Entrepreneur Philip Redhead reveals how David Bowie helped him refine his fiction.

“Ground control to Major Tom
Ground control to Major Tom
I, I wish you could teach me to swim
Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
But with your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue
The only thing I ever learn from you is sorrow
Sordid details following

Is it any wonder I reject you first?
Is it any wonder you are too cool to fool
So — don't lean on me man
If you can't afford the ticket
To New York which is go-go and everything tastes right
Talking bout Monroe and walking on Snow White
No - Beep-beep - Beep-beep

Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo (x3).”

What you are looking at is a potential David Bowie song — if there is any truth in an ancient story I attribute to him. 

Let me explain. Somewhere in my distant childhood, I vaguely remember Bowie sharing a song-writing technique in an interview.  The technique recently floated to the surface of my mind, demanding I act upon it.  I did — this is what transpired when I used it to help me with my story writing.  

I had written seven chapters of my tale, but there was an unevenness I wasn’t happy with.  The ideas weren’t working as well as they could.  It was then I remembered what the White Duke had done with one of his songs. 

David (we’re on first names basis) wasn’t happy with a song he had composed so he wrote the lyrics down on a sheet of paper.  He then cut the paper up so that each line of the song was on a separate piece of paper and threw the lines into in the air.  He then reassembled them in the same sequence they had fallen to the ground.  He was left with his finished song.  I wonder if it was the collection of Bowie lyrics at the top of the page?

I decided to do something similar with my story.  I identified all the ideas it contained and wrote them down on paper.  I then cut up the paper into pieces; each piece containing one idea.  This where I started to differ from Mr. Bowie.  I took out all the major ideas first and threw them around till they were in the best possible sequence for the reader to enjoy.  I then took all the other ideas and added them in where they best made sense.  It worked really well, so much so that I went to my idea back burner and added ideas I hadn’t planned to use. 

The result of this juggling of ideas was that I went from seven chapters to twelve rough draft chapters.  There are some pages I have to rewrite but that is a small price for such a gain.  Plus the story now has both a plot and quality evenness that I hope will help get a reader interested — and a publisher. 

So one day when I run into Mr Bowie in New York’s Greenwich village having a English breakfast tea, I’ll thank The Duke for his sharing his technique.  It will be a special moment.  Unless he has no idea what I’m talking about.    

Philip Redhead is an Australian author and entrepreneur based in Victoria. He has previously written books on dating. His new bookis an individual fusion of humour and puzzle. He is currently seeking a publisher.