---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I first started writing, I used to…"
description: "\"When I first started writing, I used to listen to music all the time because it would make time pass more quickly. And then I started to wonder if the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/gabrielle-zevin-626_affecting_when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-l_1434425.jpg"
---

#  When I first started writing, I used to listen to music…

![“When I first started writing, I used to listen to music all the time because it would make time pass more quickly. And then I started to wonder if the music wasn't affecting my writing in ways that I didn't necessarily intend.” quote by Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/gabrielle-zevin-626_affecting_when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-l_1434425.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/gabrielle-zevin-626_affecting_when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-l_1434425.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/gabrielle-zevin-626_affecting_when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-l_1434425.jpg)

> “When I first started writing, I used to listen to music all the time because it would make time pass more quickly. And then I started to wonder if the music wasn't affecting my writing in ways that I didn't necessarily intend.”

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Music can subtly influence writing, affecting tone and pacing, sometimes unintentionally.

**In simple terms:** Music may affect writing style without you noticing.

Key Takeaway

Be aware of background influences.

Themes

creativity focus environment mindfulness

Mood

introspective curious

Type

reflective inspirational

When to use this quote

- writing sessions
- studying
- creative blocks

Key Concepts

cognitive psychology artistic process

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your environment shape your work?
- Can you harness music intentionally?

A Different Perspective

Music can distract as much as help.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Affecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affecting/) [Affecting Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affecting-writing-5115313/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Intend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intend/) [Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen/) [Listen Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen-music/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-wasn/) [Necessarily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessarily/) [Pass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pass/) [Quickly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quickly/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-writing/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Pass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-pass/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ways/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [When I first started writing music, it was to express that. I was trying to find God and trying to find meaning in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/when-i-first-started-writing-music-it-was-to-express-that-i-was/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [I didn't intend 'Hector' to be a self-help book when I first started writing. I wrote it as a little tale about a psychiatrist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-lelord/i-didn-t-intend-hector-to-be-a-self-help-book-when-i-first-started/)

[Francois Lelord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-lelord/)

> [When I was around eight, I learned how to touch-type at school, and I received a computer as a present. I started writing plays,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/when-i-was-around-eight-i-learned-how-to-touch-type-at-school-and-i/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [For me, what works well about 'Life in a Day' is that it's emotionally affecting without being manipulative. It really does make you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/for-me-what-works-well-about-life-in-a-day-is-that-it-s-emotionally/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [Sometimes you wonder if television is really affecting the culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-howard/sometimes-you-wonder-if-television-is-really-affecting-the-culture/)

[Ken Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-howard/)

> [Get into the habit of imagining an alternate scenario. By posing such 'imagine if' questions... we can distance ourselves from the frames, cues, anchors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/get-into-the-habit-of-imagining-an-alternate-scenario-by-posing-such/)

[Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/)

> [The very fact that women now form about one-fifth of the employes in manufacture and commerce in this country has opened a vast field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-kelley/the-very-fact-that-women-now-form-about-one-fifth-of-the-employes-in/)

[Florence Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-kelley/)

> [I'm not somebody who takes stuff home with them, that if I shoot a scene and I'm personally impacted for days or something. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/i-m-not-somebody-who-takes-stuff-home-with-them-that-if-i-shoot-a/)

[Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/)

> [Every man has an atmosphere which is affecting every other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-george-jordan/every-man-has-an-atmosphere-which-is-affecting-every-other/)

[William George Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-george-jordan/)

> [Issues affecting tribal communities have routinely been minimized and ignored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/issues-affecting-tribal-communities-have-routinely-been-minimized-and/)

[Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/)

> [Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/beauty-in-distress-is-much-the-most-affecting-beauty/)

[Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/)

> [Primarily affecting low-information voters and members of the mainstream media, Obama Worship Syndrome attributes impossible capabilities to Obama's political opponents, finds excuses for every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/primarily-affecting-low-information-voters-and-members-of-the/)

[Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/)

> [“Stories are always braided together - one affecting the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-callahan-henry/stories-are-always-braided-together-one-affecting-the-other/)

[Patti Callahan Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-callahan-henry/)

> [When you're an artist, you can't write with the intent of affecting anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/when-you-re-an-artist-you-can-t-write-with-the-intent-of-affecting/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [Conservatism is affecting the way women perceive who they are in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/conservatism-is-affecting-the-way-women-perceive-who-they-are-in-the/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

## More by Gabrielle Zevin

> [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [He kissed me, though not in a sexy way. Gentle. Tender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-kissed-me-though-not-in-a-sexy-way-gentle-tender/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [Daddy always said the only thing worth begging for was your life, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe sometimes your love is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/daddy-always-said-the-only-thing-worth-begging-for-was-your-life-but/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [“I am repulsed by ghostwritten novels by reality television stars, celebrity picture books, sports memoirs, movie tie-in editions, novelty items, and—I imagine this goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/i-am-repulsed-by-ghostwritten-novels-by-reality-television-stars/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [I wish I could tell you to always follow your heart, but I think it is bad advice. You have a heart, yes, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/i-wish-i-could-tell-you-to-always-follow-your-heart-but-i-think-it-is/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [“It is a lie that you should only speak from your heart- you ought to let your brain play a part too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/it-is-a-lie-that-you-should-only-speak-from-your-heart-you-ought-to/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [I wondered if the person who really loves you is the person who knows all your stories, the person who WANTS to know all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/i-wondered-if-the-person-who-really-loves-you-is-the-person-who-knows/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [“Most people's problems would be solved if they would only give more things a chance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/most-people-s-problems-would-be-solved-if-they-would-only-give-more/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [“It is lucky, she thinks, that we don’t feel all the love inside us every moment. We couldn’t breathe or walk or eat. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/it-is-lucky-she-thinks-that-we-don-t-feel-all-the-love-inside-us/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [“Real love' is not just instinct, but intent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/real-love-is-not-just-instinct-but-intent/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [Hi there," squeaked a precocious little voice, "you are speaking to Chloe Fusakawa, and I have just learned how to answer the phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/hi-there-squeaked-a-precocious-little-voice-you-are-speaking-to-chloe/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [“Well, I’m warning you. I could be a bad book with a good jacket.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/well-i-m-warning-you-i-could-be-a-bad-book-with-a-good-jacket/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [“A place ain’t a place without a bookstore,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/a-place-ain-t-a-place-without-a-bookstore/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

[Explore all 425 Gabrielle Zevin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

## More Affecting quotes

> [Conservatism is affecting the way women perceive who they are in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/conservatism-is-affecting-the-way-women-perceive-who-they-are-in-the/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

> [When you're an artist, you can't write with the intent of affecting anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/when-you-re-an-artist-you-can-t-write-with-the-intent-of-affecting/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [“Stories are always braided together - one affecting the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-callahan-henry/stories-are-always-braided-together-one-affecting-the-other/)

[Patti Callahan Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-callahan-henry/)

> [Primarily affecting low-information voters and members of the mainstream media, Obama Worship Syndrome attributes impossible capabilities to Obama's political opponents, finds excuses for every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/primarily-affecting-low-information-voters-and-members-of-the/)

[Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/)

> [Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/beauty-in-distress-is-much-the-most-affecting-beauty/)

[Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/)

> [Issues affecting tribal communities have routinely been minimized and ignored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/issues-affecting-tribal-communities-have-routinely-been-minimized-and/)

[Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/)

> [Every man has an atmosphere which is affecting every other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-george-jordan/every-man-has-an-atmosphere-which-is-affecting-every-other/)

[William George Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-george-jordan/)

> [I'm not somebody who takes stuff home with them, that if I shoot a scene and I'm personally impacted for days or something. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/i-m-not-somebody-who-takes-stuff-home-with-them-that-if-i-shoot-a/)

[Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/)

> [The very fact that women now form about one-fifth of the employes in manufacture and commerce in this country has opened a vast field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-kelley/the-very-fact-that-women-now-form-about-one-fifth-of-the-employes-in/)

[Florence Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-kelley/)

> [Get into the habit of imagining an alternate scenario. By posing such 'imagine if' questions... we can distance ourselves from the frames, cues, anchors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/get-into-the-habit-of-imagining-an-alternate-scenario-by-posing-such/)

[Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/)

> [Sometimes you wonder if television is really affecting the culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-howard/sometimes-you-wonder-if-television-is-really-affecting-the-culture/)

[Ken Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-howard/)

> [For me, what works well about 'Life in a Day' is that it's emotionally affecting without being manipulative. It really does make you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/for-me-what-works-well-about-life-in-a-day-is-that-it-s-emotionally/)

[Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/)

> [Smog is affecting larger parts of China, and environmental pollution has become a major problem, which is nature's red-light warning against the model of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-keqiang/smog-is-affecting-larger-parts-of-china-and-environmental-pollution-2/)

[Li Keqiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-keqiang/)

> [We are all affecting the world every moment, whether we mean to or not. Our actions and states of mind matter, because we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/we-are-all-affecting-the-world-every-moment-whether-we-mean-to-or-not/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [Say what you will about Americans, but one thing they are not is passive. The Bush administration may have pushed through the Patriot Act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/say-what-you-will-about-americans-but-one-thing-they-are-not-is/)

[Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/)

[Browse all 59 Affecting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affecting/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When I first started writing, I used to listen to music all the time because it would make time pass more quickly. And then I started to wonder if the music wasn't affecting my writing in ways that I didn't necessarily intend.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gabrielle Zevin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-listen-to-music-all-the-time/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Affecting"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-listen-to-music-all-the-time/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/gabrielle-zevin-626_affecting_when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-l_1434425.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/gabrielle-zevin-626_affecting_when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-l_1434425.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/gabrielle-zevin-626_affecting_when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-l_1434425.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I first started writing, I used to listen to music all the time because it would make time pass more…” — Gabrielle Zevin",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Gabrielle Zevin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When I first started writing, I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-listen-to-music-all-the-time/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/when-i-first-started-writing-i-used-to-listen-to-music-all-the-time/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
