Archive for March 31st, 2009

I can write without music, but I certainly don’t like to. Music sets the mood and gets the story flowing. When I’m “in the zone,” as I like to call it, I’ve got a pair of headphones on and Ryan’s Playlist on shuffle.

Ryan is one of the main characters in my WIP. Renata and Ryan care a lot about music and it trickles into what they’re doing every now and again. In some ways they have their own built in soundtrack, which I think is pretty cool. Their common interest in music and particular artists is one of the reasons they fell head over heels for each other, so it has to be important for me as the writer to make them feel connected to it. Ryan’s Playlist does just that. It’s not only the playlist that helps me find my story but it is sometimes literally what they are listening to or talking about within the story itself. Many times Renata will comment that Ryan put on one of his great playlists while they drove in the car or sat by the fireplace.

As a rule, even when I don’t find time in my day to write, I always listen to Ryan’s Playlist, whether I’m in the car, or working out, or working at my day job. It helps me stay connected to my characters and connected to my story even when I can’t put words onto paper for them.

I love the way that Ryan’s Playlist evolves. There are about thirty songs that are permanent and the rest kind of float in and out. If I hear a song that’s not already on the list, but makes me feel connected to them, then I add it. Every now and again a song that’s on the list just isn’t doing it for me and so it comes off. Like if I find that I’m skipping ahead every time it comes on while I’m writing, then it’s taken off the list. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you’ll every now and again see tweets about songs being added or taken off.

So today, this is where Ryan’s Playlist stands, the ones in bold actually make an appearance in my story either through dialogue or background situations.

“Different” by Acceptance
“Anyday” by Ani DiFranco
“She’s Losing It” by Belle and Sebastian
“Eyes On Fire” by Blue Foundation
“First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes
“No Other Love” by Chuck Prophet
“Don’t Panic” by Coldplay
“High Speed” by Coldplay
“Low” by Coldplay
“Lullaby” by The Cure
“Fascination Street” by The Cure
“Strange Attraction [Album Mix]” by The Cure
“The Professor (Live)” by Damien Rice
“Cannonball” Damien Rice
“9 Crimes” by Damien Rice
“Cold Water” by Damien Rice
“A Lack of Color” by Death Cab For Cutie
“The Water (Red Demos)” by Feist
“Say Goodbye” by Fleetwood Mac
“Hundred” by The Fray
“Once” by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
“Flightless Bird, American Mouth” by Iron & Wine
“Ache” by James Carrington
“Clockwatching” by Jason Mraz
“Je N’en Connais Pas La Fin [Live]” by Jeff Buckley
“What Will You Say [Live]” by Jeff Buckley
“Venn Diagram” by Lisa Hannigan
“I Don’t Know” by Lisa Hannigan
“Paper Planes” by M.I.A.
“Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star
“The Wrong Girl” by Missy Higgins
“Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse
“Spotlight (Twilight Mix)” by Mutemath
“Decode” by Paramore
“I Caught Myself” by Paramore
“Carmen” by Paula Cole
“Go All the Way (Into the Twilight)” by Perry Farrell
“All Mine” by Portishead
“Only You” by Portishead
“15 Step” by Radiohead
“Reckoner” by Radiohead
“Dreamworld” by Rilo Kiley
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones
“Sympathy for the Devil” by The Rolling Stones
“Before the Worst” by The Script
“The Dangling Conversation” by Simon & Garfunkel
“You Could Be Happy” by Snow Patrol
“The Planets Bend Between Us” by Snow Patrol
“Awkward Duet” by Sons and Daughters
“Springfield, or Bobby Got a Shadfly Caught In His Hair” by Sufjan Stevens
“Caramel” by Suzanne Vega
“The Eraser” by Thom Yorke
“Crumbs from Your Table” by U2
“In The Waiting Line” by Zero 7