Ask 10 writers whether they work with music playing, and you'll get 10 different answers. Some need total silence. Some can't function without a soundtrack. I'm of the latter group because I love to get into the emotional headspace of characters, and I find that music is one thing that helps me do that. It also helps me visualize scenes as they would appear on screen, scored by whatever's playing at a given moment. I can be a little obsessive about it, actually. But I recently started wondering what the "right" thing to do for our creativity is.Well, both camps have some science on their side. What the Research SaysRecent research suggests that something complex happens when we combine music with writing. (And, spoiler, most experts say we shouldn't do it.) A 2024 literature review found that research on background music generally viewed it as hurting performance on challenging tasks, while having little effect on simpler ones. Writing definitely counts as challenging, we think. The whole lyrics-versus-instrumental debate matters, too. When you're trying to write while someone sings words at you, your brain attempts to process two language streams at once. Dr. John Almarode says that this dual processing burns glucose faster and actually triggers the release of stress hormones (via Amy Isaman). You might not notice the strain consciously, but your brain does. It's trying to give equal attention to competing inputs, and that can be exhausting.But plenty of successful writers ignore this advice entirely. Toni Morrison built entire...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday