I am thrilled to have interviewed author Micah Dawanyi, who shared with us details of his writing life, his book ‘When the Record Stops Spinning‘, which was released on 1st August 2024, and answered a few fun questions. This post contains affiliate links.

Micah Dawanyi is a 3X published author and public speaker based in Miami, Florida. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University and is committed to telling stories that educate, enlighten, and empower.

The idea to use music in a sci-fi story as a way to manipulate time came to me as I was sitting in bed one night, eyes closed, listening to a song by Douglas Penn. It was completely random.

I will say though, I was really interested in telling a story about music for quite some time. That felt more like a seed that God had planted, because I didn’t find the idea in a piece of media or a conversation. I was considering writing a battle-of-the-bands story but found that I was actually more interested in exploring the power of music, perhaps on a scientific or psychological level. That led me to the random but thrilling day when inspiration finally struck.

I spent a few months developing my own version of storyboard panels. While my art exists in the world of literature, my creative process is very visual. I need to see the scenes as if I was developing a shot list for a film. That being said, I left about 30 percent of the plot up to spontaneity. I find that I need to be completely enveloped in my writing to discover new things. It’s not very exciting if I know everything that is going to happen beforehand, so leaving room for impulse is important for my process.

I chose the title well before I began writing. Again, going back to God-given inspiration, the title was one of those things that couldn’t be explained. I got up from the couch on a random day in October of 2022, and the title popped into my head. I loved When the Record Stops Spinning from the moment it materialized, and I started sketching designs for the cover immediately.

I considered the sounds of different names; how well they read across the pages of my story. I especially paid attention to the flow of first names and surnames to make sure they didn’t sound awkward together. The other factor that influenced the names I selected was how well they tied into the character’s lives. In fiction, you can do anything, but there are certain names that just sound right for a doctor, athlete, lawyer, etc.

Location-wise, the story is set in Southern California, in the US. Because I spent time there, I was able to rely on my experiences and the things I saw, which meant that I only had to research small, technical details about the lifestyle there. With the musical sci-fi elements, there was also a lot of freedom. I referenced annotated bibliographies and scholarly journals about the neurological process of flashing back to a moment in time because of a song, mostly to look for ideas for how that could be turned into a literal means of time-travel. I found a healthy balance between research and imagination, I’d say.

Truthfully, I was more focused on getting the story right than thinking about genres. But I was being intentional about pushing boundaries. I wanted to pull from the deepest parts of my imagination and come up with the most creative idea possible, which inevitably led me to science fiction and adventure.

Just about two years, on and off. I came up with the title and the original concept for the front cover in October of 2022. I started working on my storyboard panels in April of 2023, and then I wrote/edited the book from Winter 2023 until the release date in August this year.

Layered, soulful, and imaginative.

Keeping yourself in the right state of mind. A friend of mine always says this quote that reads, “The goal is not to make art, but to find the state of mind that makes art inevitable. ”When you find that state, everything flows so beautifully, but when you aren’t in that state, you feel like you’re fighting against the entire world… at every stage of the writing process.

When the Record Stops Spinning features one of the most unique storylines you’ll ever see. The idea of using music to send you back in time is something we can all relate to, and yet developing that into a tangible means of manipulating time is something refreshingly unorthodox for a novel.

I also believe there are a lot of beautiful human complexities that attach themselves to the story. This isn’t a novel where one “cool trick” tries to carry the entire story. The characters have very complicated arcs and experience the full spectrum of human emotions on their journeys. In that way, readers will be able to feel the soul of the story.

I don’t! After thinking about this question, I may have to consider finding a companion in the future. It’s been me, me, and me so far.

I prefer to write in environments with extremely dim lighting. Darkness makes everything feel more dramatic, which is actually beneficial when I’m trying to write scenes!

Typically in my bedroom because of my preference for dimly lit environments. But lately, I’ve actually been writing on the balcony outside. I’m staying in an area that has the most beautiful view outside, and the views definitely inspire me to write.

There’s an amusing scene in my book that involves a confrontation between the main character and an employee at a retail store, so I’d probably play the role of the employee! It’s a short but impressionable scene that would be perfect for a cameo.

For some reason, I’m imagining the talking owl as a philosophical owl that speaks with an aristocratic, old-English accent. I could hear him saying something profound, like, “How many versions of yourself have to die in order for self-actualization to be born?” This would probably be asked in the context of the complicated journeys of the two leads, Kairo and Sahara.

A big thank you to Micah Dawanyi for sharing his writing life with us and for a wonderful interview.