So I've finally gotten to a place in my WIP Gravity where I found an organic place to work in the title. My MCs are two headstrong men who are able to to pull each other beyond their baggage and fears to become stronger than ever. The sentence is a thank you liner note for Jaeden's band's new album, which makes reference to Newton's 3rd law of reciprocal motion: When the sun pulls on a planet with the force of gravity, the planet pulls on the sun with a force of equal magnitude. The liner note is: To Connor, for being the gravity (x) my planetary motion My question is , should (x) make the sentence: a) To Connor, for being the gravity in my planetary motion b) To Connor, for being the gravity of my planetary motion c) To Connor, for being the gravity for my planetary motion
If those are the only choices, I would choose C. The thing that's weird for me though, is that, the way I understand it, it would read better if he was the "sun for my planetary motion" since the sun exerts a gravitational pull on the planets which is what keeps them from going straight. I could be wrong though - space isn't my forte. I'm sure one of the more space fluent people would have a better answer.
I'm up for suggestions not posted! Knock yourself out. ETA: I just got what you were saying in your second paragraph. But I really want to work the word gravity in there as a nod to the book's title.
LOL. Like I said, I just would change "gravity" to "the sun" because (I believe) planetary motion requires the gravitational pull of the sun. It's not like gravity is really it's own entity. You know what I mean? Something has to create it.
Well shit, that works too. Imma sit back and let y'all write this part - you'e doing a much better job than I!
"planetary motion" is a bit of an abstraction. And it's not exactly a term of endearment or a metaphor for love. "Orbit" on the other hand, is metaphorical like a mofo. Without it we all spiral into the sun.
@Laurin Kelly - I think I would choose 'to,' actually. Think of being like Jekyll and Hyde. To Connor, for being the Jekyll to my Hyde. "To" in this context, implies a balance of opposite forces, which is (I think) what you were meaning to show.
I had chosen "to" as well, for exactly that reason, but it seemed a little off the more I looked at it. @Homer Potvin has made it moot though, because I'm going with To Connor, for being the gravity that keeps me in orbit. It flows much better than the words I'd chosen overall.
It really does, especially since Jaeden is a 20-something rock star and not like, Bill Nye the Science Guy. I can get away with him being somewhat eloquent because he's the main songwriter for his band, but I think I was stretching it with the whole planetary motion thing. I guess that's what happens when you fall down the Wikipedia hole while writing.
I would choose a) because I don't like the double "for" in the last one. Not sure why it's better than b) though. I can't explain that one . . . The ideas above are pretty good though. I'd start by simplifying: To Connor: I orbit your sun. The problem being that it almost doesn't seem like it's a metaphor. It could be, "Hey bro, we're on the same planet," so I'd lead into it with some imagery: To Connor, the center of my everything. I orbit your sun.
The issue with that wording is that it doesn't really convey the message I'm going for. The point isn't that Connor is the center of Jaeden's life, it's that Connor's love and support keep Jaeden grounded and from spinning out of control. That entire theme is why the book has the title it does.
