Music and The Muse

Hello again,

I've been thinking about music this couple of weeks and what it means to me and my writing. Even if I can sing or carry a tune on a whistle, I absolutely KNOW I'm not a musician  because I can never imagine how another new song could be written. Surely every combination of notes, chords, lyrics, melody has already been done?

And then, and then, I hear a piece of music that utterly blows me away - like discovering a new colour, and I am amazed at the composer's ingenuity and creativity.

And the reason I know I'm a writer, is that I always feel there's another story to tell, even through the writer's block, I always know in my heart, a character will come along and make me hear their story and want to tell it.

But having said all this, I need utter and complete silence to work.
I have a friend who says she must have background noise, be it a TV or a half tuned radio - or better still, a TV AND a half tuned radio - to occupy the other parts of her brain so she can focus on the part that makes her write. I love that. I tried it once, but when I hear music - my body just has to move - in some cultures, it may look like dancing, but, well you get the picture...
So if I want to be inspired by a song or piece of music to coax the shy little muse from her hiding place, I have to do it before I start to write - and have a little disco next to my laptop, until that feeling takes me over and I have to go write.

If I'm going all out raunchy - it has to be some Led Zeppelin or Iggy Pop but if I'm working on a big mad romance, it has to be Chopin or Mozart. Ahhh, I'm breathless even hearing it my mind!

I would love to know how you concentrate - do you need noise or movement or silence or something else?

See you next week x x