Happy Wednesday! 

This week has gone by fast. I’ve been working on my novel Orion’s Chains and I have officially mapped out my entire story. I am doing bios for each of my major characters and doing some research to bring a little fact into my fictional world. Orion’s story takes place in the future and on another planet so I have the creative license to make my own rules and societal structures. 

If you have kept up with my posts, then you’ll know that I’ve been reading The Four Agreements. I admittedly haven’t gotten too far in the book, but the first chapter has been an eye opening experience. The author discusses how we are domesticated like animals from the time we are born and taught to accept and respond to the dreams and truths laid out in our worlds before we were born. We are indoctrinated into these “truths” and we quickly learn that when we go against the grain we will be punished in some way. I’m assuming that the book will help to break some of those chains (pun intended) and help guide me toward spiritual freedom. I think Orion’s Chains will take a lot of cues from The Four Agreements. 

As I work on my book and another project, I have been putting together playlists to correlate with my writing moods. I plan to share them here when they have filled out properly, but right now I’ll tell you a few albums that are inspiring me right now: 

• Sabrina Claudio: Sabrina is a new artist and she just released her first full length album. About Time is a soothing R&B experience and Sabrina’s voice is addictive. 
• Solange: A Seat at the Table is the album of my life. It feels like Solange took every thrilling, heartbreaking, frustrating, and liberating moment of my life and wrapped all 30 years into a musical masterpiece. If I ever meet her, I’ll make sure I thank her for feeding my soul.
• Sango: I guess I have a think for S names. Sango released North in 2013 but I just discovered it this year via a Twitter pal. I can play the whole album without skipping a track and it helps me get into a futuristic mindset for my book.
• Stranger Things Soundtrack: Aaahhhh the 80s. I love volume one of this soundtrack. It’s synth heavy, haunting and brilliant. 

What are you listening to this week? Let me know 💕 

-Tai Gooden