Epigraphs and a soundtrack

[UnquietDreams]

I am working on a follow-up to my initial story, which has grown into a multi-chapter endeavor. The title is a musical allusion, so I got the feverish idea to add an epigraph for each chapter of a song lyric, and post the final list as a soundtrack of sorts. Trying to add a different type of layer to the story.

So, my questions:

1) Pretentious? Stupid? Both?
2) Has anyone else played with epigraphs, and how did it work for you?

 

[Voboy]

1. I hope not, because I would do it.
2. I think I did once? I can't quite remember. But if I'm doing something worldbuilding-ish, I'll VERY frequently write supplemental material in the form of things like theses, songs, etc, and those occasionally make their way into the text. I doubt I'd hesitate to use some of that as an epigraph if I felt so inclined.

 

[JGittes]

I've toyed with the idea of a long work (50-60k words) in a single, chaptered submission and using a song epigraph for each chapter to set the tone.

The problem I found is there is no longer a musical, or literary canon an author can rely upon. It can be a nice flourish presented with the hope of deepening the experience, but it's possible some readers may be put off. Probably, they will be ignored.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've toyed with the idea of a long work (50-60k words) in a single, chaptered submission and using a song epigraph for each chapter to set the tone.

The problem I found is there is no longer a musical, or literary canon an author can rely upon. It can be a nice flourish presented with the hope of deepening the experience, but it's possible some readers may be put off. Probably, they will be ignored.

The problem with songs is there are so many, and most people's taste is in their ass

 

[Rob_Royale]

I've seen it done in modern fiction with lyrics or lines of poetry and it worked fine. Have fun with it. Any reader that doesn't get it is just here for a stroke.

 

[nice90sguy]

I do this - there were some threads about this too, asking how much one was allowed to quote before copyright issues might occur.

My latest WIP had song lyrics in it, as preambles to each chapter. In my case, I DID decide it was a little pretentious and extraneous and I ended up excising them. But I don't make that into a general rule. It might work well for some stories.

 

[Djmac1031]

I've used song lyrics as intros on a couple of stories. Otherwise I work them in more naturally; a song playing on the radio or jukebox in the background that a character picks up on or sings along with, etc.

 

[KeithD]

I use songs in my stories. The problem is that it dates me because of the songs I use. I do it anyway.

 

[UnquietDreams]

I've toyed with the idea of a long work (50-60k words) in a single, chaptered submission and using a song epigraph for each chapter to set the tone.

The problem I found is there is no longer a musical, or literary canon an author can rely upon. It can be a nice flourish presented with the hope of deepening the experience, but it's possible some readers may be put off. Probably, they will be ignored.

I know they might be ignored, but I am a devotee of Roger Zelazny. There are so many deep allusions in his work, and he trusted his readers to either get them or not notice them, and it doesn't affect the story if you don't. I used to think I was good at finding them, but I have a collection of his short stories that includes annotations, and there were so many I missed.

So if I put in epigraphs and they are ignored by most, but enjoyed by one? Worth it.

 

[YDB95]

I do it all the time. I also did a story once with references to lots of songs I hoped the readers would check out on Youtube if they didn't know them. (At least one commenter said they did do that, and the story took forever as a result...but my stories often take forever to read anyway. )

 

[UnquietDreams]

I do it all the time. I also did a story once with references to lots of songs I hoped the readers would check out on Youtube if they didn't know them. (At least one commenter said they did do that, and the story took forever as a result...but my stories often take forever to read anyway. )

May I see it?

Um, the story, I mean.

 

[MyBareTorso]

I am working on a follow-up to my initial story, which has grown into a multi-chapter endeavor. The title is a musical allusion, so I got the feverish idea to add an epigraph for each chapter of a song lyric, and post the final list as a soundtrack of sorts. Trying to add a different type of layer to the story.

So, my questions:

1) Pretentious? Stupid? Both?
2) Has anyone else played with epigraphs, and how did it work for you?

Go for it...sounds cool.

 

[YDB95]

May I see it?

Um, the story, I mean.

But of course! Here it is: Changing Partners

 

[Cagivagurl]

In the past I have used lyrics from my own songs. I used the theme of the song, and intermixed the lyrics.
I have also used a song written by a singer song writer, to build a story around. I was moved by the song, and felt compelled to blend it into a story...
There are a couple of events that I wrote stories for, that were based on songs.
It can be fun to interweave lyrics into stories..

Cagivagurl.