A friend of a friend came up with the perfect title.
That was five years ago and I’ve come up with several story lines that suit this title. One was an epic tale of a young married couple that takes place over several decades. They would become friends with their neighbours, and after the husband dies suddenly, the wife would rely on those around her for support throughout the book. She would also teach dance lessons to make ends meet.
Then I thought about our own lives.
My husband and I have been together for three decades. We have danced many nights away during the crazy dance party days of the 1990s. We have attended intimate dinners and wild parties. We have had friends that have come and gone. In short, there are a lot of stories from our lives to be told.
But I’m not thinking of writing a memoir. I’ve been re-watching the stunning HBO series Looking lately. This drama follows the lives of three gay friends in San Francisco, giving an accurate depiction of queer love and wisdom. In my book, I still need to create characters for readers to fall in love with. They’ll just be based closely on real people. More so than I’ve written before.
A few nights ago we discovered another gold mine.
I’ve been fascinated by the moving image since I was young and have captured a good deal of our lives on video. Social gatherings and holidays fill our folder of memories. And actual printed photos fill ten photo albums.
I have a lot of research ahead and will hopefully start writing this novel in the new year. I have two other works in progress at the moment which take priority. Both will be finished in the coming year. But I’ve already made verbal notes on the recorder in my phone for the new work.
And the title fits our lives perfectly.
It will just take a while before I let everyone know what it is.
kevin klehr 