A soundtrack to your writing

Seven Substack music writers curate playlists to accompany your writing practice

At the start of the New Year, writers began a new practice of coming together for one uninterrupted hour to silently write. Writing Hour was a space to establish a regular publishing habit and for writers to gain the impetus to keep going. 

For each Writing Hour, a music writer created a unique one-hour soundtrack to help writers find a flow state in their writing practice. Here, we share the playlists which accompanied writers working towards hitting “publish.”

After 13 weeks writing together, we’re putting a pause on the Substack-hosted Tuesday meeting, but encourage writers to continue to meet and write together.

Read our guide to staying connected: How to host your own silent writing hour with fellow writers.

Here are the playlists to keep you going:

Leo Mascaro of Shuffle Sundays

“As someone who has music playing almost all the time, but doesn't want to get distracted at the same time, getting used to instrumental music was a game-changer. With this playlist, I wanted to mix different genres within the same mood, so it works both on shuffle and in the original sequence. This playlist has been my faithful companion for days when I’m struggling to concentrate and I hope it will help and inspire other people too!”

Fog Chaser of Fog Chaser

“This playlist includes a collection of neoclassical and ambient instrumental songs that not only inspire my own music compositions but also help me focus and get into a flow for my own writing on a daily basis—I hope it can do the same for you.”

Amaya Lim of Record Store

“This playlist is a living collection of songs that amplify the feelings that are already there, and makes everything seem bigger.”

Colin Medwick of Three’s a party

“I love listening to film scores when I write because it puts me in a cinematic space where I can focus on what I'm doing, both connecting me with the world at large and surrounding me with a feeling of ‘main character energy.’”

Kevin Alexander of On Repeat

“If you’re like me, a flow state is like the tides with energy coming in waves; this playlist reflects that.”

Megan Seling of Snack and Destroy

“I created this playlist to be reminiscent of a spring day. The songs are warm, bright, and invigorating. “Arpeggiator” by Fugazi and “Two Rights Make One Wrong” by Mogwai are especially energizing—those songs alone have helped me push through more than one tight deadline. For maximum enjoyment, listen and write while enjoying what I call “The Dip,” a combination of marshmallow creme and cream cheese. It’s the perfect dip for all your favorite seasonal fruit and, of course, it gives you a good sugar boost, too.” 

Robert Gilbert of Listening Sessions

“The eclectic mix of jazz, classical and pop music, all with an ambient atmosphere, provides the meditative calm needed to be creative that all writers require.”

Keep on writing

Writing Hour gave writers a dedicated time to block out other distractions and focus on their craft. We encourage writers to create space for at least an hour once a week to focus on what you came to Substack to do: write!

Put it on the calendar and tell someone your plan—a friend, a partner, or your readers. Next time you go to write, tweet us @SubstackInc and include #WritingTogether so we can support your practice and you can inspire others too. Feel free to also let us know what you are working on and what music you are listening to!

Read our guide to staying connected: How to host your own silent writing hour with fellow writers.

If you are looking to write with fellow writers, join our friends at the London Writers’ Salon. They host four writing hours a day, five days a week gathering hundreds of writers around the world.

Looking for some extra accountability or a new challenge to keep going? The Isolation Journals just started 100 days of creative acts or jump in on the second half of The 100 Day Project.

What other writing groups are you participating in? Let us know in the comments!