Fighting Animals

Discussion Points, Disclaimers, & Final Thoughts

Words I Didn't Use

     I didn't use the words "MMA", "cagefighter", or "bodyguard" throughout this story for several reasons:

     1) MMA was a new concept in the turn of the millennium, and at the time, the UFC had recently turned from a martial arts competition to the striking and grappling mixed style we see today, so the term "MMA" wouldn't have been popular in 2002.

     2) Although I have nothing against cagefighter/bodyguard romance novels, I didn't want Fighting Animals to be confused with such works. 

     3) In order to create an atmosphere of danger and suspense, I used words like "private" and "security" more than "body" and "guard".

The Soundtrack

     The bulk of the soundtrack comprises three albums: John Mayer's Room for Squares, Maroon 5's Songs About Jane, and Matchbox Twenty's More Than You Think You Are, all of which were released in 2001-2002.

     Room for Squares was John's Mayer's debut album, released when Mayer was just twenty-three years old. Mayer, who has suffered from anxiety attacks from the time he was a teenager, wrote songs like "Not Myself" and "My Stupid Mouth" not long after his diagnosis.

     According to Adam Levine, Songs About Jane was inspired by his complicated and intense romance with Jane Herman Bishop, a California model turned Brooklyn-based writer. Levine, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, has also stated that the sound for the album was influenced by his time in New York, where Maroon 5 was formed. 

     The months that followed September 11 saw a slew of radio-friendly songs, Matchbox Twenty's "Unwell" and "Bright Lights" being two such singles, the former talking about mental illness and the latter about losing a loved one to New York City.

Delilah and JR Were Inspired by Real People, But Not a Real Couple

     Fighting Animals combined two short stories I'd previously written, one titled The Brotherhood and another titled The Comedy Central Roast of Tyra Banks.

     I was inspired to write the latter after responding to this memorable Tweet from Broadway actress Laura Benanti in 2016: 

     Needless to say I was embarrassed, but inspired. 

     I wrote The Comedy Central Roast of Tyra Banks that same weekend. It was a comedy centered around a supermodel who struggles to find success as a stand-up comedian. It wasn't my best work, so I shoved it in a drawer.

     Two years later, I revisited the story to see what I could do with it, and in my research, I found this video: