I think we can all agree that having a soundtrack makes everything a lot cooler. Imagine your favorite movie without any music! Plus we’ve all at one point looked out the car window as it rained, imagining the song on the radio as our own personal movie score… I could go on! Since film uses playlists, it makes sense that as writers, having a writing playlist to turn to can be beneficial to your routine.
When I write, having the right music to set the tone really helps take me to whatever the scene is. Being able to evoke that feeling helps me get on a roll and it’s probably helped you get some tasks done, too, whether that be writing for your next book or just getting work tasks accomplished.
If you’re new to writing and want to get your own soundtrack going, check out these tips for how to create the perfect writing playlist for your next book or project.
Head to YouTube
There are tons of existing mood music playlists on YouTube that you can start with. Many of these will list the song titles in the video if it’s a multi-hour-long compilation.
Try searching for these based on your genre. If you’re writing something steampunk-inspired, there are tons of mood music videos in existence.
You can also head to YouTube to find the soundtracks of your favorite movie or TV show. For example, I wrote a handful of fight scenes for my 2021 NaNoWriMo project, so I found the soundtrack to the Netflix Daredevil show and used that to help me write them.
Get Inspired from Existing Spotify Playlists
What characters remind you of your own? Lots of Spotify users create public playlists they’ve curated towards their favorite character from an existing book, TV shows, anime/manga, or movie. To find these, just search for the name of one of your favorite characters and see what pops up.
You can also search for music by mood or artist on Spotify. It makes it super easy to create an incredibly curated experience that you can tailor to your story.
Create Your Own Writing Playlist on Spotify
If you’re getting inspiration from multiple sources, it’s time to whip up your own curated list. I recommend doing this in Spotify since it’s easy to add music, especially from independent artists. Plus, you can pick and choose songs you like from other people’s playlists (especially if you found some from playlists inspired by characters that remind you of your own).
If you’re writing for NaNoWriMo, then you can also add your playlist to your profile to share with fellow writers! Here’s my NaNoWriMo 2021 playlist for my project Not My Time.
Ask Yourself These 3 Questions When Crafting Your Writing Playlist
When crafting a writing playlist for a book, I ask myself these three questions.
What Songs Remind Me Of My Setting?
Is there any music that reminds you of the setting of your novel? For example, my series takes place in a fictional Colorado mountain town with a lot of scenes taking place late at night. For some of my playlists, I made sure to add music inspired by the Rockies and wandering in the dark.
What Songs Remind Me Of My Characters?
A few of the songs on my playlist were songs I found on TikTok. The lyrics from a short snippet reminded me of a character, so it went right into my Spotify writing playlist. Some of these finds have helped me write some of my favorite scenes in my work.
What Songs Set The Mood?
What music evokes the right feeling? If you’re writing a romance, you will have more love songs than someone writing a murder mystery. And even then, the type of romance you’re writing will depend on what songs set the right mood. A contemporary romance will need different music than a period drama.
