Malinda Lo

This post was originally published at Fat Girl Reading.

One of my favorite things to do while working on a novel is look for music that fits a character or a particular mood. At least, this is the way I justify all the time and money I spend on iTunes! Music can give me a gut-level sense of connection to a character, and it can help me get in the proper frame of mind to write a scene. Sometimes I listen to music when writing to motivate myself, and often I listen to the playlists I create for my novels while I’m walking or driving. Because I listen to these songs repeatedly while I think about what I’m writing, I start to identify the music with the story. Then, when I’m stuck or need a nudge to get to work, listening to a particular song can actually flip the creative switch in me, enabling me to dive right into the scene I’m working on.

I created eight playlists while writing Adaptation, some very short and focusing on particular characters; others much longer and centering on mood. Out of all these playlists I’ve selected 12 tracks that represent the book to me. Whenever I hear one of these, I always think of some aspect of Adaptation. Here’s the playlist and some of my thoughts on why I chose these songs:

1. “Help I’m Alive” by Metric — This was the first song that truly connected me to the main character, Reese. What I love about this song is that the lyrics seem like a cry for help (“help I’m alive”) but the music beneath it isn’t at all weak. I like that contradiction. In the chorus, Emily Haines sings: “Hard to be soft / Tough to be tender.” The words imply that the person crying for help isn’t soft or tender; she struggles to be tender. I think this is at the heart of Reese’s character arc throughout Adaptation and its sequel.

2. “Magical World” featuring Nelly Furtado by Bassnectar — This was the first song I listened to that carried the mood of the book that I wanted to write: mysterious, futuristic, and sexy. Also: “not everything in this magical world is quite what it seems.” That is the truth!

3. “Twilight Galaxy” by Metric — To be honest, Adaptation‘s theme band could be Metric. I listened to their albums Fantasies and Live It Out repeatedly while writing the book. This is one of my favorite songs from Fantasies.

4, 5. “Crash and Burn Girl” by Robyn; “Liar” by Dragonette — These two are fun, addictive pop songs about “bad” girls. That’s why some girls are “bad”: they do wrong things, but you can’t resist them. There is a girl like that in Adaptation.

6, 7, 8. “Assassinations” by Stateless; “Between Two Points” featuring Swan by The Glitch Mob; “Timestretch” by Bassnectar — All songs I listened to for mood: creepiness, depressing angst, and mysterious plot acceleration. Is “mysterious plot acceleration” a mood? It was in Adaptation!

9. “Leave My Body” by Florence + the Machine — I listened to this song on repeat while writing Chapter 36. I listened to a lot of Flo in this chapter!

10, 11. “Bluetrace” by Stateless; “How to Be Eaten By a Woman” by The Glitch Mob — I listened to a lot of electronic music while writing Adaptation, including the Stateless albums Stateless and Matilda; and every Glitch Mob track I could find. They all go under “mysterious plot acceleration.”

12. “Cosmic Love” by Florence + the Machine — I’ve always connected this song to the romance in Adaptation, but the lyrics surprised me by being completely relevant to Chapter 39.

And there you have it. If you enjoy the tracks, please support the artist if you can and buy them!