Summary

Kim Funk, a writer and musician, shares her personal method of using specific types of music to enhance different stages of her writing process, from free writing to editing.

Abstract

Kim Funk integrates her musical background into her writing routine, using different genres of music to facilitate various stages of her writing process. She begins with free writing, where she allows herself to listen to lyrical music, often from the year 1968. When transitioning to editing, she prefers instrumental music, particularly works by Philip Glass for more challenging edits and movie or classical music for easier ones. For pieces requiring meticulous attention, she opts for silence. The final round of editing and publishing is accompanied by the soundtrack from "The Right Stuff" (1984). Funk emphasizes that opera, despite her love for it, is too distracting for her to write to, instead, it's suitable for tasks like housecleaning where she can sing along.

Opinions

Funk believes that the right background music can significantly enhance the creative writing process.
She finds that instrumental music, such as compositions by Philip Glass, is particularly conducive to concentration during editing.
Music from movies or classical pieces by Mozart and Beethoven are preferred for their ability to maintain an uptempo rhythm without distracting from the writing task.
Funk has discovered that complete silence is essential for the most demanding editing tasks to achieve perfection.
She humorously notes that opera music, while beloved, is too engaging and leads her to sing rather than write.
Funk associates her surroundings, including art, scenery, and music, with the beauty she aims to achieve in her writing.

Music to Help Your Words Flow

Background music for that extra motivation.

I am both a writer and a musician. I went to college to be an opera singer and came out of college a writer. A creative through and through, I surround myself with good music, good design, and I read well-written prose.

I write to background music. Not just any music. It’s got to stimulate my thoughts and keep me writing without distracting me from my work.

And I’ve got music that works for each step in the process.

Music for free writing.

Freewriting is the first step in my creative process. Sometimes it’s just throwing ideas down. Other times I’ll craft a complete story. Lately I’ve been free writing in the early afternoon — the exercise doesn’t require too much concentration.

During this step, I can listen to almost anything. Lately, it’s been music from 1968. Free writing is the only part of my process where I can have music with lyrics in the background.

Music for first and second round editing.

Editing requires much more concentration than freewriting. A writer looks at each word in the work and decides its fate. During this phase, only instrumental music will do.

Some pieces need more editing than others. More difficult pieces need something written by Philip Glass running in the background. As his pieces drone in the background, I’m able to focus 100% on editing my work — completely in the zone.

Glass is also good music for getting into a state of flow

Easier editing goes well set to movie music. It’s uptempo, keeps your fingers tapping, and doesn’t distract you with a lot of words (YOU can be the wordsmith.)

Mozart and Beethoven are great for longer pieces — especially pieces where there is no such thing as too many words or too many notes.

Those pieces that must be absolutely perfect require complete silence.

Final round of editing and publishing.

Now that you know your piece has the right stuff, it’s time for a final polish to the soundtrack from The Right Stuff (1984) — side note, this is a great movie. I feel like a champion as I take my piece to the greatest heights known to man.

I never ever write to opera.

Don’t get me wrong. I love opera. I also studied it. I tried writing with opera in the background. It was a disaster! I ended up writing nothing and singing everything.

Opera is better suited to tasks like housecleaning or organizing. You can sing and do those things simultaneously — and a broom or a mop can work well as a microphone.

I surround myself with beautiful things. Beautiful art, beautiful scenery, a beautiful mess (because I’m a terrible housekeeper), and beautiful music.

And I hope that my beautiful surroundings translate to beautiful writing in the end.

Kim Funk is a freelance writer, hockey mom, and amateur opera singer based in Minneapolis, MN. She’s found the best way to deal with 2020 is by writing a lot of humor. Maybe someday she’ll laugh all the way to the bank.