The Soundtrack of a Story: How Music Shaped My Novel
Author Jane L. Rosen shares how music shaped her novel by revealing how she chose the soundtrack of her story.
In creating a soundtrack for my latest novel, Songs of Summer, I found myself drawing heavily from the soundtrack of my own life—a collection of songs that instantly brings back not just memories, but feelings. Music, for me, has always been a kind of time machine, carrying me back to the places I’ve been, the people I’ve loved, and the moments that have shaped who I am. Eliciting those feelings through music has become an inspiring tool for tapping into my inner child, or into the decade, season, or place where I'm setting a story.
I’m sure there are certain songs that instantly transport you to somewhere specific. For me, I can see it as clearly as if it were yesterday: bellowing “Hold on to sixteen as long as you can” along with John Cougar, packed into my Buick Regal with a car full of friends, windows down, summer air thick with freedom. Crying with my bunkmates to Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For” on the last bittersweet night of sleepaway camp, dreading the goodbye that would come with morning. Listening to the Fine Young Cannibals on repeat in my very first apartment in Greenwich Village, trying not to look at my roommate when “She Drives Me Crazy” played. Watching my three daughters roll down the car windows to “let the wind blow back their hair,” just as Bruce Springsteen commanded in “Thunder Road.”
Each song has the power to transport me, to transcend time, and to reach deep into my heart—and that’s the magic I wanted to bring to Songs of Summer. For writers looking to incorporate music into their own stories, my advice is simple: Start with the songs that mean something to you. Think about the music that shaped your memories, defined your summers, or got you through heartbreak—those personal connections often translate most powerfully on the page. Let music serve as an emotional undercurrent for a scene, a time capsule for a character, a season, or a mood.
When I started writing Songs of Summer, I knew I wanted music to be more than just a background element; I wanted it woven into the DNA of the story itself. With one protagonist who owns a vintage record store and another who’s a reporter for Rolling Stone, the opportunity was too perfect to pass up. My goal was to create a world where readers could not only read the story but hear it too—where words and music would work together to transport them.
I decided to begin each chapter, with a song title and to create a chapter-by-chapter playlist on Spotify that readers could follow along with. I'm happy (and relieved!) to share that, according to early Goodreads reviews, it worked: Readers are listening to the songs as they read and calling it an "immersive experience"—something fresh, emotional, and deeply engaging.
Choosing the songs for each chapter was a true labor of love—and, at times, a challenge. Some song choices were obvious, like pairing Simon & Garfunkel’s "The 59th Street Bridge Song" with a scene where the characters actually cross the 59th Street Bridge or using Katy Perry’s "Firework" for a chapter that centers around celebratory fireworks lighting up the night sky. These moments felt almost destined, the song choices so natural that I couldn’t imagine anything else fitting.
Other chapters required more thought and a little creativity. I used Squeeze’s "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" for a chapter revolving around the making of a giant paella—and even included a beautiful rendition of “Something Good” sung by my daughter (Mima Good), all because a character humorously quoted The Sound of Music.
For a scene where the Rolling Stone reporter gives the record store owner a heroic bike ride home, I went for the laugh with the Theme Song from Indiana Jones. If you hummed a few bars of that just now, you’ve already experienced a little of the immersion I was aiming for. Since crying at weddings is common practice, I counted on Van Morrison’s "Into the Mystic” to set the scene and elicit a few tears.
Some chapters stumped me completely—and that’s where the "music mavens" in my life came to the rescue. I would read chapters aloud to my music-loving husband, and friends in the music business, asking them what songs the scenes made them think of. Through those conversations, I discovered new artists like Shaboozey, Natasha Bedingfield, and Miranda Lambert—fresh voices who added a new energy and perspective to the playlist.
And then came the epilogue—and one of the most serendipitous moments in the whole process. I chose “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)," by the Proclaimers, because it is one of my very favorites and it represents traveling for love. Imagine my surprise when I calculated the distance between Fire Island, where most of the book is set, and Chagrin Falls, Ohio, where the book begins and ends—you guessed it, 500 miles. It’s funny to me, as a writer, how sometimes, when you pour your heart into a project, a little magic shows up.
Check out Jane L. Rosen's Songs of Summer here:
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