There’s a great article on Slate about a writer who uses earplugs to block the noise of construction workers and ends up using them all the time. I’m a light sleeper and use them to block out party noise and things like that.
For writing, though, I prefer Bose noise cancelling headphones. They’re like the ones in the plane I fly and they really block out unwanted noise and help me concentrate on writing.
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I find Led Zeppelin works too.
Low-tech but effective.
Yeah, I listen to the Wu-Tang Clan for the same effect. Wall of noise is like the exact opposite of silence and has a similar effect!
Don’t you find it distracting, though, when you wear earplugs or headphones, to hear the noise inside your head–blood pumping through your veins, a constant hum, and in the background, your heart?
I just use my original iPod earphones. They don’t block all of the sound, but they filter out enough to help me concentrate.
I don’t hear my pulse or heart when wearing headphones or earplugs. Perhaps I’m not listening hard enough!
I grew up in a small town and grew accustomed to peace and quiet (most nights felt as if I was in a library due to the lack of noise). When I moved to the city, I missed the peace and quiet so much that I would use earplugs to help me sleep and still do so until this day. I also own a set of Bose Noise canceling headphones, but usually reserve them for airplane and iPod use. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it, but a great way to generate a pleasant writing environment is by using a Buddha Machine. I’ve owned for for a few months and it’s great!
Upstairs neighbors who never installed rugs and who clomped around at all hours in flipflops first drew me to foam earplugs. Now, three weeks after they moved out, I still find myself enjoying the dead silence they provide. I’m also thinking of wearing them to the gym to block out the lousy in-house pop and the inane prattle of folks lolling about the gear.
I’m not a big fan of over-ear headphones, so I use the E2Cs by Shure. They blog out noise like earplugs, leaving only the music. Nice sound and better price.
I’d love to block out the neighbors at night, but then how would I hear the alarm clock in the morning?
My wife sets up a large fan, gently blowing over our bed during the hotter summer nights.
At first the constant humming and creaking as it changed direction drove me bananas. Like Gwen I also needed to keep an ear out for the morning radio alarm, so earplugs were not an option.
A solution came to me one night. Maybe it was a dream, or wishful thinking, but once I imagined that the droning fan was the noise of Zeppelin motors drifting me out across the dark Atlantic, sleep quickly followed!
Matthew says,” I don’t hear my pulse or heart when wearing headphones or earplugs. Perhaps I’m not listening hard enough!”
Matthew, are you warm? Or maybe that coffin in the cellar is a dead giveaway?!
Would you happen to have any suggestions for music while writing? I find it ridiculously plain to the ears when I don’t hear music. Thanks(:
Here’s a post I wrote ages ago about music for writing: http://www.badlanguage.net/music-for-working.