What does it mean to cultivate a good environment for writing?
I don’t think it’s just about minimizing distraction and maximizing comfort. If that were the case, then the ideal place to write would be a sensory deprivation tank with a keyboard in it. That sounds hellish. At the very least, I need some natural light, some room to pace, and a pillow to scream into. But mostly, I need music.
I like music that reflects how my mind works as I am writing. If I’m working on something personal, I almost always put on Zauberberg by Gas, an hour-long album of minimal techno inspired by the novels of Thomas Mann, which consists of two basic sonic elements: steady kick drum patterns and distant-sounding loops of orchestral strings and winds. It so perfectly captures what it feels like to write about myself—plodding along methodically while the thing I’m trying to say lurks just beyond my ability to say it.
Other times, though, I have racing thoughts that I need to articulate as quickly and messily as possible. This is a skill I’ve only recently acquired, with the help of some chaotic free jazz. Alexander von Schlippenbach’s Globe Unity Orchestra 67 & 70 has become a favorite of mine. It feels silly to listen to something well-wrought and dignified when what I’m writing amounts to ridiculous noise. I would much rather listen to ridiculous noise. But if I’m lucky, that noise will resolve into something more sophisticated. If I feel like I’m on the tail of an interesting pattern in my own thoughts, I’ll switch over to Jlin’s Black Origami in the hopes that some of its divine, polyrhythmic geometry might rub off on my essay.
Thinking about this got me wondering what some of my fellow writers listen to as they write. So, in the coming weeks, we'll be inviting different writers to share their thoughts about listening to music while writing and recommend some of their favorite songs and albums. In the meantime, here's a Spotify playlist of some of the UNCW MFA's favorite writing music. (Link in image.)
—Dan Willis
Editor's Note: This essay is part of the ongoing series Music for Writing.