One of the things writers are often asked is, what kind of music do you listen to while you work?

My answer? A blank stare. In fact, the conversation usually goes like this:

          "So, you're a writer," Random Guy says. "Kewl. What kind of music do you listen to while you
               work?"
          Me: "I don't."
          "No, really," Random Guy says with a hearty chuckle. "What kind? Rock, Country, what?"
          Me: *blank stare*

Writing is one of those activities that requires deep thought. It's not all about getting words on a page. It's about exploring the juxtaposition between character and story, and for me, this requires silence and solitude. 

I know plenty of authors who enjoy cranking up Pandora (or whatever) when they're working, but I'm not one of them. In fact, I'm not much one for noise at all. Every time I walk into Wal-Mart (thankfully, not often), I'm bombarded by noise from loud conversations, the overhead radio, multiple TVs, and store-wide announcements, all overlapping to form an unpleasant cacophony. At home and at work, nature's melodies are drowned out by the whirs and beeps of highway traffic. Restaurants increasingly have both a radio playing in the background and a TV on, the volume of both turned up to the point that quiet, intimate conversation is impossible.

Why has our society become so obsessed with noise? Are we afraid of living with natural silence? Are our own thoughts so horribly unattractive, we can't stand to hear them?

Those aren't questions I can answer, though I can point to research suggesting that the constant overload to our ears is detrimental to our health, and not solely because it can cause hearing loss. Continual noise (i.e. unwanted sound) can contribute to poor sleep, cardiovascular problems, hypertension, and, most worrying, "cognitive impairment" in children. (Academic stuff. Plain folk stuff.)

As much as I love music, I'd rather have something close to silence while I work: The tap of my fingertips on the keyboard, the whir of my laptop's fan, birds chirping outside, the rain pattering on the roof. My son's inevitable interruptions to discuss whatever's important to him.** Even the buzz of traffic isn't so bad as long as it doesn't interrupt my concentration. Yes, that's bad for you, too. (Academic stuff. Plain folk stuff.)

There's a lot to be said for contemplation and reflection, two activities crowded out of the modern lifestyle by constant noise and interruptions. We've lost the capacity to think deeply, simply because we're overloaded by stuff. Too much information, too many people, too much noise, too many interruptions... Too much and too many seem to be symptoms of the hectic pace most people keep, when maybe what we really need to do is take a good, long solitary walk through the woods.

Me, I like my silence. I like the solitude. I enjoy being able to sit out in the woods and not having a single thing to do other than let my brain wander, exploring possibilities. Is it so wrong of me to prefer silence while my mind is actively creating? Scientists seem to think not, and given my productivity level when I'm left alone, I wholeheartedly agree.

***

** The one that interrupted this post's writing was on why humans shouldn't try interdimensional travel unless certain conditions are fulfilled. Honestly? I have no idea where he gets this stuff.