Daryl C. Diggs

Daryl C. Diggs
That's The Way Love Goes

Interviewed by: Lauretta Pierce
January 8, 2003

1. Who is Daryl C. Diggs?

I'm currently an analyst at a Wall Street bank in New York City, and I love to write. I think of myself as someone who loves to learn, have fun (too much sometimes), and spend time with friends and family. I'm a very ambitious type of man whose dreams are always just beyond his reach.


2. What inspired you to write the novel THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES?
I just wanted to write something loosely based on my collegiate career. I went to Morehouse, and with so much drama in the AUC (Atlanta University Center), I always had fresh material to work with. There was always something going on and I basically kept my ear to the ground and made my story about a school that mirrors Morehouse and Spelman.

3. How did you come about the title THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES?
My editor vetoed my original title and after that I had the toughest time coming up with a new one. I went through title after title and then I was sitting around with my roommate, a friend who I graduated from Morehouse with, one night, and he just blurted out "That's the Way Love Goes." A light bulb went off, and I said, "Eureka! That's it!" OK, maybe I left out the "eureka" but that was definitely the title and it's been a perfect fit.

4. How long did it take you to write THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES?

It took about two years of off-and-on writing to complete. My writing comes in waves. I can either write for days, or I have absolutely nothing to say for weeks. It's all about mood and motivation.


5. How did you come about Donavin's character?

Donavin is a composite of a lot of people that I knew in college. I just tried to come up with the ideal Morehouse Man--Mr. Big Man on Campus if you will. I wanted to come up with ideal GQ Alpha male and show what would happen to him when his world started to collapse a little.


6. How did you come about Jasmine's character?

Jasmine is based on a lady friend of mine who went to Spelman. She had beauty, grace, elegance, intelligence, and lots of attitude once you got her started.


7. How did you come about J.R. and Spoon's characters?

J.R. is based entirely on one of my boys from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was just really country and always made us laugh with the off-the-wall things that he'd say. Spoon is based on a lot of the elitist first generation of young black kids to grow up around money. A lot of the guys I went to school with acted like none of their relatives could have ever lived in the projects. It's actually a really interesting subculture within the African-American community.


8. How long have you been writing?

TTWLG is the first thing I've ever written, and I started this project three years ago, so three years.


9. Why did you choose to write about relationships, college life and family?

I chose to write about those subjects because it's what I knew. When I started it, it was all about writing something that was loosely based on my own experiences. I wanted to let people know what it was like to be a young black man at an institution like Morehouse. There's also nothing like the bonds that tie a black family together. I wanted to present that and show that strong black families do exist.


10. Are there any of your personality traits in any of your characters?

A little bit of me is sprinkled throughout all of the characters. I'm not going to tell on myself by saying who most resembles me, though.


11. What type of atmosphere do you require to write?

Most people are surprised when I say I like noisy places like lounges or bustling coffee shops. I really get inspiration from listening to people interact with one another. I enjoy watching people and thinking about their experiences. My mind begins to wander and I get distracted when it's too quiet.


12. Are you currently working on another novel?

TTWLG has a little cliffhanger at the end. I'm working on the sequel right now. I'm hoping to have it out at some point this year.


13. What message would you like readers to receive from reading THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES?

I just hope people understand what's really important in life. I try to impart to the reader that material wealth is not that important in the grand scheme of things. Life is not all cars, money, and clothes. It's all about the relationships that you forge with friends and family.