Are you bored with your playlists?
Are you struggling to connect with your draft novel?
Why don’t you bring your draft novel to life with the help of a playlist?
This gem of a writing tip actually works and there are so many benefits.
I struggled to return to my draft novel after putting it aside for eight weeks. It took me weeks and weeks to re-connect with it. I thought the magic and euphoric feelings that I experienced with the first draft would come back in a flash – they didn’t!
After a few solitary walks in the rain, many hours of frantically messaging my writer friends and some desperate Google searches, I decided to try to recreate the atmosphere of writing my first draft. This involved sitting in the kitchen, with a slab of chocolate, a lot of strong coffee and listening to music.
When I think back to those joy filled days of writing my first draft there were some songs that I seemed to play regularly. So I made a note of them.
After doing this I thought about my characters and chose a new song for each of them. This is a really fun thing to do with your characters.
I ended up with 10 songs and I created my playlist! To condition myself I started playing it regularly. Within a few days I was getting a ‘goosebumps’ feeling every time I listened to it and soon I was at the kitchen table tapping away. Trust me on this – it really does help you connect with your draft!
Here are some other benefits:
- When you are not writing you can listen to your playlist in the car, on the bus or walking home from work. This really helps with thinking things through and solving issues.
- It can help spark your imagination. I have had so many ideas come to me whilst listening to my playlist.
- The songs you choose for your characters help with characterisation. It is like the music brings them to life.
- Switching on your draft novel playlist gets you into the writing zone in a flash.
- With a gruelling creative project like a writing a novel you need to create a happy place in your mind which you can go to when times get tough. Music helps you create this place.
- It can feel like you are making your own movie when selecting tracks for your draft novel playlist. This gets you a bit fired up about your draft.
- The playlist will keep you going even when you want to stop writing.
- It can bring on a writer dance or two..
The only downside is that in the future you will never be able to listen to your playlist songs again without thinking of your draft novel. So your draft novel better turn out to be a success!
Here are 3 songs from my playlist for ‘Instructions For Falling In Love Again’:
- Scouting For Girls –
- Bonnie Tyler –
- Gabrielle Aplin –
Please let me know which 3 songs would be on your draft novel playlist!
Have a great day!
PS: For my serialised chicklit podcast character Roxy Collins there is only ONE song on her playlist – The Weather Girls – ‘ Yes!! Put that umbrella away Roxy!
Gabrielle Aplin is on my Spotify save list! This is why we are BFFSWF’s! You know I’ve blogged about the power of a playlist too. I totally believe in doing so and echo the points that you’ve made. When I’ve gotten stumped in my creative process or rather gotten things in a bit of plot tangle, listening to the playlist often irons out my threads and gets me back on track!
Yes!!!!!! I knew it!! Love Gabrielle Aplin 💖
😀 do you plan on trying your hand at NaNoWriMo this year?
I would LOVE to do NaNoWri – that contest is calling me and so is that ‘clocks’ story – but….I have to finish my second draft 😞😞😞
I have to say I have been extremely patient waiting for the clock story…sigh. I shall wait as long as it takes until you make my dream come true. 🙂
It’s changed in my head as I think I might set it in the future – what do you think?
I think you should go with your gut. I do like the idea of it being set in the period it is and actually thought of the land as being more mythical than real, but I definitely think you should explore the nudge you have there…see what comes of it.
What a great idea! I need to reconnect with my WIP… May try and do this!
Hey Ritu! It’s such a fab idea!
It’ll be fun finding songs!!
This works for me too. For instance one of the top songs to write my w.i.p. is this one.
Funnily enough, I read my finished novel, the Life Assistance Agency, and discovered it inadvertently had a 10-track playlist – it’s here on Spotify:
Ooooooh can’t wait to check this out! Thx Tom
Excellent post Lucy. I find the connection of music to writing so strong and invigorating.
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell was on my playlist for book 1.😊 It still is.
Can’t wait to read your book!
Reblogged this on Don Massenzio's Blog.
I need complete silence or I am distracted. Like all these but haven’t heard them before–silence, you know? 🙂
I do remember when music did energize my writing. Not anymore. Have no idea why.
Ooooh complete silence – not sure I could handle that, it would just be alone with all my thoughts…scary!
Writing to appropriate mood music is a must for my creative process! When I started my zombie novel last year, how lucky I was that horror-film director/composer John Carpenter had just released his first album of original instrumentals, which became the soundtrack of my story.
Thank you for reading 🙂
I’m a big fan of the writer dance too! My top 3 songs for writing my current novel have been Ben Howard’s Keep Your Head Up, Ed Sheeran’s I See Fire and Bastille’s Laura Palmer. Combined, they sum up the tone and the protagonist’s journey!
This was such a good post! Very informative and unique ! Maybe you could take a look at my blog and I’d be happy to exchange likes on the posts we like and a follow!
Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
Thank you for this 🙂
This is such a great idea! I’ve been considering putting together a playlist for my novel-in-progress for a while now, but there are just so many songs to choose from! This article reignited the idea; today shall be the day I start gathering songs for my characters! Thank you so much! Your articles are a breath of fresh air😁
Thank you Printed Feet – let me know how it goes for you!
Will do! Thank you😁
Thank you 🙋🏼
Sadly, using dictation means I can’t listen to a play list. But an interesting article none the less!