I'm wondering how many of us pop on the tunes when writing. I was doing this tonight and realized I have to be very careful what I listen to because my mood changes with each song, and my mood affects my writing. Verbs get darker with a depressing song. Characters feel suddenly empowered when an inspirational song cycles through the play list. A violent song will give a character the urge to stab the person they happen to walk past.
I can often write with background noise. TV on, no problem. Neighbors slamming doors and having obscenely loud conversations just outside my window - no sweat. But music? Music infiltrates. I've even caught myself absentmindedly injecting the words to a song into my prose - which I go back and change, of course.
I deeply connect with music, and yet I don't listen to it enough. I love it, but now I know why I don't turn it on as often as I think I should, especially when writing. It's an emotional experience for me. Each song crawls into my nervous system and takes control of my dopamine and serotonin receptors and adjusts them accordingly. Writing does the same thing to me. Maybe that's why they don't mix so well in my world.
Do you write with the tunes on in the background? What's your experience?