It’s a Mystery

How are two weeks in Nashville already behind me?

Feels like a whirlwind of honky tonks and writing.

On the writing side, I’ve completed the conversion to third-person POV for Lyrics & other Felonies. I’ve also added more suspects (wha-ha-ha)…

A couple of scenes are still left to be written. I hope to tackle them this week.

Then I’ll walk to Fed Ex (through the beautiful Vanderbilt University campus) to print it out.

While I write on a laptop, I edit on paper. I find it easier to see the work and what’s missing when I’m holding it in my hands.

Honky tonks are purely research, I swear! We tend to stay in Midtown Nashville. Downtown Nashville is a crowded party atmosphere, particularly on the weekends. Most of the music has been from really good cover bands that occasionally pop in with original music. Definitely a great place to have fun, but it’s harder to connect with the musicians.

The twin bars Losers and Winners holds a Whiskey Jam session for new artists Monday and Thursday nights. That’s been a great way to hear up and coming singer/songwriters. We’ve been able to touch base with several.

The best research has come from Bobby’s Idle Hour. It’s a small bar with big music. Weekdays, they rotate different songwriters starting at 1 p.m. offering original songs. They tend to hang out afterward and their stories are as interesting as their songs.