I’m curious.  How many writers listen to music as they work?  Of those writers, how many can listen to lyrics and how many need instrumental music?  Does the beat or the mood of your play list affect your prose?

Have you ever chosen a specific play list for a specific character or story?  If you are writing a historical story, do you listen to music from that time period?  Do you listen to the appropriate flavor of jazz if you are writing about Chicago, New York, or New Orleans?  Celtic music would certainly put me in the mood to write about a highlander or a border lord.

Do songs fly by outside of your awareness or do you sing along?  Does your typing or writing change pace to match the beat?

What makes music desirable for one writer but distracting for another?  I’m interested because I’m on the fence.  Some days I need silence and some days I need music.  On the days I listen to music, what I want depends on the story, the character, and my mood.

So I’m asking you… Does music help or hinder?