Do you listen to music for ideas?

[Aidan of the tavern]

Oh yes, definitely. Music gets right to heart of emotion on a level that is kind of instinctive, below words, so I listen to a lot, get heavily inspired, then try to communicate the same nuances and feelings in my own way by distilling them into words. Or something like that . Actually that's the main reason I've started listening to soundtracks, especially game osts, after all, its their job to capture the mood of a place in music. Assassin's Creed, the Arkham themes, the Fallout themes (to name just a few), all of them inspire me in the sense that I think "that's it! I want to create that, that's what I want to communicate" (albeit in a different medium).

 

[Shreddies]

Music sometimes helps me get into a creative writing mood. But it's mostly going for hour long walks that get me thinking of fun ideas. (Though I do listen to Two Steps From Hell while walking, so I don't know if that counts or not)

 

[Telcontar]

Hmmm, somewhat... Nothing as all encompassing as an entire story plot though, or a complete character based just on the inspiration from a song.

This reaction is close to mine. I gain inspiration from music all the time, but it is never as grand as whole stories or characters. What I'll pull from music - from a particularly sublime musical phrase, or an incredibly evocative lyric - is an emotion or a sentiment that perfectly fits some part of a story. I then use that to further my understanding of (and therefore my ability to write about) a certain emotion or... state of being, I guess. Music inspires moments within a story, not the entire story itself.