The Wolves and Men Playlist

Songs that Inspired the Writing Process of Wolves and Men, the Novel

(This is the first in a series of five.)

          I’ve decided to let you in on a little secret about my novel writing process. You should know up front that I probably broke a LOT of rules, not only in my writing process for this book, but in my journey to becoming a writer as well. I suppose this comes down to the fact that I don’t view writing as a science, but an art. And a lot in art, I think, is instinctive rather than something that should be broken down into a numerated series of steps in a “correct” method. With that said, I know I have a lot to learn about writing! But there is my philosophy. 

          And so I give you the songs that accompanied me through oh-so many drafts of this novel. 

          Not only did I occasionally write while listening to these songs, but I often cleaned house, drove around town, worked out, cooked, painted on canvas, and did a myriad of other things while listening to my “Wolves and Men” music. That is, a large part of my writing process involved copious amounts of time...mulling. And this music drove my mulling, keeping me in the scenes and in the heads of the characters.

          Here are the first five from my list:

Be Brave by The Strange Boys. 

• This song is the heartbeat of the Prologue, which was one of the first scenes written in the book, and is present in what is very nearly its first draft! Considering how much every other chapter and scene morphed throughout the editing and rewriting processes, I think I’ll always be amazed by that. It echoes the “strangeness” that are my personal childhood memories, and kind of lends a lightheartedness to the gravity of that scene. 

And Then You by Greg Laswell

• His entire album, Three Flights to Alto Nido, I think, is just generally incredible. It speaks on heartache, love, and introspection. These are themes that contribute a lot to the early chapters of Charlotte’s story. I only kept this one song on my trimmed-down playlist of 26 songs, though the original had somewhere around 40 songs, and I'm sure there were days when I listened to the Alto Nido album straight through more than once. It is a great album to play on overcast and rainy days, when you just feel like pondering. 

Are You Here by Corinne Bailey Rae

• Again, there is much to be said about her entire album, The Sea. The album came out shortly after the tragic death of Rae’s husband, and certainly reflects a great deal of nostalgia and loss. Considering the mysterious grieving aspect and elusive haunting of my main character in the early chapters, I think it is appropriate. After all, the song accurately reflects the longing and lostness of a woman in grief. 

 So Cold by The Dodos

• I love the sheer energy of this song. It inspired both the early jogging scenes (and again, that sense of emotional...lostness) as well as the later more intense running scenes in the book. Just listening to it makes me want to both weep and get moving! 

Paper Aeroplane by Angus and Julia Stone

• This song influenced the walking scenes and Corner Store scene on the refuge. To me, it is also reminiscent of Oklahoma ghost towns and people you might meet in Dollar Stores in dusty Oklahoma corners. It reflects a sort of “drabness” and mediocrity, but is also uplifting in its lyrics, with a call to connecting and a longing to reach out to others. 

           Be on the watch for the rest of the posts on this series. I can't help but listen to these songs and be transported back to the setting of Wolves and Men. I hope you enjoy the songs, and the novel (COMING SOON), as much as I have. 

Do you play music while you read or write? If so, what do you recommend? 

Are there any artists that particularly remind you of your home state or your childhood?

What do you think of the artists/songs I've mentioned?