--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't listen to music while writing…" description: "\"I can't listen to music while writing - any such distraction would have dreadful consequences.\" — Lincoln Child" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/lincoln-child-35401_consequence_i-can-t-listen-to-music-while-writing-an_72524.png" --- # I can't listen to music while writing - any such… ![“I can't listen to music while writing - any such distraction would have dreadful consequences.” quote by Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/lincoln-child-35401_consequence_i-can-t-listen-to-music-while-writing-an_72524.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/lincoln-child-35401_consequence_i-can-t-listen-to-music-while-writing-an_72524.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/lincoln-child-35401_consequence_i-can-t-listen-to-music-while-writing-an_72524.png) > “I can't listen to music while writing - any such distraction would have dreadful consequences.” [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker asserts that music interrupts focus, implying that creative work requires undivided attention to avoid poor outcomes. **In simple terms:** Music distracts from deep work. Key Takeaway Eliminate auditory interruptions for better productivity. Themes focus productivity distraction creative process concentration Mood determined serious reflective Type advice observation When to use this quote - writing a novel - coding a complex algorithm - drafting a research paper - composing a speech - studying for exams Key Concepts attention cognitive load environment habit Practical Applications - turn off music while working - use silence or ambient noise Questions to Reflect On - How does ambient sound affect your concentration? - What strategies help you maintain focus? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Distraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distraction/) [Listening to music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening-to-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-writing/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [But I never listen to music while I'm writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-greenblatt/but-i-never-listen-to-music-while-i-m-writing/) [Stephen Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-greenblatt/) > [I never listen to music when I'm writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/i-never-listen-to-music-when-i-m-writing/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [I can't listen to music when I'm writing. I like music best in a car or on the train.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-freudenberger/i-can-t-listen-to-music-when-i-m-writing-i-like-music-best-in-a-car/) [Nell Freudenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-freudenberger/) > [“Twitter is a serious writing distraction. As are grapefruits. The two have nothing else in common.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/twitter-is-a-serious-writing-distraction-as-are-grapefruits-the-two/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“The chronic fun of writing, the distraction of it, was not knowing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/the-chronic-fun-of-writing-the-distraction-of-it-was-not-knowing/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Music is my longtime friend. And I could never betray it. I listen to music while I’m writing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/music-is-my-longtime-friend-and-i-could-never-betray-it-i-listen-to/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I rarely listen to music while writing. I wish I could, but it distracts me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/i-rarely-listen-to-music-while-writing-i-wish-i-could-but-it/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [I don't listen to music when I'm writing, but I often do when I'm reworking, editing or when I need to relax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/i-don-t-listen-to-music-when-i-m-writing-but-i-often-do-when-i-m/) [Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/) > [I rarely listen to music while writing. If I don't like it, it bothers me, and if I like it, it absorbs me so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-seth/i-rarely-listen-to-music-while-writing-if-i-don-t-like-it-it-bothers/) [Vikram Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-seth/) > [I know a lot of people don't listen to music when they're writing because it distracts them, but for me it's almost a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/i-know-a-lot-of-people-don-t-listen-to-music-when-they-re-writing/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [Young people can listen to music at any moment in the day or night. Which is great, but I think it kind of devalues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/young-people-can-listen-to-music-at-any-moment-in-the-day-or-night/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [One of my favorite activities is just to drive and listen to music - of course, only when there's no traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqui-holland/one-of-my-favorite-activities-is-just-to-drive-and-listen-to-music-of/) [Jacqui Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqui-holland/) > [Of course when you are a kid you listen to what your parents had around. A lot of gospel, jazz. Now when I started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorma-kaukonen/of-course-when-you-are-a-kid-you-listen-to-what-your-parents-had/) [Jorma Kaukonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorma-kaukonen/) > [I listen to music when I write. I need the musical background. Classical music. I'm behind the times. I'm still with Baroque music, Gregorian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-listen-to-music-when-i-write-i-need-the-musical-background/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [It's very unlikely you're a genius, but, if you're ready to work at it hard and you want to listen to music all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/it-s-very-unlikely-you-re-a-genius-but-if-you-re-ready-to-work-at-it/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) ## More by Lincoln Child > [“All this time, he’d been thinking in two dimensions…forgetting that there was also a Z axis to be considered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/all-this-time-he-d-been-thinking-in-two-dimensions-forgetting-that/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [For me, writing never gets easier. It's always hard work. It doesn't matter how many words you wrote the day before, or how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/for-me-writing-never-gets-easier-it-s-always-hard-work-it-doesn-t/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [“Admiral Spartan thinks that the object must be exposed and penetrated with all possible speed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/admiral-spartan-thinks-that-the-object-must-be-exposed-and-penetrated/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [There are some writers I think who love to go around and visit bookstores and just interact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/there-are-some-writers-i-think-who-love-to-go-around-and-visit/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [“And so, ladies and gentlemen, you can take as fact the four words I’m about to speak—though I speak them with some regret, since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/and-so-ladies-and-gentlemen-you-can-take-as-fact-the-four-words-i-m/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [Writing on your own is, in a way, a very lonely profession. There's no one there to help you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/writing-on-your-own-is-in-a-way-a-very-lonely-profession-there-s-no/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [My first job out of college was as an editorial assistant in a New York publishing house. Being an editorial assistant is the purgatory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/my-first-job-out-of-college-was-as-an-editorial-assistant-in-a-new/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [The simplest explanation is most often the correct one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/the-simplest-explanation-is-most-often-the-correct-one/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [I try to write about things, places, events, and phenomena I know about personally. That helps make the novels more genuine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/i-try-to-write-about-things-places-events-and-phenomena-i-know-about/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [“Perhaps some day it will be pleasant to remember even this.’ ” Mykolos”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/perhaps-some-day-it-will-be-pleasant-to-remember-even-this-mykolos/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [The funny thing about writing is I think a lot of people assume that you're sitting in a garret with a quill pen for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/the-funny-thing-about-writing-is-i-think-a-lot-of-people-assume-that/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [“EFG 112-A. PATENT 4,125,662. WAREHAM ELECTRIC COMPANY, BOSTON. TOLERANCES 1–20 MG, .1–15 MT. “ ‘mG,’ ” Logan read aloud. “Do you suppose that’s milligauss?” “I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/efg-112-a-patent-4-125-662-wareham-electric-company-boston-tolerances/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) [Explore all 13 Lincoln Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) ## More Consequence quotes > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. 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