Last Christmas my husband gave me the best gift ever: a set of Bose headphones; I've wanted a pair for a long time. I've always listened to music while I write, but wearing the headphones cancels the external noise that can inevitably bother me. While some writers prefer ear buds, I really enjoy the "hug" that my headphones give me; it further takes me out of my own home, and places me in the setting and/or the genre of my story. I specifically choose music that inspires the theme of my story.
Here I'm listening to the iconic French singer, Édith Piaf. (Click here if you're not familiar with her legendary talent.) Since I'm working on a WWII historical fiction novel set in France, an album of Édith Piaf's best-loved songs is on my playlist.If you don't already use music as a muse, give it a try!