Music has always been part of my writing process.

Sometimes a song helps me find a character. Sometimes it helps me understand a scene. And sometimes it’s simply background noise while I stare at a blinking cursor and try to convince my characters to cooperate.

Lately my playlists have been a mixture of old favorites and new discoveries.

I’ve been spending a lot of time in Waldon Springs, so my writing playlists have leaned toward acoustic songs, emotional ballads, and tracks that feel like small-town evenings, front porch conversations, and second chances.

At the same time, I’ve been listening to plenty of BTS and Stray Kids. Their music often finds its way into my creative process, especially when I’m brainstorming new projects or working on scenes that need a little extra energy.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that every story seems to develop its own soundtrack.

Waldon Springs sounds very different from Beacon Security.

Where Grief Learned to Let Go has different songs than The Girl in Every Song.

And that’s one of my favorite parts of writing. Every world has its own rhythm.

This week I’ve also been revisiting some familiar comfort reads and spending time building playlists for future projects. Sometimes the music comes before the story. Sometimes the story comes first. Either way, the two always seem to find each other eventually.

So that’s a little peek inside the playlist this week.

I’d love to know: What song have you had on repeat lately?

Inside the Playlist is a recurring series where I share the music, artists, playlists, and songs that inspire my stories and creative life.