A Playlist for The Fiennes

One of my favorite resources for writing, besides Wikipedia (a great source of moderately-detailed information on drugs and diseases), is well-chosen music. Having a song in the background that reflects the mood of the section or a character's personality I'm working on helps me visualize the scene, intensifying the actions and dialogue.

Often, I turn to my bookmarks in Firefox for a "mood" song not in my iTunes library (mainly instrumentals from James Horner and late 90's/early-to-mid 00's pop, depending on the scene).

I also have an iTunes playlist, mostly of 90's and 00's pop and alternative, for this very purpose. Most of the songs I think direct relate to Helen's stubbornness and passion ("Fighter" and "Beautiful" being two of the main ones), while others voice her envy of her peers' less stressful lives ("Could be Anything" and "Where Does the Good Go"). There are also "triumph" songs for the high points when Reuben and Helen manage not just to survive, but to come out stronger than before.

To see the full playlist, click on "read more."

The Fiennes (January 2006)

In between this excerpt and the previous one, Reuben explained to Helen's English teacher what was going on in their family. Helen "downsized" their Christmas decorations from a full-size tree to a table-top tree, and Reuben gives her the set of ornaments he originally gave her mother for their first Christmas. (Helen's mother died in labor, which is discussed in the prologue).

The settings: January 2006; Westwood Hospital, Fiennes house, Pleasant Valley High. 

The Fiennes (pages 38-42)

 In between this excerpt and the preceding one, Helen's English teacher noticed that her academic performance is declining, Helen started donating platelets (cells that help the blood clot), and Helen started to show signs of caregiver stress. This section is set in December 2005.

The Fiennes (pages 27-32)

 This excerpt immediately follows the previous one, and includes most of the November 2005 chapter. The scene with Ballpoint Lady was one of the most fun for me to write, even though, like Helen, I'd probably want to run away from her in real life.

FYI: Fludarabine and Chlorambucil are chemotherapy drugs commonly used to treat CLL (the type of leukemia Reuben has).

The Fiennes (pages 23-27)

In the previous excerpt, Helen Fiennes and Jess Baker were suspended for fighting on school grounds. When they came back to school, Jess was embraced by her peers but Helen and her friend Lydia were no longer welcome, and found a new table in the cafeteria.

The following excerpt takes place in October 2005, shortly after Helen's return to school. Helen and her father (Reuben) are the main characters.

The Fiennes: Aftershocks (pages 15-18)

The following is an excerpt from the beginning of my novel The Fiennes. The scene: Pleasant Valley High School, fall 2005. Helen Fiennes is the protagonist. Jess, one of Helen's fellow cheerleaders, may have intentionally let Helen fall during cheer practice the preceding day.