Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" will be on the soundtrack of the movie version of my novel. Hahaha. Okay, Daniel.

By Daniel Ford

While writing my first novel, I continuously added to an iTunes playlist that eventually grew to 200 songs. Looking back on the list, I was able to track my progression as a writer and as a man. Each song had a memory attached to it—both good and bad—and helped me shape my main character, Sid Sanford.

I accidently deleted the list when I gave my mother my old laptop. Such is life. The playlist served its purpose. A new one aimed at inspiring novel number two is already underway.

Here are five songs from the list I can recall that might help you craft your best-seller:

“Going to California”

Do you have a main character who does a lot of brooding and longs for the love of a good woman? This song will help you get into his head.

“Homeward Bound”

This song will always make me think of college and being homesick my first several weeks in New York City. Whenever I felt the city was breaking me down and filling me with the belief that I’d never become the writer I wanted to be, I’d play this song and remember there was a place that had full faith in me. I couldn’t give up.

“Harvest Moon"

There’s no better song to bring two love-struck characters together.

“Mississippi”

Replace “Mississippi” with “New York City” and this song was pretty much written for the starving writer version of Daniel Ford.

I was raised in the country, I been workin’ in the town/I been in trouble ever since I set my suitcase down.

Enough said.

“Blow At High Dough”

Whenever the switch flipped in Sid Sanford’s mind and forced him to embrace his inner demons, I had this song in my head.