Shortly after Embers was published, I got a letter from a fan named Carter. He loved the series and went on to give me a few examples. His favorite parts were the knowledge quests and Will’s memory of protecting his mom.
I’m always delighted to hear from fans. Carter’s two-page handwritten letter included ideas for expansion to other media: Movies, TV, and Video Games. To this he appended a request. He’d like to do the soundtrack for the movie.
That was a first for me. I’ve got a playlist that I listen to when I’m writing, so I was interested in his picks.
What could I do? I wrote back.
Meanwhile, I’ve been working on my next novel and named a character after Carter. I made him a pilot, a gamer, and a fan of rock.
Today, I got another letter. Turns out Carter is in a rock band and also a gamer (no surprise there). So, based on one letter, I got two out of three correct.
His current game of choice is Hogwarts Legacy. He plays on a Switch. I’m still a console guy and just finished Baldur’s Gate 3 and rolled right into Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
What you really want to know, I can tell, is what was on Carter’s playlist?
- Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
- Radioactive – Imagine Dragons
- In the End – Linkin Park
- Good News – Shaboozey
- Without You – The Kid LAROI and Miley Cyrus
- Pressure – Muse
- Algorithm – Muse
- The Dark Side – Muse
- What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
At first look, I thought, okay, maybe a little heavy on Muse, but if you looked at my writing playlist, you’d probably think the same thing about me and AC/DC or Duran Duran.
I listened to all of these. “Livin’ on a Prayer” is in my playlist as well – I also have Linkin Park but my choice was “In the End.” Then, I watched a few music videos and read the lyrics.
These songs fit. The imagery, in many instances, melds well with my vision of Spark. The Dark Side could be Will’s theme song.
Carter didn’t just slap together a list from his Most Played;he picked songs that fit the story.
Well done!