As someone with ADHD I can’t stand silence. Or even just low background noise. I need something to focus on. Which is why I have about three million playlists.
Before I start a new project, I create a playlist. It’s usually a mix of whatever artists and albums I’m currently obsessing over and things that vibe with my main characters and overall story.
For my hopefully-debut I have a playlist of mostly rock and punk with a focus on front women. This goes well with my cast of strong women kicking ass. I also have a couple of political punk bands and my most recent ‘comfort album’ to round out the tone and give me something extra soothing when I need it.
I put on this playlist to write, to edit and review and to plan the sequel. As I move into writing Book Two I may adjust the current playlist or create a whole new one depending on my mood.
Other authors I know make (and swear by) mood boards, but I just could never get into them. For me, having the emotional tone set by music is vital. I also listen to the lyrics and often take inspiration from these; which begs the question, do I listen to political punks because I write political undertones, or do I write political undertones because the songs I listen to are politically charged?
If you’re interested in hearing the songs and bands that inspired my current project, check out the Spotify playlist here.
Bronwen Write 