Music has more of an impact on today’s society than ever before; it develops the way everyone acts. Music is used as an escape route from reality and a way of expressing emotion.

Many inexperienced authors have been influenced with music when writing their first novel.  The music that authors choose to use slowly helps create the character, as it emotionally bonds the reader with the story.

Most novels that have been written with musical influences are set in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Music from that era tends to have more of an impact on the readers. Main characters today seem to be misfits that live in dysfunctional homes and are battling depression. The ‘bullies’ in the novels seem to be perfect in every way.

In Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” the main character – Charlie – is just starting out in high school, afraid for the drastic changes to come.  He writes to his “friend” to whom he explains his daily battles. These internal battles are expressed through his experience with the music he gets on cassette tapes from his sister.

Charlie says the music is his way to feel completely released.  “Asleep” by The Smiths is Charlie’s key song within this novel, it helps him escape the complicated challenges of life. The novel ends with a drastic event that will change a reader’s perspective on life.

In “Eleanor and Park” by Rainbow Rowell, the characters are described deeply through their physical appearances and their personal music choices.  Rowell chose “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division to describe the perfect relationship of Eleanor and Park. To bring the characters to life, Rowell digs deep and uses passionate music to entice the reader until the jaw-dropping end.

The authors choose playlists that relate to what is occurring in the characters’ lives.  It describes their irrational behavior and it conceals their deepest darkest secrets.

Each author has their own style of tying in music with the main characters; it creates a bond between the author, the reader, and the characters.

Music is becoming more of an inspiration for authors when writing their novels, and it soon will be creating a new type of genre.