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Best music for writing fantasy?

Meg the Healer

Meg the Healer

Mystagogue
I listen to all types when I write. But I do find myself listening to more instrumental and Celtic music for the most part. Also, I listen to Christophe Beck. He did a lot of the compositions for Buffy and Angel and I've always been impressed with his music. I'm also a fan of Joseph LoDuca. I will on occassion listen to music with lyrics when I write and that ranges anywhere from Seether to Reba!
 
Chilari

Chilari

Staff
Moderator
What I listen to depends on what sort of scene I'm writing. I have a rock and pop playlist I listen to generally, not just when writing but also when walking in to uni, working out at the gym, or just playing computer games. Sometimes I select particular tracks from this to listen to when I start writing a scene, but it's on shuffle so while I might start with Feeder's Renegades the next track could be Simon and Garfunkle's The Boxer or Muse's Starlight.

I also sometimes listen to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack when writing, but not very often. I'm more likely to listen to Ludovico Einaudi, Enya, or a folk band I know (and my know I mean the violinist used to be my boss and my dad has music lessons from the lead guitarist), Whalebone. Their latest album, Three Fires, is absolutely brilliant and available for download on Amazon. Just FYI. :p
 
Ophiucha

Ophiucha

Dark Lord
I can be listening to anything, be it Lady Gaga or Pyotr Tchaikovsky. I just need that noise in the background in order to concentrate on anything, and either don't listen to the music at all, or are just not distracted by it. If I am listening to music for the sake of getting in the mood to write, though, as opposed to just writing, I'll probably listen to symphonic or power metal, as most of the lyrics directly relate to the subject matter.
 
Fodwocket

Fodwocket

Master
I listen to all sorts of things when I write, and different characters and scenes tend to have their own songs (many). But for a truly epic inspirational song, where every moment of it puts images in my head, I love Ghost Love Score by Nightwish.
 
L

LadyPamela

Journeyman
I love listening to music as I write. Music is my muse! I second (or third?) Loreena McK. Her music has a gentle, almost haunting quality that puts me in the zone! Can feel Celtic, medieval or eastern, depending on the song. Medeival Babes has some fun songs. I love instrumental soundtracks, too. LoTR, Eragon (terrible movie, but the music is epic!), anything Hans Zimmer, even the soundtrack to the TV show 'Planet Earth' has some great music to set a certain mood!

I look for unusual music, because you never know when an obscure song might be just perfect for that one scene. I recently downloaded a Cirque de Soleil soundtrack, and it's awesome! Heavy drumbeats, a little chanting, etc. Just what I need for my Amariyan legionaries!

I do tend to stay away from the heavier rock. Never really been my thing. And songs with lyrics can be a double edged sword; inspiring and distracting!

I love all the suggestions I read here. I'm always on the lookout for new music to set my muse soaring!
 
Amanita

Amanita

Scribal Lord
Well, unlike many others here I tend to use music with lyrics for writing and creating my stories.
I'm always searching for songs with lyrics that fit with various scenes in my stories, and when I've found one it often greatly helps me to get the feelings involved down on paper.
I don't have one specific genre of music I'm using but take everything I like and consider suitable. I also often have "character songs" for various people in my stories and I tend to make various thematic lists depending on the scenes in question.
Bands I'm listening to rather frequently include Blind Guardian a German band singing in English with many fantasy-themed songs, Subway to Sally, who mainly have darker-themed song suitable for darker scenes and characters, and ASP two German alternative Rock-bands. Besides that, there are plenty of popular and less popular bands and singers (including Lady Gaga and Chris de Burgh), I like a few songs of. Any real fan of a certain kind of music would be shocked.;)
 
Mdnight Falling

Mdnight Falling

Mystagogue
It depends on the scene I'm writing. If it's a good firght scene... I go with death metal LOL.. tender scenes I listen to slow stuff.. jazz, easy listening, love songs.... It helps me get into the char's head to write what's going on. When 've completed something and I'm omg happy with it (That's such a rare occurance LOL) I will play something retardedly stupid and prance around like a moron out of happiness LMAO
 
Chilari

Chilari

Staff
Moderator
I hate to res an old thread, but it was that or start a new one on basically the same topic. I'm switching projects at the moment and I'm looking for a new album to listen to while writing. The album I was listening to while working on the previous project (on hold as of yesterday because of unsurmountable problems) was Mumford & Sons' Sign No More. It worked because of the variety of emotions portrayed while still sounding coherent. But now I so strongly associate that album with the story I was working on that if any songs from it come on my shuffled playlist, without even noticing I just start thinking of it. The down side of musical associations.

What I need is something I can listen to for hours at a time on repeat, which isn't too repetitive but at the same time not too jarring, but with a variety of moods. I'd go with Einaudi's Nightbook, but since (a) one of those songs is now strongly associated with the old story and (b) many of the songs are part of my bed time playlist and send me off to sleep, it wouldn't work.
 
Map the Dragon

Map the Dragon

Mystagogue
My music tastes (even when writing) are varied.

Ben Harper
Jack Johnson
Eddie Vedder (with or without Pearl Jam) - try his Into the Wild Soundtrack - Holy crap on a stick!
90s stuff...
Classical sometimes gets the juices flowing.
um.....errr....shh, don't tell anyone - Michael Jackson

and more.
 
Crystal Lacrymosa

Crystal Lacrymosa

New Member
If I'm listening to music when I write it is varied, anywhere from Evanescence to Ali Project. But once I get deep into what I'm writing, the music fades out and I don't even hear it anymore. It helps me get into my mode for writing. But the funny thing is if my mom disturbs me while I'm writing and I turn off the music I get snapped out of it. Usually the song I'm listening to fits what I'm writing, but like I said it fades out over time for me.
 
myrddin173

myrddin173

Scribal Lord
I mostly listen to country and celtic music. If I want a scene to be really epic though I loop Saga-This is My Road by Kanon over and over again because I just love it.

 
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D

drumsinthedeep

Acolyte
I love movie soundtracks for writing. My favorites include the Gladiator soundtrack, Robin Hood (the new ridley scott one) Lord of the Rings, A Game of Thrones, Braveheart and Kingdom of Heaven
 
Chilari

Chilari

Staff
Moderator
I can't really write to soundtracks, because I find I end up thinking of the movie rather than the story I'm meant to be writing. The two albums I have recently started writing to are First Days of Spring by Noah and the Whale and This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars. Both are very good albums.
 
Raziel

Raziel

Master
From all that I've tried to get 'into the mood' to write I have always found that there is a formula. This being for me; A a pair of headphones; B The soundtrack for "Fight Club". For some reason this album, with it's dark style and content it brings me to the underbelly; the dregs of society. To the place of those dark little corners that hide the most intelligent of thieves in the night, the flow that brings good content. I suggest this for/from one writer to another. Try it once and see what you come up with. Worst is you won't like it.

Then again it could just be me. Somehow that album (mainly done by the "Dust
Brothers") captured an essence that cannot be recreated. Just givin' you my 'two cents'.
 
Raziel

Raziel

Master
Map the Dragon said:
um.....errr....shh, don't tell anyone - Michael Jackson

and more.
Click to expand...

"Hheheh"..I won't say nothin' I be from the same era...oops, said too much. Sometimes guilty pleasures are guilty for a reason. No pun intended...but reached. Again I say "hehe..."(ever much liked 'lol' as a way of chuckling in text.) Good one though. ;)
 
C

CicadaGrrl

Lore Master
I make extensive playlists these days. I actually don't listen to much instrumental. However, my last playlist stretched from South Pacific to Nikki Minaj and back again. In truth, I leave the TV on while I write more than music. TV is white noise (I'm used to working in a loud, chaotic environ), but playlists I create to be maps of my life, so they distract me more.
 
lawrence

lawrence

Lore Master
I love to have music playing as I write or paint. I adore Shores' Lord of the Rings score and have the full versions, I don't listen to them quite as much these days. I played them several times a week for about four years ha ha ! Obsessed or what?

Currently I often play the Transformers scores (not soundtracks) by Stecve Jablonsky...all three scores are beautiful and lend themselves extremely well to the epic fantasy moving picture show playing across my minds eye as I write !
 
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Sheilawisz

Sheilawisz

Staff
Moderator
I get loads of inspiration from listening to Leaves' Eyes when I write my fantasy stories, especially these songs:

1- Elegy
2- Skraelings
3- Norwegian Lovesong
4- The Thorn
5- Twilight Sun
6- A Winter Poem
7- Misseri

Sheila
 
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