on mutual terms, but they have an expansive discography that I have spent years exploring. Over the past six or so years, I have acquired their albums two at a time, listened to them until I soaked up every bit of inspiration that I needed from them, and then moved on to the next two. I've found it's practically impossible to get sick of Anberlin albums, especially "Vital" and "Dark is the Way, Light is a Place." When they start to feel worn, I put them away fro a couple months, and then listen to them like new.
Their sound is a very agreeable rock music vibe, and there is a certain timelessness to Anberlin's music that I love. When I'm listening to their later albums, I get a post apocalypse WWIII vibe that always puts new characters in my head.
GIAA and EITS are artists that have been mixed randomly into almost all my writing playlists of the past few years. Although generally these bands have no lyrics, the music they create is powerful enough to bring forth stunning visuals in imaginative brains. If I am having a hard time with a battle scene, or I'm trying to brainstorm an epic ending, these bands will help me break through my block.
I'm not even sure how to find words to describe how much I love Veela. Both her voice and music are otherworldly, ethereal, magical, fantastical. Almost all of her music is free to download from her soundcloud, and her own songs are intermixed with cover songs and collaborations she does with a plethora of EDM/Dubstep artists.
My favorite thing about Veela is that she sings about a variety of subjects aside from romance. Her love for video games, comics, and the sci-fi/fantasy genre comes through clearly in her lyrics. I have created many characters from her imagery that have become hugely important in some of my current series.
BLVCK CEILING/Sidewalks & Skeletons/White Ring/Summer of Haze
So there is this music 'genre' out there known as Witch House/Darkwave/Vaporwave, to which some would claim these bands belong. I've had an amusing relationship with Witch House since I discovered it in a playlist on my favorite music site, 8tracks.com. I thought it was very complex until I read some articles on the short-lived music genre. There are some people who think WH is some kind of abomination on music, that it shouldn't be taken seriously, and it's true that for the most part many of the bands who are/were part of it have fizzled out quickly.
However, if you're looking for an ominous, creepy, gothic atmosphere to write your urban fantasy, dark fantasy, or horror story, Witch House/Darkwave might be just what you need. I think the four artists I've mentioned above are excellent examples of the genre if there are any, and their songs are what allowed me to create the post-apocalypse ice-age setting of my "Wolfena" series.
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When music is used for inspiration, writing, and prompting, it can be one of a writer's greatest tools. So put together a playlist, slap on your headphones, and open up that word document; let the sounds splash color onto that blank white screen and remove your fear of getting started.
Aside from the artists I have blurbed about already, here are some other bands with strong atmospheric qualities and loaded lyrics that might help you find that story idea you've been searching for.
Endless Hallway - U2-esque rock and roll
Salamanda - techno/experimental artist music
Two Steps From Hell - instrumental imitations of movie soundtracks--almost overly epic sometimes
Secret Empire - heavy but not too heavy flowing rock and roll with interesting lyrics
Metric - fantastic light-rock band with feminist vibes and a wonderful singer
Austra - sort of like a more obscure Florence and the Machine
There for Tomorrow - easy listening rock with beautiful vocals and thought provoking lyrics
Tokio Hotel - popular German rock/pop band with a dark, atmospheric sound
Get Scared - a creepy rock band with strong lyrics about depression and mental illness
Daft Punk - everybody knows who Daft Punk is
Fever Ray - trancey Portishead style music with obscure, psychedelic lyrics
Halsey - a strong female singer with story-like lyrics
Massive Attack - a mellow techno/rock band with repetitive, ethereal sounds
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