We have a great announcement to make. 40 Tips on Creative Writing has been made into an audio book! It will be available next month. I realize that I’m a partial observer here, but the audio version is better than the written version. You have to get it. The narrator–Samara Naeymi from Brickshop Audio–did an amazing job. She really brought the book to life and gave it the meaning it should have. I highly recommend it for any authors, writers, and publishers purely for the brilliance that Samara brought to the reading.
In anticipation of the upcoming release, let’s enjoy a little snippet from the book on why music is pivotal for every writer and how you can improve your writing by listening to music.
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Creative Writing Tip 15: Enjoy Music
In Daniel J. Levitin’s book This is Your Brain on Music, he describes the brain as having two primary modes: (1) paying attention closely and (2) mind-wandering. It is believed that most creativity happens when we are in mind-wandering mode. This shouldn’t be surprising. When do you usually stumble upon your best ideas? If you’re like me, it’s not when we are laser focused on a task, but instead, when we’re in thoughtful, unorganized contemplation. It’s during these times that our brains will connect two seemingly disparate things and a spark of creativity will occur to bridge them.
There are plenty of ways to get yourself into mind-wandering mode, and music is one of the most sure-fire ways to get there. As Levitin says, “Music is one of the most exquisitely effective ways of allowing you to enter the mind-wandering mode.”
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Sit back and bask in the effortlessness of listening. It will unlock more creative potential in your writing. Don’t worry about what the music is other than whether youlike it. It doesn’t have to be a classical Mozart piece or a superb cello solo by Yo-Yo Ma. It can be that Taylor Swift song that lifts your spirits. It just needs to be something you enjoy.
I believe in this tip so much that I don’t just listen to music almost every single time I’m writing, but I also wrote a story in my book Pieces Like Potterywhere each portion of the story is written with a particular song accompaniment in mind. The story itself is intended to be enhanced and the meaning of it, broadened by the songs selected for each part. Music is powerful.
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Find more writing and publishing tips at Nothing Any Good.
