Escaping Writer’s Block with Music

In recent months, I have gone through periods where I found it difficult to write a single word, let alone an entire chapter. I have tried many things to break my writer’s block, but I found one thing to work better than anything else: music. I did not listen to one particular type of music either, but all sorts. Here is a look at how plugging in my headphones helped break me free of my creative rut.

Ambience Music

When I am working on a particularly difficult segment, where I am having trouble connecting with a character, I try to put myself in the characters shoes. I also turn on ambience music so that I can hear what they are hearing. An ambience noise machine works wonders, as well as nature-inspired ambience music.

Classical Music

Another type of music that stirs my mind is classical music. There is something about the intricate compositions of the classical age that causes my imagination to go into overload. I take advantage of this situation and get right to work.

Modern Folk

God bless bands like Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes and the like. Their new brand of folk music has been a major source of inspiration for me as I write. Songs like “Dust Bowl Dance” and “Mykonos” have worked wonders on my creative output.

Florence and the Machine

The ginger-haired goddess that is Florence Welch gets her own category here. Her music is beautiful, etheral and thought provoking. All of her songs feel like I’ve walked into a dream, and she has captured my attention.

Sigur Ros

Sigur Ros is a post-rock music group from Iceland that puts out a gorgeous, other-worldly sound. Although I do not understand the Icelandic language, their sound needs no translation. Once I hit play, I can be sure that my words will flow onto the paper.

Writer’s block is by far one of the most frustrating things a writer faces. Rather than fighting with my writer’s block, I plug in my headphones and allow my creativity to flow. Now my writer’s block faded and if the words fail to come, I know I can rely on Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Son or Sigur Ros to pull me from the depths of my writing despair.

More from this Contributor:

Defeat Writer’s Block Once and For All: Five Effective Methods That Improve a Writer’s Productivity

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