Sometimes the problem isn’t finding the time to write—it’s finding your groove during your writing time. What better way to find it than by creating a playlist that is tailor-made for your current writing project?
Why Create a WIP Playlist?
If you’re not naturally inclined to create playlists for projects—which, admittedly, is a category I fall into—than you might just want to write this off as something that’s not part of your process. That’s fair, but before you do that, consider all these situations where a WIP playlist might be nice to have:
- Not able to write for the day? You can still feel connected to your WIP and let ideas turn over in your head by listening to the playlist.
- Before you sit down for a writing session, you can allow the playlist get you in the mood to continue your story while you prepare your drink or snacks.
- When you’re stuck in the middle of a session, consider heading outside for a bit while your playlist sends writing inspiration through your earbuds and straight to your brain.
Sound good to you? Then let’s talk about what songs to add to that new WIP playlist of yours!
Category 1: Instrumental Music for Focus
Let’s face it: during the actual writing, most people can’t write to music with lyrics and maintain focus for long. I recommend placing these songs all at the very beginning or very end of your playlist. In fact, you may want to make this an entirely separate playlist just in case you hit shuffle by mistake.
Many authors—including Racquel Henry and I—have become big fans of Brain.FM recently for focus music, but I’ve also been known to turn on lo-fi, jazz, bossa nova, and different kinds of ambient noise depending on the mood I’m in while I’m writing.
Category 2: “Opening Credits” Song
Just like a first chapter in a novel, the first song played during a movie helps set the tone for the entire movie and introduces the protagonist’s normal world before anything has had a chance to rock it. In some cases, you might also want a song that hints at the overall theme of your story.
Example: “Circle of Life” from The Lion King
Category 3: Character Theme Songs
Have you ever had a moment when you’re writing where you just sort of disconnect with the story? You slip out of the flow, and all of a sudden, you’re wondering if you really understand the characters you’re writing.
That’s where these types of songs can be life-saving! By finding a song that embodies the arc your character will have—or the role they’ll play in the story, if they don’t have an arc to speak of—you can have a touchstone that grounds you in their journey, helping you stay consistent with their tone, motivation, and transformation throughout the writing process.
Example: “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor from Rocky III for Rocky Balboa
Category 4: External & Internal Conflict Songs
This is probably the broadest category on the list. Modern western stories are all about conflict, after all. You’re going to want songs that cover the full range of trials and tribulations, from the stumbles just after your character decides to accept the call to adventure to the more intense challenges further into the story. Conflicts between characters, against the environment, and within the mind are all fair game. And if a song can pull double or triple duty, even better!
Example: “The Room Where It Happens” from Hamilton
Category 5: “All is Lost” Song
This is where that Robert Frost quote echoes in my mind: “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” This song should rock you the way it would rock your character and your reader because it connects so deeply to your character’s darkest moment.
Example: “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” by Taylor Swift
Category 6: Emotional Breakthrough Song
How uptempo your emotional breakthrough song is will depend on the kind of breakthrough your character has, but this will probably be the most intense and empowering song of the playlist! You will know it when you hear it.
Example: “Superheroes” by The Script
Category 7: “End Credits” Song
Reaching the end of a WIP is sure to instill mixed feelings in you, but you can make sure your story strikes the right tone for the reader by taking the time to find a suitable “end credits” song. Approach this as the song that will embody what your characters and the readers are taking away from the story. If your story has a happy ending, this song is playing as your characters ride off into the sunset. If your story has a sad ending, this song will probably be more reflective.
Example: “Where the Dream Takes You” by Mýa from Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Bonus Category 1: Backstory Songs
There are a couple of ways you could approach this category. For one, you could find a song that works as a description of the kind of life the character led while growing up. Alternatively, you could choose a song or two that really hit upon the character’s wound and perhaps a few other notable events.
Example: “Castle on the Hill” by Ed Sheeran
Bonus Category 2: Love Song
Just like in real life, every romance between characters is unique, but there is absolutely a song or several out there that captures the vibes of your romance or romantic subplot. Depending on how big of a role the romance(s) plays in your WIP, you may want to add multiple songs representing different stages of your characters’ relationship(s).
Example: “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
Now that you have a WIP playlist…
Work out the rest of your book in our 90-Day Novel Planner, featuring weekly and daily planning pages and space for notes about that playlist, characters, plot threads, and whatever else you need to keep track of while you get the book done.
