Last week I was going to write a little about my editing process, before getting sidetracked by the British Museum thefts, so this week I have returned to the topic. I printed off my entire draft so that I could scribble all over it - whilst keeping it out of the reach of the kids who would love to join in with the process! I’m now in the process of typing up my changes that range from extensive (destroying characters and moving locations) to minor (rewording sentences and changing punctuation). It’s progressing well, although as these things often seem to, more slowly than I would like.
I’ve realised over the years that my brain doesn’t function well in silence, especially when I need to focus on something like editing that requires a great deal of concentration. Nor can I cope with unexpected noises interrupting my flow. In fact, I’m easily distractable in about ninety percent of situations. So I’ve curated my own way of dealing with this: spotify playlists. Yes, I know Spotify isn’t the best for artists under its insufficient pay per play model, but I genuinely appreciate how much music it gives me access to. And it allows me to be creative in a way that silence just doesn’t permit.
I tell this to people, who range between baffled and understanding. Some people thrive on the silence, and that works great for them. But regardless of that initial reaction, the inevitable follow up soon materialises… What music do you listen to? The tilted head, the expectation that I reel off some classical selection, perhaps some tasteful jazz.
Pop/punk/rock, really. I say. Maybe a bit of ska or metal, depending on mood.
And you can write to that?! They reply, after the inevitable (albeit often muffled) laughter dies away?
The truth is, I can’t write without it. Not smoothly, not well. It was the same all through my academic career. Read that book on heritage crime I edited? My contribution was probably drafted to a backdrop of Blink 182, The Holloways, and The Bluetones. My most cited article? Yeah, wouldn’t have managed it without the Foo Fighters and Green Day keeping me company. My current work in progress, A Quartz Storm? A bit of Skatune Network, some of the soundtrack from Supernatural and Lucifer, and a dash of Jimmy Eat World.
Maybe I’ve just trained my brain to function this way. But I’m fascinated by how everyone else works - whether you’re an author, or in a completely different field. Do you like to listen to music whilst you write, or read, or do complex equations and coding? Or do you slap those noise-cancelling headphones on and hope that no-one interrupts you? Let me know in the comments!
I can't write to music. It distracts me too much. I can have the TV on, but it hasn't to be something mindless because, again, it will distract me too much.
I'm also in the printout/editing phase of my latest novel. I try to average 40 pages a day, but it's tedious. I can edit either in silence or with a little noise, but music tends to distract me. Like you say, everyone is different.