Coda: Bonus Tracks

[raeschae]

This fic was inspired by three novels that I read last fall - The Alternative Hero (Tim Thornton), Love Will Tear Us Apart (Sarah Rainone), and Juliet, Naked (Nick Hornby) – and while you won't find this exact plot in any of them, I highly recommend all three.

Also, you might want to check out John Cusack as the Chicago-based audiophile Rob Gordon in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel, High Fidelity. I guess repeated viewings of the movie have saturated my subconscious over the last ten years because I really didn't give it a passing thought while writing the fic. When I was done and maichan808 sent me the first draft of the art, I had a total holy shit moment. The similarities between Jensen and Rob are completely unintentional but, at times, too obvious to deny.

Also, some of the artists and bands that I use in this fic exist in the real world, but many of them are completely fictional. Those you have never heard of, and can't find through Google, are the brain child of taintedlove. All of the albums reviewed on the Coda website were also on her original list of band names.

My first Big Bang has been an incredible – albeit, at times, ridiculously nerve-wracking – experience. Aside from the normal anxious excitement of actually taking part in this challenge, my computer crashed last night around 10:30. Were it not for my very best friend in the world - she's not in fandom and will never see this, but I'm grateful nonetheless - I'm not sure I would have been able to get this posted at all.

There are a lot of people that I have to thank:

maichan808, you have gone so far above and beyond the call of duty for this fic, I don't even know how to say thank you. At the risk of stroking your already insanely over-inflated ego, working with you on the Coda website was the best part of this entire process for me. Thank you for the mind-blowing art, and also for keeping me calm during last night's freak out and being an all-around awesome person. I owe you something major, like an internal organ or something, I'm sure.

billysgirl5 and candygramme, thank you, for correcting my occasional abuse of the English language, and for lightning-quick turn around. You guys are life-savers! krisd81, thanks for being brutally honest with my first draft, and for making sure that I told both sides of the story.

ldyghstwhisprer and taintedlove, you guys responded to my pleas for musical inspiration with three very different, but equally awesome, soundtracks. I hope you both know how much the tone and shape of this story were molded by the songs you sent me. I wish I could have included all of them on the final soundtrack.

wendy and thehighwaywoman, thanks for all you do in organizing and maintaining this challenge.

There are a lot of other people who listened to me ramble about this idea in its infancy, and who encouraged me from the early drafts, through all of the edits. To my flist, your excitement over this fic has really helped to ease my frazzled nerves during the last six months. Thanks, guys - I hope you enjoy it!

Comments

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! That lighter didn't show up in the original draft of the story, but I'm really glad that you made the connection - that's awesome!