I’m working on the second Coventry book now, and it’s been really hard to let go of TJB5 When You Don’t See Me, just as I predicted would happen. I think I had mentioned that, similarly to the way I listened to George Michael during the writing of I’m Your Man and R.E.M. and U2 when we were working on Three Fortunes in One Cookie, my part of this newest novel was written to the tunes of the Pet Shop Boys. I ended up with a LOT of PSB in my iTunes library (thanks, Tim!), and now, whenever one of the songs plays, I find that my hands get still on the keyboard, my eyes glaze over, and those characters come back to reenact scenes on my monitor like I’ve got a camera pointed at their lives. I miss them.
We used Pet Shop Boys’ song titles for the chapter titles in the new novel. Not all of them are available on iTunes, but maybe Tim can do one of those groovy playlists (I can’t figure out how). But these are the titles, if you’re interested. The songs themselves will always evoke (for me) the many emotions our narrator experiences over the course of the novel.
Chapter 1 New York City Boy
Chapter 2 A Man Could Get Arrested
Chapter 3 The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
Chapter 4 Nervously
Chapter 5 It Always Comes as a Surprise
Chapter 6 Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)
Chapter 7 Do I Have To?
Chapter 8 Bet She’s Not Your Girlfriend
Chapter 9 Only the Wind
Chapter 10 Young Offender
Chapter 11 It Couldn’t Happen Here
Chapter 12 Tonight Is Forever
Chapter 13 We All Feel Better in the Dark
Chapter 14 My October Symphony
Chapter 15 It’s a Sin
Chapter 16 Happiness Is an Option
Chapter 17 A New Life
Chapter 18 Here
What? No “I’m With Stupid”? Or “You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You’re Drunk”?
Tsk, tsk, and another tsk, Batman.
Hush, you. If John now asks for two more chapters, I’m coming after you.
What a great idea! You are so creative.
My most creative moments are the ones in which I come up with reasons not to write.
Hey, I wanted to talk to you. I have this creative project in my class. I have to have the others, there are 5, read a book, and then we get to talk about the style, the construction of it, and also the idea of it. Can I use yours? I would never do unless asking first, but I think it will be amazing. Plus, that makes 4 females plus one male know your work. 🙂 Coventry Christmas. And in the end, I can send you the info they write on it.
Just let me know what you think. If not, I surely will understand and not be upset or anything.
Of course you can use it. Discuss away. =)
Chapter 11 -It Couldn’t Happen Here – immediately switched gears in my mind…the Musical “Wicked” soundtrack went off in my brain “It couldn’t happen here, in Oz”
LOL…I wonder if Stephen Schwartz (composer of Wicked) is a PSB fan.
Oh my.
One of my most favorite books, and one of my most favorite musicals ever!
Good taste, good taste!
Hey, for the 2nd Coventry book why don’t you use Dolly Parton songs as chapter themes?
“Here You Come Again”
“Romeo”
“Red Hot Steaming Love”
“The Bargain Store”
“Love is like a Butterfly”
“9 to 5”
“Hungry Again”
“Bluer Pastures”
“Halos and Horns”
You get the idea.
We only used Pet Shop Boys titles in the TJB book because they also had a reason to be mentioned in the story. We/I don’t usually title chapters (SOMEONE LIKE YOU was the first time, and Dolly Parton is all over that book).
This is a great idea — and as a big fan of TJB books AND of The Pet Shop Boys, this only whets my appetite even more!
Eight months is really not so long to wait, right? 😉
Oh man, it’s excruciating! But that’s why I’ve kept a couple of your books in reserve — to get me through the long months.
I’m writing as fast as I can! (Okay, I’m lying. I blame the weather for these naps I keep having to take…)