It’s a game I’ve played for some time, creating a soundtrack for each of my novels. I suppose once it was solely a distraction activity, and certainly an indulgence, but now it feels an important part of my writing process. After the first draft, and during the first readthrough to take stock, I start gathering tracks that evoke the tone of the novel, or the characters, or particular scenes. I often include references to specific music in my stories and books, and often they’ll make it into the soundtrack playlist, but not always – the soundtrack is usually less literal than that.

Like many writers, even if I begin a novel with a clear, detailed plan, that may only really cover plot and structure, whereas themes only emerge after the first draft. During a readthrough I’ll spot threads or commonalities, which will often have been included unconsciously,...