One of the most beloved Beatles songs is, “Yesterday.” But, the story behind the song is, in my mind, better than the song itself. It has been said that the original working title was “Scrambled Eggs.” The better fact of the song is how close Paul McCartney, could have come to accidentally giving the song away.
According to A Hard Day’s Write, a book that gives behind the scenes stories of all the Beatles songs. Paul woke up one morning, with the complete tune in his head. The song was so vivid and so complete, he was sure he remembered someone else playing it for him. He just could not remember who, or when.
The story goes; he first played the song, in its entirety, to the other Beatles. When none of them could remember the song, he went out and started to talk to his friends. He played it for such names as Eric Clapton, members of the Stones and the Who. Nobody ever heard the song before. After a while he put made up lyrics into it, and called it “Scrambled Eggs.”
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When it comes to the short list of songs that most people think of when they think of the Beatles, “Yesterday,” ranks up there with names like, “Sgt. Pepper,” “Hard Day’s Night,” “Let It Be,” and “Hey Jude.” Yet this song came to him in a dream, and if one friend wanted to really make trouble they could have claimed it and made it their own.
When I am asked how I came up with my main character, Harriett Truelove, I tell them the truth. I was doing rewrites on a book called the Third Candidate. I had a female private investigator in the book, that I named Harriett.
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I woke up the next morning around 4am, and I had the complete background for Harriett Truelove in my head. I later told my wife the dream was so real, that I felt I could reach out and touch her. I got up, went to the computer and typed out a bio, a little more than a page long.
Couple of nights later, I woke up around the same time, and there was the little girl in the book. I could see her, and I heard her tell me that she was kidnapped. She told me she was eight, and she lived in Indianapolis—a town I never been to—with her mom, Linda. I woke up and I asked myself, “What was her name?”
“Amanda, Amanda Kristoff,” came to me. The voice was that of the little girl.
So, with that I had my two main characters, and part of the book had been started for me.
This time I went out to the computer, and not only typed her bio. But, I started on the bio of Linda, and wrote the first draft of the first chapter.
What I am saying is, I always dreamed of becoming a writer. But on those nights, I was dreaming about what to write. For me—at least—it worked, and I have my first book out there waiting for people to discover it.
The advice had always been keeping a notebook by your bedside, and taking notes if you are woken up by a dream. Or, if you are like me, get to the computer and let your fingers tell your stories. Just, whatever you do, don’t let the dream go by. You never know what your brain is trying to tell you. It might be your “Yesterday,” or Harriett Truelove.
Horatio Black’s first book, Harriett Truelove, is on sale now through his website Horatioblack.com, or you can go to Amazon and purchase it at http://www.amazon.com/Harriett-Truelove-Amanda-Kristoff-Case-ebook/dp/B00KCAB5RA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405474023&sr=8-1&keywords=harriett+truelove. Or for a book to be delivered to you, go to Create Space and order at https://www.createspace.com/4727330
