Let’s say you’ve got an important essay to write for tomorrow, or
you need to write an article for the newspaper that’s due tomorrow, or maybe
you need to finish a particular chapter of the latest book you’re writing that’s
due very soon, but you just can’t seem to get in that zone. There are too many
distractions: Builders doing unnecessary work on the road outside, you can hear
what your neighbour is watching because they have turned up the TV so they can
hear it over the roadworks outside, and your eyes are steadily getting heavier
and heavier as the minutes tick on by, telling you that you need to go to bed.
You’ve already had about an insane amount of coffee, but you’re still staring
at a blank screen.
No matter, because I am here to help. With the right music, you
can lose yourself in your writing and not come up for air until it’s finished.
If you find the right beat, you won’t be able to stop. The list below is a
collection of my top ten favourite songs to listen if ever I need that extra
boost of motivation. I stick on my headset, select the right song, and the
words simply fall out of my fingers.
When it comes to music, however, we all have different tastes, so
it’s understandable if not all of these songs are right for you, but there is
some diversity that I’m sure at least one or two will generate some sort of
spark and help you finish your essay or your article, or even your chapters of
your book. I have also selected certain songs that will not only help you find
the words you want, but also help you in particular situations as well.
I will also link the song so you can listen to them to see if they
are of any help.
If you have any songs that you find helpful if you’re stuck with
your writing, please let me know.
So, without further ado, let’s begin the countdown.
Number 10:
The Cab – Lock Me Up.
This is a great song to listen to if you want to get into a rhythm.
The strong and prominent beat throughout will help shake the words out of your
head and onto the screen. Soon you’ll be hitting the space bar in time to the
beat and when the song has finished, you’ll be surprised with how much you’ve
written.
Number 9:
Marina and the Diamonds – Blue.
This has a much faster beat compared to that of “Lock Me Up”. It’s
much the same when it comes to being strong and prominent. Once again, you will
fall into a natural rhythm and soon you’ll be typing in time to the beat. The
upbeat tone, happy and content throughout, will lift your mood and help you write
a similar scene. If you would like your characters to be happy, then this is one
of the best songs to accomplish just that.
The opening beat sets up things nicely, and the verses will start
to pick up your spirits, and when the chorus hits, you’ll be fully in that
rhythm and you won’t be able to stop until the song has finished, or you finish
your work, whichever comes first. If the song finish before you finish your work,
you can always replay it. This is a song that won’t get old for quite some time
to come.
Just like the song says, ‘I don’t want to feel blue anymore.’
Number 8:
The Chainsmokers – Roses (Ft Roses)
Almost trance inducing music, this song never fails to help me
ignore the world around me and focus solely on the screen in front of me. It
doesn’t ease you in gently, so be prepared for that, the moment it starts, the
world around you won’t exist anymore. And when the beat drops, not only will it
be completely blown away by the bass, but it will cement your fingers to the
keyboard.
I like listening to this song whenever I need to write an article
for my blog, especially Friday’s when it’s about a random topic. Once I’ve
researched the topic and have all the necessary information stored either in
note form on my screen or in my head, I stick this song on and lose myself in
its beat. I highly recommend this song if you’re stuck writing an essay. If ever
I have writer’s block, the intensity of the beat when it drops, helps knock
down that wall, allowing me to continue forward until the final full-stop has
been written.
Number 7:
Battle in the Forgotten City – Final Fantasy VIII: Advent Children
(Soundtrack)
I wasn’t expecting the power this song has. When it comes to
music, I love to ramp up my bass. I stumbled upon this song one day whilst
researching gravitational waves. I know, I don’t know how I got from one to the
other either. But, the moment I heard the incredible rumble of the bass, I
instantly wanted to listen to more often. I also knew that this would be in my
list of songs I listen to whilst writing. And it has very much helped me since.
If you are stuck on writing an action sequence, then worry no
more, because this music, with its strong, intense beat with small doses of a choir
in the first minute before the entire orchestra kicks in and unleashes hell
upon your character’s enemies. They won’t stand a chance once your words have
this incredible piece of music fighting alongside them.
Number 6:
Lily’s Theme – Alexandre Desplat: Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows Part 2 Soundtrack
And now you’ve come to the part of the story where you need to say
goodbye to one of your characters, either by having them walk into the sunset,
or making it so they will never come back. It’s going to be a sad moment for all.
You know how you want things to go, but you cannot find the right words to
express that level of sadness.
Lily’s Theme, which I first heard when watching Harry Potter and
the Half Blood Prince in the cinema, almost brought me to tears, and the film
had barely started. Alexandre had captured the dire situation Hogwarts had
fallen into, By then, the seventh book had been released and we already knew
the massive twist involving Snape and his love for Harry’s mum, Lily, so when
we saw Snape standing in the tower, looking over down upon the school and the
situation, we knew that he was doing this out of love for Lily, and because we
knew of his secret, I feel as if Alexandre wanted to express that further. It
is a powerful and emotional piece of music that is only amplified by our
knowledge of the series and what’s to come. It’s also incredibly sad because we
all knew that it was the beginning of the end of an era.
That is why this piece of music is perfect for writing that sad
scene. It packs so much into such a short amount of time that you will do so, too.
And when the violins slowly fade in, your readers won’t be able to hold back
their tears any longer.
Number 5:
In Noctem – Nicholas Hooper: Harry Potter and the Half Blood
Prince Soundtrack
Another song from the Harry Potter franchise. This time, from the
film prior to the one above. This piece of music didn’t actually make it into
the final cut of the film. The deleted scene can be found on YouTube complete
with the soundtrack.
It’s intense, is all I can say about it. The choir does a
wonderful job building tension for the events to come. The orchestra behind the
choir, with their strong yet somehow flaccid at the same time beat makes you
hold your breath. You don’t know what is to come.
Sometimes, you need to add that scene to build up specific events,
and if they are going to be life changing for the characters, or simply used to
turn things around completely, then by listening to this song, that scene will
be written in no time. It hasn’t failed me yet, so I am confident in saying
that it will also do wonders for you, too.
Number 4:
Duel & Cloudscapes by Tuomas Holopainen: The Life and Times of
Scrooge
Starting off with a thunderclap, then immediately going into a tension
filled interlude with a choir who knows exactly what is to come chants behind
the music. Then the main beat kicks. Happy, but tense. It too is building up to
something, and it’s going to be massive. And then the choir comes back in, more
prominently this time, before settling down, letting you recover from that phenomenal
beginning, but it doesn’t let you rest for long, as it quickly starts building
up again for that climatic ending. This song takes you on an adventure.
This instrumental piece might be just under 5 minutes, but it
feels so much longer than that for all the right reasons, and when it ends, you
might just feel exhausted.
This piece of music is incredibly versatile when it comes to
helping you write. If you want to write something tense, then listen to this;
if you want to write something happy, then listen to this; discovery;
adventurous; maybe your characters can spend time together at a fairground. And
when you are writing that scene of your choice, you will instantly fall into an
easy rhythm that’s just fast enough to help you write a lot of words.
Number 3:
Dreamtime by Tuomas Holopainen: The Life and Times of Scrooge
Another amazing song by the incredible Toumas Holopainen. It’s also
another song from the same album. If Roses is almost trance inducing, then this
song definitely is. The music perfectly simulates that wonderful sensation that
is dreaming. Throughout the song, five strong beats played in quick succession
with a constant chant from the choir in the background. This song has so much
to offer, you have to listen to it yourself to experience it fully.
This song can help you with something that is probably more
important that writing: Developing your characters. As soon as the beats kick
in, you can close your eyes and you’ll be transported to the world your
characters live in. You can go on an adventure with them, discover so much more
about the world they live in. Your characters won’t just be figments of your
imagination anymore, they will be real people. And when the song ends, you will
come back to reality, and you would have learnt so much about their world that
you simply cannot wait to write about it. Whenever you are starting a story,
that opening line is always the hardest thing to find; this song will be help
you find it. It’s an incredibly powerful piece of music that so many more
people need to listen to.
Number 2:
The Eyes of Sharbat Gula by Nightwish: Endless Forms Most
Beautiful
Those that know me will know that the Finish Symphonic Metal Band,
Nightwish, is my all- time favourite band, because they are incredibly
versatile. One minute you’re listening to something heavy, and the next you’re
listening to The Eyes of Sharbat Gula. This is one of Nightwish’s full instrumental
tracks. During production of their latest album, Tuomas wanted to add words to
this song, but couldn’t find the right ones, so he left it as it is. Ironic, I
know, considering I’m adding this track to a list designed to help you with
your writing, but what are you going to do; that’s the way things go sometimes.
The Eyes of Sharbat Gula can be used mainly for setting something
mysterious up, but it’s also has a strong hint of happiness throughout. If you
want your characters to find out something amazing, then this song will help
you with finding the correct words for that. It can also help you ending that
great adventure. In my opinion, this is most effective when not only ending an era,
but ending the story altogether: Sad and happy with that one last amazing thing
happening before writing your final words.
Number 1:
And I Will Kiss (Featuring Dame Evelyn Glennie)
I contemplated for many hours about putting this second and the
one above first. I listened to both pieces, but I couldn’t decide. I then
thought about putting them as joint first, but they are so different that it
would be strange to pair them up. They are both incredibly powerful, both can
help you with discovering something amazing, both can help you end an era, but
both does not do any of that the same way. The Eyes of Sharbat Gula can help you
end the story gently, but And I will Kiss does so much more than that…
You may recognise the piece of music as being the same that opened
the London 2012 Olympics. It has a strong and prominent beat will help the
words flow from your mind to the keyboard and help you get into that perfect rhythm
when writing those words; It’s trance inducing so you can forget about the
world around you and transport you into your character’s worlds, helping you
understand them so much more so you will have that first sentence ready and primed.
Happy, sad, discovering something, keeping a secret, building up tension,
defeating the main villain or multiple bad guys, and/or ending the story, this
17 minute long epic piece of music – complete with a mind-blowing ending – has
the lot.
And that is why it is number 1.
Thanks for reading
Antony Hudson
(TonyHadNouns)
My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:
Amazon:
eBay:
SkyCat Publications:
Ask me anything at:
ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk
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