Today is the 15th, which, do you know what that means?
It means that The Space Between comes out in exactly three months. Exactly. I mean, it’s like I have a calendar in my head.
I know for a fact that I wasn’t nearly so hyper-aware when The Replacement was coming out—it was too intimidating, or else, too new. I think I was in a fugue state where I just tuned it out and pretended really hard it wasn’t happening.
And now that I’m not doing that anymore? It’s honestly kind of nice. I keep finding myself wanting to share things! (And this is notable, because I am sometimes quite a bad sharer.)
I’ve said it many times, but I’m not a person who writes to silence. I can’t. I need the movement and the background noise, I need coffee shops and music and chaos. But mostly the music. It occurs to me that a lot of times, the way I choose my songs is by sorting through all the lyrics and finding parallels to the stories or the characters I’m writing about.
Okay, I know, I know—I’m constantly foisting Regina Spektor on you, but I can’t stop, because I just find her ridiculously charming, and her voice—it is so, so sweet!
This is Truman’s* theme. Or at least, one of them. Everyone gets more than one theme-song, but I’m resisting the urge to overcomplicate things, so today this is his. Because there is nothing I like better than when things are tragic and kind of whimsical at the same time.
*In The Space Between, Truman is the male lead. I would say hero, except you know me—you know about my fascination with dysfunction. You know I don’t do heroes.
Brenna Yovanoff 
TRUMAN IS A HERO.
When the book actually comes out I’m happy to have a very public argument about this fact.
This is kind of embarrassing, but I thought about this for 5 minutes and I think I changed my mind.
It was just like me being automatically defensive, like if somebody called my hypothetical little sister a slut. I’m not sure I can be rational about this book.
So, HA! You admit that I am right! But here’s the thing—you defended him anyway. Which, Tessa Gratton—I will take that.
I had an internal argument about whether or not merely not making bad choices qualifies you as a hero. And I decided not. I mean, based on Certain Other Characters, my personal undying love doesn’t actually point toward heroes all the time. Hehehe.
And I’d love to say more, but obviously, SPOILERIFFIC.
If not making the bad choices qualifies one as a hero, then . . . well, then the bar is just very low. And we can’t have that. Mainly because that would cheapen you-know-who in Tess’s Sekrit Novel considerably. Which is unconscionable.
It’s entirely possible that I was just baiting you :D
(you will never KNOW)
love it! and i also love the name Truman. can’t wait for this! :)
I have a funny story! (Or, maybe it is only funny to me.) When I first started writing the book, I did not particularly like that name. In fact, I pretty much wished he was named anything else. I even spent an afternoon making lists of other names he should probably have. Obvs., didn’t work. Now I’ve finally accepted him as he is, a boy with a name I never meant for him to have.
i think you should include that story somewhere in the back. that is an awesome story. i often have the same problem with names, i poke through scrivners name tool and come back to the same names all the time. tristan, riley, etc. :)
ps i dont know how im going to wait til this book releases!!!
Woo, I love that song. And WOOOO, I can’t wait to read about Truman!
He really, really is much better than I let on. But. I can’t bring myself to call him the hero, because he’s just not!
(Also, I love Regina Spektor so much. Because she is adorable.)
Yay for Regina Spektor! (I’m always having to stop myself from making my book playlist 50% Regina.)
Now I have to be nosy—was the teasing because they think her music is silly or otherwise objectionable, or because he was a boy and listening to something so girly? Each reason makes it a completely different story, you know, so I have to ask.
Even my favorite music and movies are like that.
Mine too—I was just having a “discussion” with my sister the other day because she thinks Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is depressing, and I think it’s romantic!
The teasing was because he’s a boy and listening to something girly. My dad is always calling Connor a “girly boy” and picking at Connor because he wants him to be what he considers to be manly.
I love Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I don’t remember how my sister found it but she showed it to me, and I loved it. I agree, I think it’s romantic. I haven’t seen that movie in awhile. I should find it and watch it :D. Another one of my favorite movies that I consider romantic but dark at the same time is The Crow. I love that movie. I also love a few anime and manga that are tragic but whimsical at the same time. Like, Wolf’s Rain, Haibane Renmei, and Fullmetal Alchemist.