How to Create a Writing Music Playlist

Hello and salute mes amis. Welcome back to my blog if you’ve visited before. If you are new to Creole Bayou salute. Creole Bayou is a blog that discusses topics about culture (all things Creole and Cajun), writing, mental health, and romance/relationships. My name is Genevive, and in addition to blogging, I’m also an author. This month, I have been celebrating the release of Demon Rodeo, a paranormal sports romance. As part of the celebration, I have been uploading daily posts about topics and themes that somehow relate to something that occurs or is mentioned in the story.

Well, it’s finally here. It’s release day, and I’m super stoked!!! This has been a long journey. On that journey, I listened to some great tunes to get me in the mood for writing certain scenes.

Many writers use music as inspiration and background as they create fictional worlds swirling in their minds. Some writers use their favorite songs. Others listen to whatever is on the radio. Still, others have specific songs they want to use. (This is especially true for authors writing in the rock fiction genre.) Some authors only use instrumental music to avoid getting wrapped up in singing the lyrics. Some writers want their music to be blaring while others use it as white noise.

There are no hard-set rules for creating a playlist, other than it needing to be not distract from the writing. However, there are many suggestions and guidelines that writers can use.

Group the songs by category or type. This prevents the writer from having to scan for a specific type of song. For example, in writing a sports scene, I like to use music that typically would be played at a sporting event. Therefore, I group all of those songs together.Back up your playlist. I’m going to go a step further and say backup your playlist in multiple places. This is coming from a place of love and someone who has experienced too many crashes and malfunctions than I care to mention. My last crash occurred as I was writing my celebratory blog blitz. I had two laptops, the cloud, and five USB drives. One would have thought that would be enough. But you guessed it. It wasn’t. My routine was to save to the USB, hard drive, cloud, and the remaining USBs in that order. Well, I got in a hurry and only saved it to the main USB. Later that night, for no known reason, the USB could no longer be read. The latest versions of the posts I had written hadn’t been saved to the cloud or my hard drive. A techie who claimed he would help (for a fee) recover everything ghosted me. I spun into a depression sprinkled with mega-anxiety glitter. My playlist was one of the items lost. Fortunately, I did have most of it saved elsewhere. Now, I know many people just use apps to store their playlists, but I had mine saved on my phone and laptop for the most part. (And when my phone crashed, and I had to upgrade, not all of my songs transferred. Others couldn’t be read by the updated app.)Keep a log of what you use. Initially, this wasn’t something I did. However, over the years of writing a playlist, I realized I had songs downloaded that I would skip every time. What was the purpose of them being there other than hogging up space? Not only will a log keep you abreast of what you’re not listening to, but it also tracks what you are. Why is this handy? There were times when I would be into writing a scene but would need to stop for some reason. I may not have been able to get back to it for several days. By noting the song that helped get me in the zone, I could go to it and pick up where I left off.Take suggestions for new music. I have to confess. I don’t really listen to the radio anymore. I’m not sure when I stopped, but I don’t. I tend to listen to the same music I have for years, updating it only when I hear something that I like in a movie or in a short content social media video. There’s nothing wrong with doing this, but it can potentially lead to stagnant writing. For many people, music is nostalgic. It brings up certain emotions. Hence, listening to the same songs will provoke the same feelings each time. This may not spark any new ideas and stifle creativity. Ever read a writer whose characters all sound alike? I’m not saying it’s because he/she is listening to the same songs, but one can see how this could be a possibility. So, ask others what they are listening to.

Here’s the playlist I used for Demon Rodeo. Although the songs are numbered, these numbers do not represent the order of importance, the order in which I listened to them, or any sort of ranking. On the contrary, they are listed in alphabetical order by title. Many of the songs, I listened to multiple times. You’ll notice that there are a lot of old-school jams but an overall eclectic grouping. Can you match the songs to the scenes? Can you match any songs to specific characters?

DISCLAIMER: I am not sponsored, affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the artists, bands, studios, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates. The music and songs are registered copyrights of their respective owners.

Demon Rodeo Playlist

A Bar Song (Tipsy) – ShaboozeyAlone – MarshmelloAnimal I Have Become – Three Days GraceAs Long as You Love Me – Backstreet BoysBeautiful Things – Benson BooneBeds Are Burning – Midnight OilBlack Sabbath – Black SabbathBring Me to Life – EvanescenceCheerleader – OMIDemons – Imagine DragonsDiamonds – RihannaDirty Laundry – Don HenleyDrive – Incubus(Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Oyster CultEnjoy the Ride – KrewellaFaithfully -JourneyFor Whom the Bell Tolls – MetallicaHeat of the Moment – AsiaHooked on a Feeling – Blue Swede & Björn SkifsI’m Good (Blue) – Bebe Rexha & David GuettaI’m Still Standing – Elton JohnIn a Big Country – Big CountryIn the Air Tonight – Phil CollinsIn the Name of Love – Martin Garrix & Bebe RexhaIt’s My Life – Bon JoviJump Around – House of PainKeep on Loving You – REO SpeedwagonLive Every Moment – REO SpeedwagonLove Walks In – Van HalenMajor Tom – Peter SchillingMemories – Maroon 5Mental Health (Bang Your Head) – Quiet RiotMessage In a Bottle – The PoliceModern Love – David BowieOne Day – MatisyahuOur Lips Are Sealed – The Go-Go’sOverdrive – OfenbachPain – Three Days GracePoison – Alice CooperRebel Yell – Billy IdolRock ‘n’ Roll (Part 2) – Gary GlitterRiot – Three Days GraceSeven Nation Army – The White StripesShake It Off – Taylor SwiftSomeone You Loved – Lewis CapaldiSpirit in the Sky – Norman GreenbaumSweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – EurythmicsTainted Love – Soft CellThe Boys Are Back in Town – Thin LizzyThe Final Countdown – EuropeThe Scientist – ColdplayTitanium – David GuettaTruth Comes Out – WillyechoUnstoppable – SiaWelcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ RosesWind Up Missin’ You – Tucker WetmoreYou Are the Reason – Calum ScottYou Don’t Mess Around with Jim – Jim CroceYou Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – Dead or AliveYou’ve Got Another Thing Coming – Judas Priest

Do you have a playlist? If so, are any of these songs on it? Which songs on this list are your favorites? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. If you like this post, please click the like button and share. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read.

If Brokeback Mountain, 8 Seconds, Poltergeist, and Supernatural had an orgy, Demon Rodeo would be the lovechild.

Demon Rodeo is available now on Amazon. For video book trailers, visit my TikTok page. The full blurb is on my Instagram and Amazon.

Demon Rodeo is the first book in the Chasing the Buckle series but can be read as a standalone. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance set in the rodeo world. These are not your typical cowboys. It’s a widely diverse cast of characters and a mashup of genres that aren’t always seen together. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser, this may be a book for you.

Order

⇨ Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/4174852

⇨ All Stores: https://books2read.com/u/bP8RG7

Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

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Out of the Penalty Box (book #1) One minute in the box or a lifetime out. Defending the Net (book #2) Crossing the line could cost the game. Ice Gladiators (book #3) When the gloves come off, the games begin. Penalty Kill (book #4) Let the pucker begin. Future Goals (book #5) The future lies between a puck and a net.

About the Author:

Hi, I’m Genevive, and I am a contemporary sports romance author. My home is in South Louisiana. If you like snark and giggles with a touch of steamy Cajun and Creole on the side, I may have your poison in my stash of books. Drop by the bayou and have a look around. The pirogues are always waiting for new visitors.