How Music Influences My Writing

While I don’t officially have ADHD (self-diagnosis alert!), my brain is always on—constantly moving, not in a bad way, but in a way that surprises and sometimes tires me out. It’s like my mind is driving at 30 mph, but when I’m around other people, it revs up to 70 mph! Even when things seem calm to others, I’ve always got something going on upstairs. Not a sign of brilliance, just that little Len in my head is, frankly, a bit of a nuisance.

One of the few things that quiets him down is learning and playing music. It’s why I’ve spent years playing in bands and constantly picking up new instruments. When I play music, the mental chatter fades away, and I’m able to focus solely on the instrument and the sound. I’m not claiming to be especially talented, but I love working on music—it’s the most relaxing thing I can do.

Writing, in many ways, is similar to music. When I’m deep into a project, it’s hard to think of anything else. Both learning to write and learning music are difficult at first, but equally rewarding. However, I’d be lying if I said writing was as Zen as playing music—it’s not. My brain often decides, “Nope, not today,” when I sit down to write, but it rarely says that when I pick up an instrument.

The process of learning music, understanding theory, and playing in a band has mentally prepared me to tackle writing a book. Writing, like music, takes time, dedication, and patience—it’s hard, it won’t happen overnight, and not everyone is going to like what you create.

As a musician, some people think I’m decent, others think I should stick to chess. That’s fine with me—I think that’s how writing is too, and honestly, that’s good enough for me.

Till next time!
Len