Writing Playlists: The Music Behind My Stories

When people ask about my writing process, one thing always surprise them.

Every book I write has its own playlist.

Not a random collection of songs I happen to enjoy. Not background noise playing while I type. A playlist that becomes woven into the story itself.

In many ways, the music becomes another character.

Some stories begin with an idea. Some begin with a character. Occasionally, a story begins because a song hits me at exactly the right moment and suddenly I can see an entire world unfolding in my head.

Music has always been one of the strongest emotional connections in my life, so it makes sense that it found its way into my writing as well.

For every book I've completed, I've built a playlist specifically for that story. Echoes of Regret has one. Wheels of Fate has one. Collisions of Desire has one. Every book in my hockey series has one. Even individual characters often end up with songs that feel uniquely theirs.

The playlists aren't created all at once. They grow with the story.

Sometimes a song sparks the very first idea for a book. A lyric, a melody, or even a single line can plant a seed that eventually grows into an entire story. Other times, the story comes first and the playlist follows.

Once I begin drafting, however, music becomes part of the process.

As I write, I listen to songs that help me connect to the characters and the emotions they're experiencing. If a song feels like it belongs to a character or perfectly captures a moment in the story, it gets added to the playlist. Over time, that playlist becomes a collection of emotions, memories, scenes, and relationships tied directly to that book.

I don't typically use music while plotting. Plotting is where I focus on structure and direction. But once the drafting begins, the playlist is almost always playing.

The same playlist follows me through revisions and edits as well.

In fact, there have been moments where a song has captured an emotion so perfectly that I've gone back and adjusted a scene or chapter to better reflect what I felt while listening to it. Sometimes music helps me understand a character in a way I hadn't considered before. Sometimes it helps me hear their voice more clearly.

That's why I don't think of playlists as background noise.

They're emotional anchors.

They're part of the storytelling process.

They're another way for me to connect with the people living inside my stories.

Sometimes readers ask me how I can spend months—or even years—with the same characters.

The truth is that I never really leave them behind.

Their playlists stay on my YouTube long after the manuscript is finished, and every time one of those songs comes on, it feels a little like visiting old friends.

For Echoes of Regret, hearing It's Always Been You by Phil Wickham immediately brings me back to Declan and Ember.

For Wheels of Fate, it's Control by Zoe Wees. The moment it starts playing, I'm right back with CT and Tatum, feeling the emotions, struggles, and connection that shaped their story.

For Collisions of Desire, All Eyes On You by Smash Into Pieces instantly transports me back to Brantley and Charleigh and everything that made their journey unique.

The moment those songs start playing, I don't just remember the book.

I remember the emotions.

The characters.

The scenes.

The late nights spent writing.

The moments that made me laugh, cry, or stare at a blinking cursor while trying to find the right words.

Every story I write has a soundtrack.

And long after I've typed "The End," those songs continue carrying me back to the worlds and characters that first inspired them.

So while readers may see the finished book on a shelf, there is always a playlist quietly sitting behind it—a collection of songs that helped bring the story to life.

And honestly?

I wouldn't have it any other way.