Playlists: For Writers and Their Characters

I came across this article on Writers Write recently, and I gasped aloud when I saw that one of the top choices for writers' playlists is Brian Eno's Ambient 1 Music for Airports. My husband introduced me to Eno's music a few years ago, and I can attest to its calming affect when settling into an activity requiring intense concentration or deep sleep. Erik Satie is mentioned in this article as well, although I am partial to his Gymnopedies. I learned to play Gymnopedie No. 1 last year, and one of my sons happened to choose it for his video assignment's soundtrack.

When I am working on fiction, I tend to create a playlist. For some reason, poetry doesn't require a soundtrack for me to come up with words and a theme. But, I struggle to find my rhythm with fiction. I have mentioned my appreciation for Jim Brickman's piano arrangements. Chopin was my composer of choice for The Forget-Me-Nots.

But, I also want to consider what music my characters would choose. I wonder if other writers are willing to bend their ear to music they may not choose themselves in order to understand their characters better. I found this site helpful in generating some ideas.

For the moment, I think I will continue enjoying Satie.