by Aaron Gansky @ADGansky

Hey, remember cassette tapes? Good times. Back in the day, mixed-tapes were all the rage. What better way to say “I love you,” than a tape filled with your loved one’s favorite tunes? When I was in high-school, the mixed-tape was a required prerequisite to asking anyone out. And while digital media has made the mixed-tape a thing of the past, the concept can be super valuable in writing.

Here are some things that music can do for your writing:

1. Better inform you of your characters:Just as you have taste in music, so do your characters. Imagine making a mixed-tape for them. What tracks would be included? Why? Remember, these won’t always be similar to your taste (though mostly they will). Try picking a character that enjoys a different type of music than you. What genre do they prefer? Why? Study the music, and listen to it with their ears. Find the ways to appreciate what your character appreciates.
2. Prepare you to write difficult scenes:When you have a particularly challenging scene to write, perhaps one wrought with pathos or drama, or heavy with action, and you find yourself struggling, music can help push you through the scene. It can better inspire the emotion within you that you’re trying to formulate on the page. I especially appreciate sound tracks when I’m writing these types of scenes, especially composers like John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Danny Elfman.
3. Inspire you through writer’s block:When I get stuck in a novel, I’ll often turn up my music and tune the world out. While I listen, I move my fingers over the keys of the keyboard and imagine typing. Sometimes, I’ll type nonsense until something comes out, something that makes sense. This can often jump start a challenging scene or help me figure out where the story must go next.

In addition to listening to your favorite songs and artists, don’t be afraid to explore something new. Most music sites (like Pandora, Stitcher, Google Play Music, YouTube Music, iTunes etc.) have a “radio” function. This allows the website to choose music similar to particular songs and/or artists. This can help to widen your musical horizons. It also prevents you from having to manually choose songs to listen to.

I’d also recommend curating a few playlists—these can be songs of a similar genre or theme, or it can be a playlist of songs that all evoke a particular emotion. Imagine putting together playlists titled “Assault on the castle” or “Sad break up music” or “Victory is MINE!” These can take time to put together, but they can be worthwhile, too.

And here’s a bonus recommendation for all you speculative writers out there: tabletopaudio.com. It’s a website with several “ambiance” tracks (fantasy village, port city, on board the spaceship, etc.). These are a mix of emotive background music and sound recordings to help you better immerse yourself in the environment you’re trying to establish. Check out their “sound pad” feature. Some great audio inspiration there, too.

Until next time, my friends: good writing.

In addition to being a loving father and husband, Aaron Gansky is an award-winning novelist and author, teacher, and podcast host. In 2009, he earned his M.F.A in Fiction at the prestigious Antioch University of Los Angeles, one of the top five low-residency writing schools in the nation. Prior to that, he attained his Bachelor of Arts degree in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from California State University of San Bernardino.

He lives in quiet little town in the high desert of southern California with his family.