I write to music.

Pretty much always. I play it loud, preferably on headphones. Not only does it block the world around me out and let me focus on the story world, it also helps shape that story world.

In fact, soon as I get an idea for a new story, the first thing I do is start building a playlist, selecting songs that match the mood and atmosphere for the different scenes I'm planning to write. It's not so much about the lyrics,* it's about the feeling of a song.

For Coyote (available here), I ended up building a playlist of close to 100 songs total, but there were 22 in particular I listened to over and over. Here are songs 1-11:

Balmorhea - Steerage And The Lamp from the album "Constellations".

Steerage and the Lamp Buy on Amazon

from Even My Sure Things Fall Through

Sonic Wind Buy on Amazon

Every Time a Bell Rings an Angel Gets His Wings

By Logh

Buy on Amazon

conway twitty - hello darling

Hello Darlin' Buy on Amazon

Javelin is a Hip Hop, R&B and Electronic production duo and performers based in Brooklyn, New York City. Cousins George Langford and Tom Van Buskirk started making music together in Providence, RI in 2005. They released their first studio album in 2010, titled No Más, at Luaka Bop records.

Javelin - Canyon Candy Limited 10" RSD 2011 Buy on Amazon

From the album "It Still Moves" (2003) by My Morning Jacket

It Still Moves [Vinyl]

By My Morning Jacket

Buy on Amazon

From the Swedish special Love & Other Crimes (1968).

These Boots Are Made for Walkin': The Complete MGM Recordings

By Lee Hazlewood

Buy on Amazon

Liars - Plaster Casts Of Everything. Track 1. from the Liars album. I do NOT claim to own ANY rights to this music or the image used for the video. If the copyright owners have a problem with this video in any way, please contact me and I'll remove it immediately.

Liars

By Liars

Buy on Amazon

"Nancy From Now On" from Father John Misty's 05/01/12 release, Fear Fun Father John Misty's store http://fatherjohnmisty.merchline.com iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fear-fun-bonus-track-version/id516140452 Amazon http://amzn.com/B007IPAOJW Sub Pop Mega Mart https://megamart.subpop.com/releases/father_john_misty/fear_fun Directed by Amy Cargill & Josh Tillman www.amyecargill.com More Father John Misty videos Playlist http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL29D34A817371FE75&feature=view_all Father John Misty channel https://www.youtube.com/user/fatherjohnmistyvideo Father John Misty http://www.fatherjohnmisty.net/ Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Father-John-Misty/124916000949326 Tumblr http://fatherjohnmisty.tumblr.com/ Sub Pop http://www.subpop.com/artists/father_john_misty Subscribe to Sub Pop's YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/subpoprecords Sub Pop Records http://www.subpop.com Twitter https://twitter.com/subpop Facebook https://www.facebook.com/subpoprecords SoundCloud http://soundcloud.com/subpop MegaMart https://megamart.subpop.com/

Fear Fun

By Father John Misty

Buy on Amazon

Spoon - Who Makes Your Money

Transference by Spoon [2010] Audio CD Buy on Amazon

The National's Karen, from 2005's Alligator. FOR AUDREY WENCH.

Alligator Buy on Amazon

So that's the first half of the list. Stay tuned for part 2.

Also, here's the list on iTunes.

And if you'd like to know more about Coyote, you can do that here.

*Side note: Don't you hate movies where the lyrics of the song they're playing match up exactly to what's happening on the screen? Except this movie. It's kind of hard to hate on this movie, even though the action matches up EXACTLY to the words in the songs.