Many writers listen to music while drafting their books. I do listen to music in the process of writing my novels, but never when my fingers are racing across my laptop and creating my manuscript.
I listen while driving in my car, cooking, or doing household chores. When I’m actually drafting or plotting, I like silence. The only words I hear then are those of my characters.
My playlist for a novel evolves when I’m first shaping the plot and developing my protagonist. They are songs that reflect the sentiments of my protagonist and other principal characters, as I conceive them. I use the music to keep me in my story while I’d doing something else. After the first few times of listening to a playlist, I often don’t even hear the words, as the tune will take me to my characters’ emotions and their voices.
The songs in my It Happened in Tuscany playlist are below. The songs are available on iTunes audio or Spotify except for the last one, but you can listen to it with my links or download it from Heidi Winzinger’s website. If you create your own Sophie’s Songs playlist, I hope you enjoy it!
SOPHIE’S SONGS
Swift, Taylor. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Again.” iTunes audio, 3.13. 2012. https://music.apple.com/us/album/red/1440935340
Caillat, Colbie. “Try.” iTunes audio, 3.44. 2014. https://music.apple.com/us/album/gypsy-heart/1440815510
Bareilles, Sara. “Brave.” iTunes audio, 3.40. 2013. https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-blessed-unrest/1440504715
Urban, Keith. “For You.” iTunes audio, 4.49. 2012. https://music.apple.com/us/album/for-you/714893524?i=714893712
Crow, Sheryl. “The First Cut is the Deepest.” iTunes audio, 3.47. 2003. https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-very-best-of-sheryl-crow/1440651031
Clarkson, Kelly. “Heartbeat Song.” iTunes audio, 3.18. 2015. https://music.apple.com/us/album/heartbeat-song/962502167?i=962502168
Echosmith. “Bright.” iTunes audio, 3.40. 2014. https://music.apple.com/us/album/bright/924487443?i=924487458
Swift, Taylor. “You Belong With Me.” iTunes audio, 3.51. 2008. https://music.apple.com/us/album/you-belong-with-me/1440924803?i=1440925035
Passenger. “Let Her Go.” iTunes audio, 4.12. 2012. https://music.apple.com/us/album/let-her-go/1116272904?i=1116273138
The Spruce Campbells. “01 Star Girl.” iTunes audio, 3.05. 2010. https://music.apple.com/us/album/01-star-girl/409427784?i=409427796
Winzinger, Heidi. “My Best Friend .” www.heidiwinzinger.com, 2.51. 2012. https://heidiwinzinger.com/album/1377457/my-best-friend
Thank you for listening with me!