Writing the DJ aspect of the novel was a challenge. What was once merely a character career eventually became thematic to the novel. Furthermore, I love movie soundtracks and as a writer, I listened to very specific songs for atmospheric inspiration. Through this process, some of the songs became part of the experience.
At first, I tried incorporating lyrics but not only was I correctly criticized by an instructor/successful author, I knew deep down that it could break the concentration of the reader, removing them from the story (not to mention, copyright issues forcing a very limited use of lyrics). However, I was committed to the idea of utilizing Whitney's career to help define the character. I researced the top 100 songs of 2002 and early 2003 for music relavant to the period as well as the content. I listened to each one, refusing to use a song based on title alone. Because this is a novel, the soundtrack of "Strong Enough" is about lyrics first and musicality second.
All and all, it was a natural mixture that deepened the story of Whitney as the primary protagonist and wove her into the very structure of the novel. The Contents page is the playlist for the biggest moment of her life so far.
 |
| Buy Me |
Is available for purchase on Amazon. Click on the book cover to be taken to Amazon.
***In future posts, I will write about each chapter title and why each was chosen and/or their meaning to the character.
