Sometimes, I get questions about all kinds of aspects related to my writing process: Where do I do the bulk of my writing? Do I write everyday? Where do my ideas come from? What music do I listen to while writing?
I wrote the bulk of Bright City in a booth in a local Panera Bread. And while I don’t write everyday, I wrote Bright City consistently and most substantively over a series of weekends (I had to make weekends work for me because I was working and going to school full-time.)
I listened almost exclusively to jazz while writing; the two Miles Davis albums (Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew) and Street Lady by Donald Byrd let me immerse myself in the world I was creating without getting too distracted by vocals. The only exception was D’Angelo’s Voodoo album. I don’t think I really think I got that album when it first came out 17 (!!!) years ago, but I really connected with it while writing Bright City.
As I prepare to dive into my second book, I wonder what my new writing soundtrack will be. Will I keep some of the same albums, or go in a completely different direction?
dc edwards 