Dear O'Abby: Is it normal that I can't write and listen to music?

 Dear O'Abby,

I see writers often post playlists of songs that help them with their writing or are on social media talking about 'today's writing music'.  I find I can't write if I'm listening to music - I end up writing the song lyrics I'm hearing instead of what I mean to write.

Am I weird?  Or is this one of those things you can teach yourself to do?

Cheers,

Musicless

Dear Musicless,

I don't think you're weird.  Everyone is different and everyone has their own level of ability when it comes to concentrating and how much distraction they can tolerate.

Personally, I find it difficult to listen to music when I write too.  I tend to use music and playlists as something I listen to before I sit down to write, to get me into the right mood or emotional space.  If I do listen to music while I'm writing, it tends to be music without lyrics or with lyrics in a language I don't speak.  Sigur Ros are great because their language is made up, so no one speaks it...  Classical music is also great.  I have several playlists of classical music I like to listen to when I write.  Elgar's cello concertos are among my favorites!

People are different in their appreciation for music too.  Some people can't hear music without concentrating on it entirely, analysing everything about it.  Not helpful if you're using music as something to drown out the noise of a coffeeshop.

I find certain books lend themselves more to having a soundtrack than others.  For example, my book The Sidewalks Regrets has a very distinct playlist associated with it and I just need to hear a song off it and I'm instantly back in the grimy reality of that story.  The book I wrote during NaNo this year was the same and has a very definite soundtrack of its own.  Other books, not so much.  I can't think of a single song that I would associate with Stumped or An Unstill Life, whereas the book I have coming out next year, Chasing the Taillights, has three or four songs, but not a playlist as such.

Like so much else about writing, whether or not to listen to music while writing, before writing or as a reward for writing is a personal choice. You're not doing anything wrong if your book doesn't have a soundtrack.  You're not breaking any rules if you prefer to write in silence or to the sound of the ocean lapping against the shore.

There are no rules. Just do what works best for you.

X O'Abby