Creating a Playlist

For me, writing is best done to the sound of music.
I don't know why. Maybe it stems from most of school work being done around other noisy people. But I always do my best work, and am able to concentrate better, with music playing in the background. Whether that be writing, or studying. Heck, even cleaning the house is better with my own personal soundtrack playing!

When creating a playlist for a specific work in progress I focus on songs that immediately place me into the mindset I am looking for. Sometimes that means songs with lyrics, other times I write to completely instrumental playlists.

Often I find movie soundtracks fantastic places to start. Especially ones that have an epic feel to it such as Pacific Rim, The Shannara Chronicles (Season One), Assassins Creed: Black Flag, and Dragon Age Inquisition. These are usually ones that I write my fantasy books to, however they didn't always do the trick when it came to writing this Urban Fantasy book.

The playlist for the Athruithe books is a bit eclectic, but just listening to it puts me in the mood to write! (Which is kind of the whole idea behind creating a playlist ;) )

As you create them, and work on your projects, it gets easier to identify songs, or scores from movies/video games that work for you. I find myself paying even more attention to the scores as I'm watching movies, and have found some of the most motivational music that way.

So in honor of my latest release, Wolf's Blood, here is the playlist that I listened to when I wrote it. (Songs are in no particular order since I hit "shuffle" when working.)

Pain - Three Days Grace
Animal I Have Become - Three Days Grace
Riot - Three Days Grace
The Arena - Lindsey Stirling
Hold My Heart - Lindsey Stirling (Feat. ZZ Ward)
Keep the Streets Empty (Red Riding Hood Original Picture) - Fever Ray
Shatter Me - Lindsey Stirling (Feat. Lizzy Hale)
She Wolf (Falling to Pieces) - David Guetta (Feat. Sia)
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
Leave Out All The Rest - Likin Park
I Caught Myself - Paramore
Decode - Paramore
Chasing the Sun - The Wanted
Leave Out All The Rest - Likin Park
What I've Done - Likin Park
New Divide - Likin Park
I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin