Music based challenge?

[Rob_Royale]

Song titles are great inspiration. Last year I published a story with the title of the Three Dog Night song Mama Told Me Not To Come. It was too good to resist. I'm still working on a story entitled Don't Stand So Close To Me, which a story that's based on the song.

Good stuff. I heard Jim Croce's Dreamin' Again on my Pandora and I was instantly inspired. It's such a sad story, with the possibility of adding in a little erotica, "And I dreamed that we were lovers, in the lemon scented rain." I haven't done a story for the romance category yet, and I think this is it.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Lyin' Eyes by the Eagles IS a Lit story within itself.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith

Still, You Turn Me On - ELP

 

[StillStunned]

If this event happens, I'm bagsing "Big In Japan". I have a story outlined in my head.

(And yes, I know what the song is about.)

 

[Rob_Royale]

I submitted the idea to Laurel. I haven't heard back. Maybe she'll reach out towards the new year to hammer out the details.

 

[Euphony]

My only nitpick was all the inflexibility on the titling requirement perfectly matching the published song.

I get it (I think) it works as a quick identifier/bridge but some incredible songs have pedestrian or non-descript titles.

I trust AH authors are going to tie into a well known lyric or the song enough for anyone remotely familiar to the tune to come along and a generic title isn't enticing much of anybody.

If there's grander thinking or an angle I'm not seeing, happy to learn it.

"Hold on" is a hilarious mess.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hold_On

 

[Rob_Royale]

My only nitpick was all the inflexibility on the titling requirement perfectly matching the published song.

Since I was going to combine both of the previous music based challenges, so that any story inspired by music or musicians would be welcome. I was not going to require the name of the song for the title.

I've wanted to do a story based on Your Love, by the Outfield, but lets face it, that's not much of a title. So I'll nix that requirement. But, perhaps naming the inspiration in an intro paragraph would be good.

 

[Euphony]

Since I was going to combine both of the previous music based challenges, so that any story inspired by music or musicians would be welcome. I was not going to require the name of the song for the title.

I've wanted to do a story based on Your Love, by the Outfield, but lets face it, that's not much of a title. So I'll nix that requirement. But, perhaps naming the inspiration in an intro paragraph would be good.

Totally understandable and a best practice that I'd hope most authors would naturally follow (some identifier, be it a key lyric, title, imagery, whatever.)

As I said, if there's some beneficial reason for usurping what is usually very much within our creative control, I wanted to understand it. I'm rarely argumentative but I (and many) have an innate wonder "why." Authors be curious folk.

Titles (unable to copyright) can be painfully generic and my stories gotta live long after a challenge.

This is an excellent challenge idea worthy of frequent replay. Maybe I think in music/lyrics more than most but it surprised me how good the offering were to somehow have the challenge semi wither on the vine.

 

[Euphony]

I've wanted to do a story based on Your Love, by the Outfield

I remember you mentioning that before (maybe in the last challenge thread before I dipped out).

You should do it. You've verbalized it and committed to it publicly (to nudge yourself into doing it) so feed those obvious gremlins nawing at you.

Stories where I can reference something, even vague or nonsensical, always have the best tailwinds. Like I'm finishing out a story even when I'm barely leveraging much of the actual source material at all. (psychology of writing/creativity is bizzare)

 

[Rob_Royale]

You should do it.

I will. I think it's a good project and the lyrics convey a married older woman with a young man story very well.

But recently I checked the lyrics to a song I like by Nightwish, called Passion at the Opera. The lyrics are practically erotica on their own, but as I sat contemplating them an idea popped into my head and this one is in there, hard. I'm going to finish my current WIP and start this new one. It's more grand in scope than most of what I've written with ten characters (so far) and an elaborate setting of an opera house in a nameless European city, circa 1910. Like most of what I do, it'll be in the mature category and I intend for it to be a love letter to the genre.

Also a sad romance is planned, springing from Jim Croce's, Dreamin' Again.

 

[Euphony]

I will. I think it's a good project and the lyrics convey a married older woman with a young man story very well.

But recently I checked the lyrics to a song I like by Nightwish, called Passion at the Opera. The lyrics are practically erotica on their own, but as I sat contemplating them an idea popped into my head and this one is in there, hard. I'm going to finish my current WIP and start this new one. It's more grand in scope than most of what I've written with ten characters (so far) and an elaborate setting of an opera house in a nameless European city, circa 1910. Like most of what I do, it'll be in the mature category and I intend for it to be a love letter to the genre.

Also a sad romance is planned, springing from Jim Croce's, Dreamin' Again.

Music inspired stories are where I most get ahead of my skis.

It's just something about framework (even sparse) feeling and I throw myself way down into psychological rabbit holes.

It like coaxing a dying plant back to health. Damn thing fought through so much to sprout (the artists to me, reverberating enough to muse a full expansion of the seedling (song) story) I get absorbed in process.

That Nightwish concept sounds inspired. I know some on the idea of not conjuring from nothing but I've never understood that in the least.

I do what others haven't. I give full throated voice to a story that couldn't escape due limitations of the original form.

Creativity comes from an "other" place and gatekeeping how that's supposed to happen is beyond ridiculous to me.

 

[Erozetta]

I will. I think it's a good project and the lyrics convey a married older woman with a young man story very well.

But recently I checked the lyrics to a song I like by Nightwish, called Passion at the Opera. The lyrics are practically erotica on their own, but as I sat contemplating them an idea popped into my head and this one is in there, hard. I'm going to finish my current WIP and start this new one. It's more grand in scope than most of what I've written with ten characters (so far) and an elaborate setting of an opera house in a nameless European city, circa 1910. Like most of what I do, it'll be in the mature category and I intend for it to be a love letter to the genre.

Also a sad romance is planned, springing from Jim Croce's, Dreamin' Again.

I love that song. It's an excellent choice for a music challenge.

 

[jaF0]

Bus Stop (The Hollies)

'Some day my name and her's are going to be the same ...'



Summer Lovin'

Romance?

 

[Rob_Royale]

I never did hear back from Laurel on this subject, but today Trionyx reached out reminded me of it. I'm going to give this another go. Fingers crossed.

 

[iwatchus]

My first reaction was not interested, but I was imagining something like @Actingup 's excellent Letting the Sunshine In, which would be out of my league.

Then I saw people talking about songs and it got me thinking about how many songs could spur good stories.

Genesis "Counting out time" off of lamb is probably top of my list. If you don't know the song, the lyrics are here

 

[Actingup]

My first reaction was not interested, but I was imagining something like @Actingup 's excellent Letting the Sunshine In, which would be out of my league.

Then I saw people talking about songs and it got me thinking about how many songs could spur good stories.

Genesis "Counting out time" off of lamb is probably top of my list. If you don't know the song, the lyrics are here

Thanks for the shoutout, @iwatchus . A love of music is shared by zillions of Lit readers and authors - I'd be up for it. One of the things that I was trying to do with mine was promote cross-generational music love, although I think I've failed in a recent effort to convince @PennyThompson to include some early Genesis in a story I also learnt a bit from Penny and @Nynah in the process. If there was some twist like a cross-genre or cross-generational requirement, it could add an extra dimension to the story challenge?

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

I tossed a line in Heidi that no one has pickled up on.

 

[PennyThompson]

although I think I've failed in a recent effort to convince @PennyThompson to include some early Genesis in a story

One of these days I'll write the "Gen Z woman with a thing for older men forces herself to become a 1970s prog rock aficionado in order to impress Gen X daddies," story, and all your wildest dreams will come true

 

[Nynah]

Thanks for the shoutout, @iwatchus . A love of music is shared by zillions of Lit readers and authors - I'd be up for it. One of the things that I was trying to do with mine was promote cross-generational music love, although I think I've failed in a recent effort to convince @PennyThompson to include some early Genesis in a story I also learnt a bit from Penny and @Nynah in the process. If there was some twist like a cross-genre or cross-generational requirement, it could add an extra dimension to the story challenge?

I'm not sure you learned anything from me musically during the beta reading process except the fact that I disdain Pink Floyd.

One of these days I'll write the "Gen Z woman with a thing for older men forces herself to become a 1970s prog rock aficionado in order to impress Gen X daddies," story, and all your wildest dreams will come true

Maybe Genesis is a little too dated... I'm not sure on your specific musical tastes but maybe you could check out Dream Theater or Polyphia (which are more current prog-ish bands, I linked a couple of my favorite songs as examples).

On topic: I have always wanted to write a story based on Icarus' "Machine Heart". It would lend itself pretty well to a Sci-Fi story; I didn't originally conceive it as having an erotic element but it would be fairly easy it integrate into the narrative.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

SciFi? Storyline? Ayreon!

 

[iwatchus]

Maybe Genesis is a little too dated...

Great music is never too dated. And for @Actingup , the lamb concert was much more memorable than the Selling England by the Pound concert.

 

[lc69hunter]

I started one for last year's challenge and never finished it. The old classic "Save the Last Dance for Me" by the Drifters. I didn't finish it because one ending was definitely E/V, and the other was the logical end, in LW, with the last dance an allegory for him reclaiming her after

 

[Actingup]

Great music is never too dated. And for @Actingup , the lamb concert was much more memorable than the Selling England by the Pound concert.

Make sure you read @PennyThompson's latest story when it comes out today/tonight, and you'll be able to guess which Lamb song I was trying to convince her to use.

On the broader topic.... there's at least one music conversion camp plot bunny jumping around this thread. Those middle-aged camp sponsors are all going to end up as Swifties.

 

[iwatchus]

On the broader topic.... there's at least one music conversion camp plot bunny jumping around this thread. Those middle-aged camp sponsors are all going to end up as Swifties.

I didn't know you were writing horror these days.

 

[Actingup]

I didn't know you were writing horror these days.

As a matter of fact I am, but dear Taylor (I am a fan) is not yet involved. There is scope though....