Personally, I LOVE listening to the "Assassin's Creed" soundtrack. I have never played the game (It being rated M) but the music is BEAUTIFUL!

I have never heard that, Sven! Will have to listen to it.

Where can I find that?

If I'm writing a sad scene I like listening to this music from The Changeling

Mine is primarily non-Christian music, actually, or simply instrumental. I listen to a lot of Kamelot, Nightwish, etc. and tons of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I'm trying to not do the former as much, however, as it does not really help my relationship with God or anything like that.

Ooh, soundtracks!
I have to be careful what soundtracks I listen to so as I don't get overly-sentimental, something that is easy to do in the book I'm writing. (Since I want it whimsical and cute, not overly touching.) I blame Finidng Neverland for a 16,000 word try that turned out too weepy. So, I've tried to get something almost epic (Like Pirates of the Caribbean, At the World's End) since, coupled with a story about children, it reminds me of the comicness of the whole affair.
I've been getting into The Young Victoria soundtrack; it is so beautiful! A little overly sentimental for my book, but sometimes I do it anyway.
I hate to imagine what might happen to my story if I listend to Schinder's List... the theme alone almost made me cry the other day. I can hardly bear to listen to it, which is sort of odd.

I like music going very loud when I'm writing, with headphones on it helps block everything else out. I typically listen to instrumental music, like Christopher Parkening who plays classical guitar music, Jesse Cook, who plays rhumba flamenco music and some light jazz stuff, and a new flamenco group I found called Incendio. Lately I've been just listening to Jesse Cook and Incendio while writing, they help me focus.

Who knows where I can purchase Two Steps from Hell albums? I have invincible and the only other one I can find for purchase is Archangel. I know they're out there, they have quite a few. But all I can find are free downloads. I believe an artist should be payed for his work so I prefer to do the right thing and buy.

I haven't read all that's in this thread, so it may have been mentioned before, but I LOVE Thomas Bergersen. For fantasy, anyway. I dream up these intense scenes in my head while listening to him. All four of the following songs are ones that inspired scenes in my fantasy story, when I writing it.

A sad, intense fighting scene

A victory, homecoming part

Another super intense fight

Not by the same guy, but super awesome too

The soundtracks by Ennio Morricone are good, especially Once Upon a Time... In the West.

I heard this song Return to Inishmore by Bill Douglas on our TV's satellite radio. It makes me think it'd accompany a historical novel or movie very well. (Plus I love Celtic music.) X3

I have a feeling my improv New Age/Easy Listening music will be great for writing...

I've already tested it, and it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8BrBcGZuU4

I don't know about "to write by", but I love most of his score for The Mission (and I love that movie, too).

I don't think I've heard that one, but I know I haven't seen it .

*gasps * Luke, the music was amazing, but I was thrilled like you wouldn't believe when the music started and my picture was on your video. And then there was another. And then another. My day was made.

Invincible and Archangel are both great. I recently purchase Archangel and i'm loving it. I wish they'd release the others for public... grrrrrr. Thanks

Your pictures are awesome. Thanks for the inspiration!

And I've posted it various other places, but here's the link for the finished album... http://www.amazon.com/Improv-Pictures-O ... 006IZH3GK/

Very cool, thank you.

When I'm writing, I find it extremely helpful to listen to music. Ideally I would be listening to epic battle soundtrack music (like from Narnia or LOTR), but as I don't have any of that (yet), here are the artists on my playlist:

Christian:
Skillet
Flyleaf
Red
Relient K
Evanescence

Non-Christian:
Paramore... and that's pretty much it.

I have all my music on shuffle, and I find it really helps me to concentrate. But, I've listened to all my music so many times, that even though there are about 300 songs, I'm getting bored with most of them. Does anyone else listen to music when they write?

Sometimes I find it helpful to listen to music while writing, and sometimes not. But my first thought after reading your list was, "How ... odd." Because when I find music helpful, I need it to be among the softest, least attention-grabbing pieces I can find, and every group you named is far louder than I can stand for any purpose .

For the sort of music I use, see my posts in the Playlist Request thread in the Village Lore forum.

I *can* and sometimes do listen to music as I write, but more likely, I listen to music while I drive so I can plot out my novels during that time. This is an excellent way to go if you have long trips to help make the time productive.

And I must say, I have come up with the dandiest plot ideas during times like that, and I really think music can help inspire the right mood.

Since I'm writing British historical fantasy, I listen to Scottish Moors a lot:

http://www.amazon.com/Lifescapes-Scotti ... 904&sr=8-8

In fact, a lot of the Lifescapes music is excellent for these purposes because it has no lyrics to distract you.

As well, I listen to the Lord of the Rings movie soundtrack. Scottish Moors is great, but sometimes I need to think about darker plot elements, and at times like that, the LoTR's music can work wonders.

-Robert

Yeah. It's just that I can't afford the music I REALLY want to listen to. Has anyone ever heard of Sound Adventures? Their song, Magnificent Journey (look it up on Youtube, PLEASE) is the one I listened to over and over while writing the part about one of my characters' death and I cried my eyes out

I like a mix of loud music, like you listed and some softer music. I have a "writing playlist" that I use to inspire me while I write. It includes music from the following Christian bands:
- Addison Road
- The Afters
- Audrey Assad
- BarlowGirl
- Building 429
- Disciple
- Fireflight
- Francesca Battistelli
- The Fray
- Jessie Daniels
- Jimmy Needham
- JJ Heller
- Matthew West
- MercyMe
- Meredith Andrews
- Plumb
- Rebecca St. James
- Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
- Sanctus Real
- Skillet
- Tenth Avenue North
- Thousand Foot Krutch

For non-Christian music, I listen to mostly country
- The Fray
- Regina Spektor
- Rascal Flatts
- Paramore
- Lady Antebellum

And my "guilty" pleasure, I keep a celtic station on Pandora for some days.

I like Pandora (I look up composers from movies, like Harry Gregson-Williams for Narnia, and cinematic soundtracks, etc.), but my nookcolor (it's an e-reader/tablet) doesn't want to connect to the internet when I'm in my bedroom, which is where I do almost all of my writing. And my laptop is SO extremely slow. However slow yours is, mine is slower. x(

Since Lady E has not comment in here I find it my fantasy writer duty to come in and bring up a list of epic music groups. That's about all I listen to when it comes to writing. Not only is it epic, it evokes feeling and vivid action pictures without sidetracking you with lyrics. Or perhaps I'm just the one that gets easily sidetracked.

I would suggest trying some of Future World Music (good for finding songs with lots of emotion), City of the Fallen (a Christian group), or Two Steps from Hell (I know, I still cringe at the title, but their music is stunning!)

Anyway... hope that helped some!

I've heard a little Two Steps from Hell, and LOVED it! Thanks for reminding me!
At one point, I wanted to make a soundtrack for my book. I had songs for every chapter that contributed to the overall emotional feeling. But a lot of people were getting confused by it, like my mom thought she had to stop reading and watch the video And I didn't want to have to go through all the copyright stuff to include the mp3 playlist download code for when the book's purchased, and all that. But it was cool though... The song I mentioned in my last post was the one I put for when the character died, and MAN did it help with the emotion factor! I was a mess, and I was the one writing it! Lol xD Anyway, lots of Two Steps from Hell were on my list of songs to remember for the future chapters that needed songs.
I even made YouTube playlists for the soundtracks. I guess if music with words doesn't distract you or anything like that, and you want to read my books, I can give you the playlist as well. hehe

I do the same thing. My phone has a voice memo app that I use all the time when I'm driving.

I tend to pick music that fits with tone of the scene I’m trying to write. If I’m writing a short story, I usually only have a song or two playing that’s similar to the overall emotion of the story I’m trying to aim for.

I like to listen to music without words and imagine scenes that would go best with the song. I have a lot of movie soundtracks and play them at random, making up plot and scenes to go along with the sounds. A lot of jazz, classical music, and etc.

I’m not much of a band lover but more of a song lover, meaning I’ll only buy a song or two I like from an album on iTunes and leave the rest alone. I only have a few complete albums, which I’ll mark with *.

Red*
Icon for Hire*
Seabird*
Mat Kearney*
Switchfoot
Runaway City
Revive
Brooke Fraser*
Plumb
Daily Planet
Jars of Clay
Flyleaf
Fireflight
Disciple
Third Day
Demon Hunter
Decyfer Down
The City Harmonic
Brandon Heath
The Fray
Todd Agnew
Casting Crowns
John Mark Mcmillan*
Jon Foreman – EP Albums

Two Steps from Hell*
Methodic Doubt Music *
Nero
Pearl Jam
Mat & Kim*
Dishwalla
Donovan Lyman
Foo Fighters
The Who
Room Eleven*

Soundtracks
Unbreakable – James Newton Howard
Doctor Who Season 5
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
In The Shadow of the Moon
Mass Effect 1 & 3 – good sci fi music
Medal of Honor
Bioshock

- squeals in delight (actually) and dances in circle - FLYLEAF AND SKILLET ARE MY FAVORITE BANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!! - does cartwheel - Switchfoot too!!

*coughs and says shyly* I saw Skillet live last month... Melted. My. Face Off. O.O

I'm the classical music kind of person. I usually don't listen to songs with lyrics when I write, but I have a couple exceptions:

1). Choirs (especially those with light, airy voices like Libera or the choir that sang in the movie Les Choristes.
2). Josh Groban ('nuff said )

I listen to my music while I write. A lot. I should try the LOTR sound track we have...

Do Anyway one of my most fave artists to listen to is Red. Very emotional for rock (at least I think so), and very talented. but like I said, I have a station on Pandora for Howard Shore-the composer for LOTR. When my Nookcolor will connect to the Internet, that's what I listen to.

I have a playlist of Andrea Bocelli music, excluding anything from My Christmas. That's almost all I listen to when writing. Sometimes, when I'm really in the groove, I go up to Laura Pausini, but usually that's too distracting. And anything in English is a major no-no. For some reason, if I'm writing in one language and listening in another it's OK, like I can divide my mind; but if they're both in the same language I won't be able to concentrate.

That's interesting I really need to set aside a paycheck for new music, LOL

I'm pretty sure Song of Love is Rebecca St. James

SOUNDTRACKS.

'Nuff said.

I generally have three or four specific soundtracks for each book, usually matching the book's genre, but not always.

I was wondering what happened.

Yeah, me too. I thought a bajillion people had posted on my topic, for a second there. LOL

Haha! Yeah, sorry 'bout that.

I love listening to Break of Reality. They are a New Age-y quartet with some really moving music. It sounds great with suspenseful scenes.

~Calen

I'm satisfied for now, and probably for a long time to come, with my Two Steps from Hell Pandora station, you all should create one! Other good ones are: Howard Shore (LOTR composer) and Harry Gregson-Williams (Narnia composer). If you like slower piano-y music, look up songs like Cristofori's Dream (I forget the composer), Porcelain by Jane Long (I think that's her name), oh and if you want some really epic music look up anything by Yiruma (Kiss the Rain, The Sunbeams-They Scatter, and River Flows In You are my favorites. River Flows In You is my most fave. It's so emotion-inspiring ) If you enjoy movie soundtrack-type music, make a Pandora station for Cinematic Orchestra.

Pandora is awesome.

Helen Jane Long and Yiruma have great writing music!

Yessss!!! *gollum, gollum* MY PRECIOUUSSSS!!!! *gollum, gollum* And Pandora would be more awesome if it didn't play ads, especially not the same one over and over...

I've come to appreciate the commercials, though inconvenient as they are, because they keep it free.
: )

Yes, well, I realize the need, but they're still annoying! Grr... haha

Anyone listen to ThePianoGuys? I love them... Some of their songs, especially, are great for writing to.

I typically prefer listening to classical music, as I find it has a soothing affect. Songs with lyrics usually distract me, which is annoying when I'm trying to concentrate. In terms of specific songs or artists, I don't really have any favorites.

Does anyone have suggestions on music to listen to while writing a Western novel? I need something that will help me get them talkin' properlike since I am having a major problem with that.