You might have noticed over the last few years that the psychological thriller starring a female protagonist is very much alive. It’s every NY Times Best Seller (Gone Girl), it tops the weekend box office (Girl on a Train) and is a mainstay of Sunday prestige cable television (Sharp Objects). The genre is filled with suspense, dread, twists, betrayals, with no shortage of moody and atmospheric scenes. You know the story, it usually goes something like this:
My abusive husband who has gaslighted me into thinking he was cheating on me with my stepmother is dead. My twin sister who died in a five-alarm fire is actually alive and has been texting me threats from my high school ex-boyfriend’s number. The oversized glass of wine I've been drinking the whole story has been poisoned by my housekeeper's son because he's been obsessed with me since he saw me watering my hydrangeas in a loose-fitting cotton blouse on the warmest day of the year mere hours before a total lunar eclipse.
If you are crafting one of these right now, we recommend renting a quaint old house just outside of the city on the most remote cul-de-sac where every nature sound and package delivery can startle up a decent scare. Keep the windows closed three-quarters of the way, send all incoming calls to voicemail, and leave every message in your inbox unread. You’ll want to light one solitary unscented candle that can burn uninterrupted for a while and leave one window or door unlocked so a steady supply of paranoia can start to infect your brain. And most importantly… put on some music.
Listening to music while writing can inspire new ideas, reinvigorate your imagination, unblock something that’s been holding you back, and help you tackle the creative obstacle du jour. For a psychological thriller with a female protagonist, we created a dark playlist filled with moody R&B and pop sung exclusively by female vocalists. It’s designed to provoke mystery, elicit emotion, and curate an uneasy vibe - so click play, write, and enjoy!
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Note From Tongal: “The Ultimate Female Psychological Thriller Playlist" is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tongal. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and then Pitch us a topic you'd like to write about for the Tongal Blog!
