Is brilliant to write to! I usually have a problem getting anything done when Mark has the telly on; I just can't write - or read, either - it's too distracting.
So last night and this morning, I've been playing ambient music, fairly loudly, through my lappy's headphones while I write. I find regular music as distracting as the TV, but ambient stuff just drifts through your head like morning mist and blots out the TV and other annoyances without in any way impinging on the conscious, writing bit of my brain. If anything, it seems to be enhancing the writing - I've just written 2,700 words of Angel Dust while Mark watches The (bloody) Gadget Show.
The last little bit of the story's more than half done and I am well pleased.
We're heading off back to Yorkshire as soon as I've drunk my coffee; it'll be interesting to see how ambient music holds up against the level of distraction found at Dad's house. (o:
So last night and this morning, I've been playing ambient music, fairly loudly, through my lappy's headphones while I write. I find regular music as distracting as the TV, but ambient stuff just drifts through your head like morning mist and blots out the TV and other annoyances without in any way impinging on the conscious, writing bit of my brain. If anything, it seems to be enhancing the writing - I've just written 2,700 words of Angel Dust while Mark watches The (bloody) Gadget Show.
The last little bit of the story's more than half done and I am well pleased.
We're heading off back to Yorkshire as soon as I've drunk my coffee; it'll be interesting to see how ambient music holds up against the level of distraction found at Dad's house. (o:
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Good luck with that one! I wouldn't mind ambient music playing in my head most of the time - it would make all sorts of things much better *g*
Safe journey.
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The journey was fine, thanks; a little foggy, nothing to text home about. How's your weather now?
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Ande who is currently typing away to the King's Singers
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambient_music
There's a lot of it on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6gpS_9zjaQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jSWwtqr6IQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdYrUQQkTdU&feature=related
The Kings Singers? Really? Gosh... See, I'd find that too distracting; my brain would be listening to the music and not thinking about the writing. Ambient is mindless. (o:
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I've never tried ambient music -- I know I sure as hell can't do anything at all when I can hear 'ordinary' music or television or radio in the background. 'S cool it works so well for you -- I hope it helps equally well at your Dad's.
And I know I have a bunch of Angel Dust to catch up on reading ::hums with anticipation, which might be delayed a wee bit longer yet, but I'm about to put my foot down on this 'not having time, or else feeling too guilty that I'm behind on so many fronts that I don't deserve the pleasure of reading new fic' business (at least I hope I am)::
::thoughtfully removes hair-shirt before hugging Gilly in a general-principles thinking-about-you-muchly kind of hug, then exits singing "Psycho Killer" nostalgically to herself, sounding very much like David Byrne...::
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And Roxy Music; yup, the same. Music for Airports is the big ambient album. Give it a try, there's loads on You Tube. I find it really does something for the creative juices.
I shouldn't worry about catching up to Angel Dust, I'm pressing for the end now and there's very little left to write, just one more chapter when Jim finally makes it over to Blair, and the end, which is already half-written and is only a little epilogue designed to tie things up and take it into part three; I'd guess about 3,000 words then I'll be looking for a beta so, no worries hon.
Are you sure that hair shirt isn't contributing to your troubles? Hmmm? (o:
You sound like David Byrne? ::loves TV even more than before::
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::raises eyebrows at you:: It's not worry, it's want. (And yes, the hair shirt contributes to the troubles. :-) I need a fashion makeover...)
Um. I don't think of myself as a 'real' beta (there's an awful lot of stuff I don't know how to beta for), and tons of people would be better than me (and way, way *way* faster, especially right now), but if worst (for you) comes to worst, I'm here if you need me (even if I'm best regarded as a sort of 'Gilly covers eyes with hand and moans quietly, wondering where all the *other* betas went' kind of solution). Sort of a back-up offer on the (very off) chance you need it -- I'm probably the wrong person for it (and definitely the slow person), but I just wanted you to know that the spirit is more than willing if it's ever needed.
And oh, I sound *exactly* like David Byrne. Weird chicken-like noises and all. Heh-heh-heh....
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I'm still a few days from wanting a beta; I'll need to read it through myself first, its taken so long to write - I need to be sure it's coherent and makes sense - I can always don the fishnets and walk the streets of Sentinel Betas if necessary.
I posted a new bit this morning, btw - only one more chapter and a mostly-written epilogue to do now (thank all the Gods).
::eyes TV's David Byrne impression like a covetous Magpie with a shiny, sparkly thing::
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actually, it does. it's a bit like Jim's whitenoise generators, except that it helps the brain to "switch off" the (usually dominant) left side of the brain that is analytical and fact oreinted and allows the "creative" right side of the brain to come to the fore. there's a rather good explanation of this in a book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. it's all about drawing and art, but the effect is the same for any creative endeavour.
good luck with the writing :)
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I'm pretty much a right brain person anyway - as the spinning woman attests *G* (and why I'm such a rotten beta) - but the music really does seem to take my concentration on the writing, as opposed to anything else around me - to a whole new level that I'm enjoying very much. Usually my powers of concentration are pathetic. I have the attention span of a two year old.
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So, in case you have the possibility to listen to podcasts, this is my current source of choice for the ambient music:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=260468549
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=143671674
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=81481347
I prefer podcasts to youtube, because they play for a longer time without me having to do anything. Well, and they're free, too :-)
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Thanks for the links.
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