There are as many ways to write as there are writers.  So, The Next Chapter and Canada Writes created Literary Smackdown, a forum for authors to debate which way works best.  In this tenth instalment, Cathy Marie Buchanan and Andrew Kaufman face off in a question of creative ambiance: is it better to write with our without music?

Cathy Marie Buchanan is the author of The Day the Falls Stood Still and, most recently, The Painted Girls.  For her, music is a distraction and leads to spontaneous outbursts of dancing which, though fun, make procrastination inevitable.  The more complete the silence, the more deeply Cathy is able to enter the story and lose herself in the writing.

Andrew Kaufman is the polar opposite when it comes to music and writing.  He finds that playing carefully selected songs and music help him to create just the right tone and mood for the passages he's writing.  Andrew is the author of All My Friends Are Superheroes, The Tiny Wife, and The Waterproof Bible.  His latest novel is Born Weird. 

So, does music help or hinder the writing process?  Click "Listen" to hear Cathy and Andrew weigh the pros and cons.  You can also read their essays on the Canada Writes website.