TCWT: 8 Essential Tracks of Writing Playlists

The TCWT blog chain, by John over at Teens Can Write, Too!, explores a different question each month, and for February, it's:

How does music relate to your writing?

You heard me ramble about a Thranduil playlist the other day, but my 8tracks account is primarily for writing playlists. And that is essentially how music relates to my writing — playlists fills up all the "grey space" so I don't get distracted as easily, and puts me in the right mood.

So instead, I'm going to talk about how I put together a playlist. 8 songs for 8tracks, obviously. As an example, I'll be using the playlist for Winner Takes All, my novel-in-revisions.

1. The theme song

Every story needs a good ... theme song. It should convey the core themes and atmosphere of your writing. This is your Twitter pitch right here. A quirky YA might have a Taylor Swift song, an epic fantasy can borrow the Game of Thrones soundtrack. Winner Takes All, as a bittersweet semi-tragedy and political fantasy, uses part of the Swan Lake ballet.

2. The otherworldly song

The point of writing is to build a whole new world *starts humming*. And so you should have an otherworldly song, one of ghosts and spirits. This is where the rabbit hole begins, so give the entrance all the ceremony it deserves. WTA's otherworldly song is Gregorio Allegri's Miserere, filled with opera-esque singing.

3. The melancholy song

The other point of writing is to torment characters. *grins evilly* So when all seems lost for your main character, we must have a song along with the backlit piano, preferably with a moon. My melancholy song is Chopin's Prelude no. 4 in E Minor.

4. The Hakuna Matata song

Despite all the defeats, our protagonist must learn to let it goooo. A little carefree music as they chat with their long-time allies isn't unwarranted. WTA's Hakuna Matata is Impromptu Caprice, a harp piece whose title means "improvise as you wish".

5. The success song

Since we're building up to it anyways, the protagonists can't be tortured all the time. A rousing song as you bid the citizens of Minas Tirith to stand! Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, with its trademark opening, is perfect for the war-heavy WTA.

6. The defeat song / the villain song

All right, that's enough happiness. Disney movies always have villain songs, but since WTA's true villains aren't the antagonists, I prefer to call it 'the defeat song'. Let all the things go wrong here. As an interesting contrast, I chose Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, aptly named The Fall.

7. The love interest song

Even though WTA isn't a particularly romance-heavy work — in fact, all the romance is only hinted at — characters don't have to be completely uninterested in romance. (Unless they're aromantic. In which case an exception can be made for a Bromance/Sismance (??) song.) Across the Stars highlights how love is only a faraway hope.

8. Obligatory Star Wars song

I know the last one was already a Star Wars song, but as Christina once said, I work a Star Wars song into every. single. playlist. And so a Star Wars song is reserved for each playlist. Duel of the Fates is WTA's, with much military skirmishing and political manoeuvring.

Which of these songs can you find in your writing playlists? Do you use playlists often? And should I pronounce WTA as 'dub-ta' or 'dub-tee-ay'? Share with us in the comments!

And don't forget to visit all the other blogs in the chain:

6th – http://jasperlindell.blogspot.com/ and http://vergeofexisting.wordpress.com/
7th – http://novelexemplar.wordpress.com/
8th – http://www.juliathewritergirl.com/
9th – http://www.freeasagirlwithwings.wordpress.com/
10th – https://ramblingsofaravis.wordpress.com/
11th – http://butterfliesoftheimagination.wordpress.com/ and http://www.pamelanicolewrites.com/
12th – me - you're here!
13th – http://miriamjoywrites.com/ and http://whileishouldbedoingprecal.weebly.com/
14th – http://kirabudge.weebly.com/
15th – http://lillianmwoodall.wordpress.com/ and http://erinkenobi2893.wordpress.com/
16th – http://theedfiles.blogspot.com/ and http://fantasiesofapockethuman.blogspot.com/
17th – http://irisbloomsblog.wordpress.com/ and http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/
18th – http://semilegacy.blogspot.com/ and http://from-stacy.blogspot.com/
19th – http://horsfeathersblog.wordpress.com/
20th – https://clockworkdesires.wordpress.com/
21st – https://stayandwatchthestars.wordpress.com/ and http://arielkalati.blogspot.com/
22nd – http://loonyliterate.com/ and https://www.mirrormadeofwords.wordpress.com/
23rd – http://unikkelyfe.wordpress.com/
24th – http://themagicviolinist.blogspot.com/ and http://allisonthewriter.wordpress.com/
25th – http://missalexandrinabrant.wordpress.com/
26th – http://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/ and http://thelonglifeofalifelongfangirl.wordpress.com/
27th – http://nasrielsfanfics.wordpress.com/ and http://thelittleenginethatcouldnt.wordpress.com/