What Makes a Writers’ Playlist so Essential?
Using music in a way that’s beneficial to your writing.
I know that when I sit at my desk, open Spotify and press the big white triangle, that I’m ready to write. It’s become a bit of a ritual for me. A mindset. A way of snapping into focus.
The moment the music plays, I get lost in time, and it’s only the buzz from the Pomodoro timer that wakes me from my trance.
I find it amazing that anything gets done. It feels like an out-of-body experience when I look at my fingers tapping away at the keyboard. It feels so natural and effortless.
The ‘Moneyball’ and ‘Big Short’ Playlist
I recently listened to the Michael Lewis episode of the Tim Ferris Show. I was intrigued for several reasons.
First of all, Michael wrote the books ‘Moneyball’ and ‘The Big Short’ which would both become two of my all-time favourite films.
Until I listened to the show, I had no idea they were initially books before films, let alone written by the same guy. Anyway, I digress. The other thing that that piqued interest was the small segment where Tim and Michael discussed his writing process.
Mr Lewis discussed how he often creates soundtracks to use when he’s in writing mode. The playlist will have around 20 songs and will be played on loop for the duration of the writing session, changing from book to book.
He cites that music helps shut off the possibility of distraction. With headphones on, and the music playing, he can’t hear the knocks on the door, phones pinging or anything else.
The music is narrowing the focus of his attention to the page and the words he writes. The music is nudging him closer and closer to his flow.
Highway Hypnosis
Highway Hypnosis is when we lose all concept of time while on the road.
You’ve probably had the feeling before.
Imagine, you jump in the car, pull the seatbelt across your chest and clip it into place. You put the key in the ignition and fire up the engine. Slowly, you release the handbrake, before pulling out of your space and onto the open road. Your mind blanks and next thing you know, you’ve arrived safely at your destination.
It’s terrifying, really. We have no idea how we got there; if we passed any red lights, how fast we were going if we nearly hit a cyclist. We’ve somehow got from A to B, seemingly unscathed, and we had no idea how we did it. Incredible.
It happens when we operate from pre-existing cues that have become ingrained in our minds.
There’s a sequence we go through when we drive a car. It’s so similar that overtime it becomes habitual. We don’t have to think about every action, and we fall into a trance-like state.
Why Is This Relevant?
I mention this because this is what happens when we sit down to write in our favourite chair, at the same desk and stick our favourite playlist on repeat.
Music acts as one of several anchors that reinforce the idea that we’re about to get down to business. It’s helping us get in the zone.
While the music is playing, we’ll continue to write. We know it’s there, but we’re not listening, we recognise the sounds as little more than a hum. Although we might not ‘hear’ the songs, the moment they stop, our hypnotic state is shattered. Our flow is broken.
The Benefits
The Rhythm
We listen to music during we workout because the steady and consistent rhythm helps drives us forward, even when things start to get tough. The same happens when we write.
One of the biggest killers of creativity is clockwatching. We start to get anxious about how long a piece is taking or if we’ll meet a deadline, but the anxiety, stress and tensions this causes is to the detriment of the overall quality of work.
Music helps us lose track of time, and that’s perfect. When we write, our only thought should be transferring the ideas from our mind onto paper, so we can bring order to chaos and hopefully, others can benefit from our wisdom.
Music is a very effective way to do this.
The Emotion
I mentioned earlier how Michael Lewis would have a different playlist behind each book. Using the same playlist helps ensure he’s hitting the right voice for each idea.
A little bit like an actor getting into character, the playlist seems to set the tone for the book. The songs themselves aren’t chosen with the book in mind, rather the book writes itself around the emotions from the songs.
It could be a wildly eclectic selection, but the emotions attached to the songs, after the first writing sessions will be present in the ones that follow.
Michael mentioned that he couldn’t list the songs he listened to, but if he heard them, he’d recognise them from the book he was writing at the time. My guess is Michael would remember the song from the emotion attached to it, and not the music itself.
Your Playlist
If we’re upset, anxious or scared, it isn’t easy to have a positive attitude, but it’s our mindset that ultimately prompts our actions.
We can change the tone of our writing through the music we listen to as we write because of the emotions we attach to certain songs and genres.
As an experiment, try and change what you listen to and notice the effect it has on your writing.
Get curious with it. Listen to music that wouldn’t usually be on your radar.
- What happens if you listen to Classical, do you find a more sophisticated voice, perhaps?
- Want to write an emotion-filled rant, maybe try Heavy Metal?
- What something more creative, how about some Jazz or something with a bounce?
- Maybe you’ve always listened to music, so how about trying the sound of silence?
There’s no right answer to what you should listen to — if anything — but specific topics require a different emotion, use music to help with this.
Final Thoughts
Music is individual to everyone. Use it in a way that’s beneficial to you.
If it helps you focus, use it. If you’re searching for a particular tone or feeling in your writing and music helps, use it. If you need it to drag you through when you’re struggling, use it.
Thanks for reading,
— Dave
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