𝕿𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖓 𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍

        Hello, everyone! I first want to thank you all for your support. I’m very appreciative to all of my readers. Thank you so much!
        Anyway, to take a break from my other content, I decided to share an article instead of a story today. I’ve noticed that a lot of people say that music is good for focusing, but as a music lover, I always struggled with figuring out how. I spent years being incapable of focusing with music playing because it was too distracting. Finally, after years of trial and error, I’ve figured it out. So if you’re a person who struggles with focusing, this article might be for you.

There are three tips that you need to know:
#1: Figure out your genres.
        It sounds easy, but in practice, you discover that it’s not. Some people have an easier time focusing with classical music playing; while some others may do better with rock or rap. You want a genre that is relaxing for you and gets your brain to start thinking. Similarly, you also want to pick a genre that matches the tone of the story or scene you’re writing. For instance, for a fight scene, you might want to try metal. But if metal is hard for you to lose yourself to, maybe an alternative rock song would be a better choice. It’s important to piece together what genres are best for your needs.
#2: Don’t add the songs you love.
        This one is weird at first glance, but trust me. You don’t want to add a favourite song to a playlist meant to keep you at attention. It’ll derail your train of thought as you’ll start to tune in to the tune rather than whatever you’re trying to do. It’s okay to like the songs you pick, but you don’t want to pick only favourites.
#3: Try different options.
        If you find that none of the music you currently listen to is good for the task, try to expand your range. You can do this by utilising the “song radio” option that most music apps have – something that plays songs that are similar to songs you already know have the vibe you want. Another option is to pick a playlist somebody else made that revolves around your interests. For instance, if you like anime, you might want to listen to a playlist titled “playing chess with Izaya Orihara”. Either option will expand your range while also keeping you engaged.

        Using these three pieces of advice, we can start to create our playlist. The genre I chose as my core was ‘dream pop’ – a type of ambient music that meets with alternative rock. With softer vocals and an echo-y sound, I find that it’s the best for drifting away to. After picking my core genre for building my playlist, I then turned my attention to dream pop artists. I already knew a few, but if I didn’t, I would have found a few of the most popular ones through a series of Google searches. No matter how you do it, you want to start here.
        After finding an artist or two, I started building the playlist. I picked out a few songs that had the vibe I wanted and added them to the list. Pretty quickly, suggestions based on those songs started generating. I would then go through the suggestions and add them based on how well they fit into my playlist-building goal.
        As time has gone on, the list has expanded. I started adding songs that matched important scenes or symbolised my character. From Sunsetz by Cigarettes After Sex to Do You Wanna Talk by Circa Waves, I’ve created a playlist that inspires me, and is fun to listen to when I’m not at my computer. If that’s your goal, here are some recommendations for you:

1. Sex, Drugs, Etc. by Beach Weather

        This song is perfect for focusing, in my opinion. It’s more upbeat than some of the other songs I saved, but it has a repetitive sound that keeps me on the right track. It’s also a favourite for when I’m riding passenger on road trips.

2. Lovers Rock by TV Girl

        I love to put this one on when I’m struggling with writer’s block. It has a sound that reminds me of the cinema and throws me right into my work each and every time.

3. Are We Having Fun Yet? by Negative 25

        I write a lot of horror stories – of course I have songs I play for killing scenes. This is one of them. This beat is the best choice for a violent or other, high energy scene.

4. UrbanAngel1999 by Thomas Headon

        Fun, upbeat, a little bit of a nostalgic tone – this song certainly has it all. I love to put it on when I’m working on “filler” scenes when my characters are just hanging out and getting to know each other.

5. Radlands by Mystery Jets

        Perfect for a mental breakdown, I find this song brings with it a feeling of urgency. I enjoy playing it when I’m writing a dramatic, high-intensity scene. It’s also a perfect choice for hiking.

        Whether you decide to make multiple playlists or just one, I hope that this article was able to help you do it. Music really is a powerful tool for helping you stay on the right track; if you know how to utilise it correctly. If you’d like some more ideas, you can look at my Spotify account. My general writing playlist is set to public and available here.