... So a year after college I’m sitting in my apartment, looking around at a pile of notebooks full with things that I wanted to write, characters I wanted to develop, ideas I longed to research. There is a line in Born Yesterday when Billie comes home from the library inspired yet overwhelmed as she realizes that even if she read her eyes out, until the day she died, she would never be able to read all those books. Understanding how she felt, I sighed at my mountain of notebooks.
That very day, I got a call. My friend Terre, also a graduate of BGSU and an immensely talented word artist living in New York as well, wanted to work on a project together. It was a hot concept and I would need a fabulous character to contribute to the idea. Dusting off one of my notebooks, I came across Shawni.
When discussing the characters, I mentioned to Terre that I’d always found it sexy when men have last names that are also used as their moniker’s. So, when coming up with a boyfriend for Shawni, that’s how Bo Delaney was born. Delaney, is how he is referred to by his friends.
The project was off to a great start. But living in NYC—a cup overflowing with inspiration from which thirsting artists can drink—makes it is easy to be distracted. I left my gig with Spike Lee’s 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks and began working as Martin Blair’s assistant at Glamour magazine. Terre was busy performing in plays and producing her own. We were both soon disconnected from the project.
I was re-inspired about Shawni, however, while working at Glamour. Every day—from Fashion Week to collaborations with Bloomingdale’s—was effortless research for the character. So I totally ditched the plot that Terre and I had been working on and decided to tell my character’s story separately.
My dad, who has always been an avid reader of anything I ever wrote and provided constructive criticism or enthused remarks when so inspired, became my proofreader/editor. Literally, I could not write fast enough. Dad got a new chapter every other night...
The Inspiration behind Blame It on Eve by Philana Marie Boles
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