On Leigh Bardugo‘s fourteenth stop in her blog tour, she talks about her love for music in a different way, by sharing her two different music lists, each list serving their own purpose during different points of her writing process.
There are two ways I use music when I’m actually writing (as opposed to brainstorming):
1. White Noise
I can’t listen to anything where the lyrics are too present. Even most classical has too strong a period feel and emotional pull. There are a few exceptions, but mostly I just need something that fills the silence (or obliterates a noisy cafe), and that doesn’t get in the way of the scene.2. Dance Breaks
You know how people dance in the Harlem Shake videos? Picture that with less pelvic thrusts. When your concentration is ebbing or you’re stuck in a scene, sometimes coffee isn’t the answer, but capering around your room like a loon with a squirrel in your pants is. (I’m going to regret saying that, aren’t I? It’s going to end up on my tombstone.)Here are a few favorites from both categories that helped keep me focused and inspired while working on Siege and Storm.
Dance Breaks
Situation, Making Friendz
Shuffle, Bombay Bicycle Club
Body Movin’, Beastie Boys
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvRBUw_Ls2o&w=420&h=315]Universal Mind Control (UMC), Common
Ants in My Pants, The Sparks
Ten-Twenty-Ten, Generationals
Get Some, Lykke Li
I Love It, Icona Pop
Gravity, Nico VegaWhite Noise
Glue of the World, Four Tet
Everything is Alright, Four Tet
She Moves She, Four Tet
As Serious As Your Life, Four Tet
Montanita, Ratatat
Gettysburg, Ratatat
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH_a2OcCmnI&w=420&h=315]Love Story Meets Love Story (Taylor Swift Remix), Jon Schmidt
Timestretch, Bassnectar
Retche Mama Da Me Jeni (Mother Has Decided to Marry Me Off), Ensemble of the Bulgarian Republic
Modern Drift, Efterklang
Daydreaming, Dark Dark Dark
Lights (Bassnectar Remix), Ellie Goulding
Fingers Never Bleed, Yeasayer (recommended by Elena at Novelsounds)
Vision One, Röyksopp
Penelope, Pinback
Into the Fog (from Master and Commander), The Newman Scoring Stage Orchestra
Not Driving Anymore, Rob Dougan
(via fourteenth blog tour stop: Fic Fare. Enter to win a paperback copy of Shadow and Bone along with a hardcover copy of Siege and Storm!)
