On Writing Diva NashVegas, Take 2

Yesterday I blogged a behind the scenes look at writing Diva. Believe it or not, there’s more to the story.

Her man, Car

For some reason, I like to tackle two love interests. Don’t ask why. It’s not easy. In this case, I wanted Aubrey to have a normal man in her life. When the concept was birthed for her to be tabloid fodder with a string of high profile relationships, I felt she would long for a man brought stability to her life.

When she meets Car, he’s the perfect balm to her wounded love life. He works a regular job, comes from an established family, has money so her’s should not be an attraction. He’s confident and handsome, but light years away from her Hollywood and musician boyfriends.

But, since Aubrey was not to end up with him, I had to make him a little self focused and shallow. Likeable, but not so likeable the reader throw the book across the room when I ended their relationship.

With Car, also came the package of a family, something Aubrey is desperate to have. She puts up with a lot from him because she believes he has what she needs and wants.

True, she needs those things. Just with the wrong man. Car’s family is the exact opposite of Scott’s.

I believe Car loved Aubrey, in his way. But their relationship was too young and untried by the time they got engaged.

Loved their breakup scene. One of my favorite scenes in the book.

Finding Tom Petty

Yesterday I posted how I fretted over formatting the interview scenes. And, how I couldn’t find detailed information on record label disputes. In late June (facing a July 31 deadline) I came across a treasure. “Conversations with Tom Petty.”

The book was written in interview style with the interviewer’s question in italic and Tom’s answer in normal face with a preceeding TP. And that is how I decided to format Diva.

Loved this book about Tom Petty. It was very real and detailed, even talking about a record label dispute. It gave me the conversations and inside thoughts I needed to make Aubrey’s scenes authentic.

Tom’s record label dispute was over the price of an album. He wanted to sell it for $8.98 and the record company wanted to charge $9.98. Tom refused, didn’t deliver the album and off to court they went.

I am grateful to the Lord for those wonderful finds just when I need them.

Symbolism

I tried to weave symbolism into this story. While spending a couple of days at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, I wrote in the prayer room. Awesome place. Worshp and prayer going on 24×7.

That’s where I had the idea about the gardener, Juan. He was to be a Christ-like character. Jesus is the master gardener of our life, and Juan is a picture of this. Whenever he’s working in the garden, Jesus is working in Aubrey’s life.

He pulls up some dead weeds just as the Lord is pulling dead things out of Aubrey’s life.

In the beginning of the book, the house is undecorated. This is a picture of Aubrey’s stark and cold spiritual life. As the Lord heals her, she begins to warm and come alive. By the end of the book, the house is decorated.

She doesn’t drive. Since her parents were killed in a car accident about the time she was learning to drive, I felt it would be very real to have Aubrey not learn. Then her career takes off and she doesn’t need to drive. She’s always on tour or with others who take her places.

But not driving also shows she’s not in control of the direction of her life. As she grows throughout the story, she gets control, by first submitting to God. She learns to drive.

And there you have a behind the scene’s look at Diva NashVegas. Hope you enjoyed it.