Jessica Topper's Blog - Posts Tagged "rockstar"
On Writing a Rock Hero
Dear Reader,
Did you know that musicians – like actors and athletes – were long frowned upon as romantic heroes in fiction? Luckily, the rules have loosened and just about anything goes…lucky for me; after marrying into the music business, and working a rock and roll day job for the last decade, music and musicians are what I know!
I call Louder than Love my ‘love, loss and love again’ story, featuring a heavy metal hero with a heart of gold. Adrian “Digger” Graves was conjured up during my morning commute to the local Montessori preschool and back.
Actually, he was more like the lone, brave hitchhiker willing to risk the ride.
We were living near Philadelphia without any family or many friends in the area. My husband was working with two different bands at the time, and was on tour a lot. I was the road widow, the patient mama shuttling responsibly in the Subaru, back and forth. I’d happily play The Wiggles and Sesame Street and Putumayo World Playground CDs to tame the preschooler each morning. Yet guilt and relief would flood me as I’d crank WYSP, Philly’s hard rock radio station, and peel out of the parking lot for those few precious hours of freedom.
Tired, overwhelmed and lonely, I’d alternate between the two seemingly disparate music genres: one that soothed and entertained my child, and the other, more primitive pulse that fed my imaginations and desires. And so Adrian, the recluse shock rocker who gets mistaken for a kiddy musician, rose from the rubble of my tired mommy brain as the perfect hero for my novel. He’s a prep-school dropout, ex-junkie guitarist who quotes Shakespeare, who can wear Armani with the same casualness as motorcycle boots and maybe he can’t remember half his antics of the crazy 80s but he remembers exactly how you take your coffee: with two sugars and a splash of skim.
Why write such a character? Because I love the idea of persona vs. essence.
In writing, there’s much emphasis placed on the two. We break our characters out of the masks they’ve so carefully molded and hidden behind and bring them to their true selves. They may think they know what they want, but until they drop their persona and embrace their essence, they won’t get what they need to be truly happy.
A musician has the option to make and break his persona every night. While on stage, he can be the friend, the lover, the fighter, the brokenhearted – whatever the audience needs him to be. But how about off-stage? Does the persona stay intact; do the walls remain up? As he flees out the backstage door past fans and media, probably. But beyond that? He may love what he does, but the road is a hard life. It’s not always what you’d imagine it to be.
We meet Adrian after he’s had his musical heyday…he’s burned a lot of bridges. What’s it going to take to bring this rock hero full-circle? I hope you’ll check out my labor of love, Louder than Love. And I hope you enjoy the ride!
Peace, love, and rock and roll,
Jessica
*This "Dear Reader" letter appeared in the Sept 2013 Berkley Jove Editors' Newsletter*
Did you know that musicians – like actors and athletes – were long frowned upon as romantic heroes in fiction? Luckily, the rules have loosened and just about anything goes…lucky for me; after marrying into the music business, and working a rock and roll day job for the last decade, music and musicians are what I know!
I call Louder than Love my ‘love, loss and love again’ story, featuring a heavy metal hero with a heart of gold. Adrian “Digger” Graves was conjured up during my morning commute to the local Montessori preschool and back.
Actually, he was more like the lone, brave hitchhiker willing to risk the ride.
We were living near Philadelphia without any family or many friends in the area. My husband was working with two different bands at the time, and was on tour a lot. I was the road widow, the patient mama shuttling responsibly in the Subaru, back and forth. I’d happily play The Wiggles and Sesame Street and Putumayo World Playground CDs to tame the preschooler each morning. Yet guilt and relief would flood me as I’d crank WYSP, Philly’s hard rock radio station, and peel out of the parking lot for those few precious hours of freedom.
Tired, overwhelmed and lonely, I’d alternate between the two seemingly disparate music genres: one that soothed and entertained my child, and the other, more primitive pulse that fed my imaginations and desires. And so Adrian, the recluse shock rocker who gets mistaken for a kiddy musician, rose from the rubble of my tired mommy brain as the perfect hero for my novel. He’s a prep-school dropout, ex-junkie guitarist who quotes Shakespeare, who can wear Armani with the same casualness as motorcycle boots and maybe he can’t remember half his antics of the crazy 80s but he remembers exactly how you take your coffee: with two sugars and a splash of skim.
Why write such a character? Because I love the idea of persona vs. essence.
In writing, there’s much emphasis placed on the two. We break our characters out of the masks they’ve so carefully molded and hidden behind and bring them to their true selves. They may think they know what they want, but until they drop their persona and embrace their essence, they won’t get what they need to be truly happy.
A musician has the option to make and break his persona every night. While on stage, he can be the friend, the lover, the fighter, the brokenhearted – whatever the audience needs him to be. But how about off-stage? Does the persona stay intact; do the walls remain up? As he flees out the backstage door past fans and media, probably. But beyond that? He may love what he does, but the road is a hard life. It’s not always what you’d imagine it to be.
We meet Adrian after he’s had his musical heyday…he’s burned a lot of bridges. What’s it going to take to bring this rock hero full-circle? I hope you’ll check out my labor of love, Louder than Love. And I hope you enjoy the ride!
Peace, love, and rock and roll,
Jessica
*This "Dear Reader" letter appeared in the Sept 2013 Berkley Jove Editors' Newsletter*
KEEP CALM AND...
I need to follow my own advice...but I couldn't help but post on Facebook the other day about making progress on my Louder Than Love follow-up novel! Nothing is set in stone yet, but Digger and Riff are back on stage together and it feels SO right.
It inspired one reviewer to post a gorgeous write-up on her blog, including two past interviews with me and with my hero, Adrian Graves, and she's got an e-book giveaway going on for Louder Than Love as well.
If you haven't checked out the book yet, or you have and crave more info, be sure to read the HEAs Are Us blog post!
Thanks to Elizabeth Haney/HEAs Are Us for the great "Keep Calm" graphic!
Louder Than Love turns one!
A big horns up in thanks to all the Goodreads readers who have read, rated, reviewed, and raved about this rock and roll love story!
Louder Than Love
Be sure to "dig" out your favorite band T-shirt, set your rock playlist to repeat and click the pic above to visit the birthday bash being thrown by Expressions of a Hopeful Romantic! Enter to win gift cards, rock swag and e-copies of Louder Than Love!
Louder Than Love
Be sure to "dig" out your favorite band T-shirt, set your rock playlist to repeat and click the pic above to visit the birthday bash being thrown by Expressions of a Hopeful Romantic! Enter to win gift cards, rock swag and e-copies of Louder Than Love!
DREAM BIG!
In the music biz, we call a single performance a "one-off". I seriously thought that my debut novel, Louder Than Love, would be a "one-off" book, but I'm so happy that fans raised their fists, stomped their feet, waved their lighters in the air and chanted "more, more more!" Now they're getting their encore with Deeper Than Dreams!
Just a little insider info about this novella - it picks up the day after Louder Than Love ends, and follows Kat and Adrian through one magical day...and one unforgettable evening. Many of the cast of characters from Louder Than Love make appearances, along with some new friends...and foes. But the true spotlight is on Louder Than Love's most beloved couple! Kat and Adrian have been through a lot - separately and together - so I'm happy to give them more page time.
And I'm thrilled to share even more of the Love & Steel world with readers, as Softer Than Steel releases in September!
Just a little insider info about this novella - it picks up the day after Louder Than Love ends, and follows Kat and Adrian through one magical day...and one unforgettable evening. Many of the cast of characters from Louder Than Love make appearances, along with some new friends...and foes. But the true spotlight is on Louder Than Love's most beloved couple! Kat and Adrian have been through a lot - separately and together - so I'm happy to give them more page time.
And I'm thrilled to share even more of the Love & Steel world with readers, as Softer Than Steel releases in September!
