Getting Focused with Music: The “Album Method”

Every time I sit down to write, whether it be a blog post, a script, or a novel, I find myself immediately reaching for my headphones. I don't know when it happened, but at some point, music became as imperative to my writing process as a pen and paper. But, if we're being honest, I should have seen it coming. I mean, where do you think I got the monthly album review idea from?

Music fuels my writing just as much as my writing fuels my love for music. The two are interchangeable in my brain and one rarely functions without the other.

Now, I know I'm not the only one who uses music as a focusing tool. Step in the library and count how many people are typing away with earbuds in. You'll be hard pressed to find someone without them.

But Brittany, you say, Music is a distraction. It pulls your focus from writing. Your brain can't multitask like that.

Maybe so, but my experiences say otherwise.

During the first few minutes of listening, I will admit, I have trouble getting my thoughts on paper. I struggle to focus with the lyrics, the sounds, and the thoughts all crashing around in my head. I understand why people give up during the first few moments. It's a lot to sort through, and frankly, it's frustrating.

After sticking it out for a few songs, however, I find myself more focused than I would have been simply listening to the sounds of the world around me. The music forces me to forget the outside world, forget my own personal problems, and just listen. Once I let go, I'm free to write without distraction. It's all about getting over that initial hump.

See, music is the only thing I've found with the power to make people both remember and forget. That's the perfect recipe for writing.

Over the years, I've developed my own system, one that may or may not work for others. Still, I know how frustrating writer's block can be and even though I don't fight back, if I'm really pressed for time, I know I can fall back on my favorite musicians to get me in the zone.

For me, and I guarantee you I'll write a full blog post about this one day, I find full albums to be the greatest form of music in existence. Listening in chronological order is an experience, one that forces me to focus unlike any other.

I don't know if it's my brain subconsciously following the story of the album or something about listening to the same voice track after track, but when I need to get serious, I put on one of my favorite albums and get to work. Typically, by the time the album has ended, I'm past the point of struggling and I'm well within the piece. Sometimes, I'll put on another album to keep the momentum going, but other times, I find myself continuing just fine with the silence.

This "album method" tends to work better with albums I'm already extremely familiar with. I'm talking about the ones I've got tattooed under my skin and would have worn the records down to nothing, if I had a record player. There's something about inherently knowing the music before hearing it that expedites the focusing process.

The only time I don't use the album method is when I'm writing the first draft of a novel or script. Writing is such a visual process for me, one I still can't figure out how to explain properly, but lyrics interfere with that. So, on these occasions, I whip out my trusty ole writing playlist.

I could share the track names with you, but you wouldn't recognize any of the titles. They are all instrumental, most of them coming from film soundtracks. Without lyrics and intentionally being written to accompany a visual art form, these songs improve my creativity and keep me fully engaged in the world I've built for my characters.

When editing, I tend to use the album method, but if I need to rewrite a section or chapter, I'll flip back to the playlist. It's all about knowing yourself and knowing what works for you.

I don't blame people who just can't listen to music while writing. It's not for everyone. For me, though, it's everything. It's the difference between finishing a project and giving up. It's the difference between being fully engaged and being okay with mediocrity. It's the difference between liking what I've made and loving it.

How do you feel about listening to music while working? What kind of music do you listen to when creating? Check out my monthly album reviews for suggestions to add to your playlist. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think below!