The Last Summer of Us (28 page)

The last chorus I changed ‘lights' to ‘you' which could refer to Steffan going or to Limpet thinking about her mum. ‘…the best sounds' can refer to listening to Steffan's violin but also opening up to what people are saying, i.e. Limpet's encounter with her teacher in the shop.

Like all songs, it is open to interpretation and it becomes whatever the listener feels it means to them. We all encounter loss at some point in our lives.

writing a song inspired by a book

So how do you go about writing a song for a book? Here are The Bookshop Band's top 5 tips for turning stories into songs.

1) Read the book

The only way to be inspired by a book is to sit down, get comfy, open it up and read it. Bit by bit, or all at once. Enjoy it as a book. Make notes, don't make notes, as you like. But make sure first and foremost, that you experience the book and the story.

2) Decide what you liked about it

Now that you've finished the book, what do you remember about it? Or what got you thinking about something in your own life? What stories in your own life did the book remind you of? If I asked you to tell me
one
thing about the book
now
, what would you tell me? Even if it seems a really silly small detail, it's stuck in your head for a reason.

3) There is no ‘right' song to write

Everyone is different and everyone will have a different opinion about a book, and that is how it should be. When you read a book that is packed with characters, themes, scenes, places, times, lines and emotions you might find that what you like about the book – what resonates with your life – perhaps can be very different from the next person. There is
so
much in a book, that you never ever know where inspiration is going to come from. Your response is your response, and your response is the most valid thing in the world. Run with it. The song can be about anything, it could even be something that the book got you thinking about that no one else would ever realize was inspired by the book. It doesn't matter. Trust yourself, don't try to be clever, learn how to recognize what it is
you
feel was the most memorable thing about it, and don't follow what other people are doing. The only wrong answer is not to trust what you liked about it.

4) Don't worry if it's going to be a big hit or not

This is not about writing a great song that will be heard by millions. It's about writing a song inspired by a book that may never be played or sung again after it is sung for the first time. This is not sad, it's liberating. You don't have to worry if it's good or not, you don't have to worry about it being the best you can do. The most important thing is you just go with the first idea you like, be it musical, lyrical or whatever, and just see where it goes. That way you'll have fun writing the song, and the song you get will be the result of your creativity, and not of you second guessing yourself all the time.

5) Have a deadline you can't miss

You can spend years on a song, always second guessing if it's good enough, or not knowing even where to start, but it doesn't mean that a song that takes that long is any better or worse than a song that takes five minutes. Tell a friend you are going to play them a new song you've written inspired by a book in a couple of hours, then that gives you loads of time to write it. No time to second guess it, no time to procrastinate. A song is only a few minutes long. See if you can write one in just a few minutes.

Find out more about The Bookshop Band on their website
www.thebookshopband.co.uk

#lastsummerofus #UKYA

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Listen to Limpet's road trip playlist on YouTube

The Last Summer of Us
will always be a story close to my heart. To be able to send Limpet, Jared and Steffan out into the world is a huge privilege and I owe an immense debt to everyone involved for their support.

To everyone at Usborne who has worked so hard to turn what started as just words into a beautiful book: thank you. Special thanks, too, go to Rebecca Hill, Becky Walker, Sarah Stewart and Anne Finnis – I can't quite find the words (ironically enough) to describe how grateful I am, and how welcome you have all made me feel. Anna Howorth and Amy Dobson: thank you for being brilliant, for putting up with my daft questions, and for not batting an eyelid when I sent you an envelope full of rocks!

To my agent Juliet Mushens, who immediately understood the story I wanted to tell and who wouldn't let me stop until I'd told it. Thank you for never letting me back down – and thank you to Sarah Manning at The Agency Group for keeping the wheels turning.

To my friends Kim and Will: Kim, who read an early draft and whose enthusiasm gave me a raft to cling to. Will, for always being one of the Good Ones.

To the fabulous ladies of Bath: Caroline and Dionne; Lisa, Debbie, Nic and Lou – I owe you all.

And to my family, without whose unwavering support I would be lost. You are my map, my lantern and my home.

This ebook edition first published in the UK in 2015 by Usborne Publishing Ltd., Usborne House, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8RT, England.
www.usborne.com

Text © Maggie Harcourt 2015

The right of Maggie Harcourt to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

Author photograph © Lou Abercrombie

Grass and sand dunes © Matt Gibson/Shutterstock; Sea sand dunes © Voyagerix/Shutterstock; Sunset and 3 figures © Profeta/Istock; Seagulls © bdspn/Thinkstock; Wood texture © Zoonar RF/Thinkstock; Wood texture © tumlam/Thinkstock

Lyrics and music for Here in My Heart and The Lights © The Bookshop Band, 2015

The Lights
Written by The Bookshop Band
ISRC: GB GX2 15 00001

Musicians:
Beth Porter - vocals, ukulele
Ben Please - vocals, guitars
Dave Burbidge - drums
Pete Gibbs - bass

Recorded at Helium Studios (Bath) & Cache Studios (Bristol)
Engineer: Richard Magee

Here in My heart
Written by The Bookshop Band
ISRC: GB GX2 15 00002

Musicians:
Beth Porter - vocals, violin
Ben Please - vocals, piano
Pete Gibbs - bass

Recorded at Helium Studios & Cache Studios (Bristol)
Engineer: Richard Magee

The name Usborne and the devices
are Trade Marks of Usborne Publishing Ltd.

All rights reserved. This ebook and all additional material and lyrics is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or used in any way except as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or loaned or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's and publisher's rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ePub ISBN 9781409591382

Batch no. 03562-02