Writers Blox.

[sr71plt]

Simply stating the title or some other reference point of the music (or piece of art, or books, whatever) in the background could do it (and be a delicious discovery) for one level of readers of a story. The basic story should stand on its own, yes, for the total readership--and the mention should not be jarring for those not cluing into the reference. But having reference points that can bring new/different/deeper meaning to the story to a subset of readers without spoiling a good story for the larger set of readers is just good, multidimensional writing.

 

[JackLuis]

I recently tried to use Bolero as a piece of a story.

I put in a link to a youtube and wrote the story so that it paced to the musical phrases. The problem is that readers read at different speeds and I wasn't sure that a reader could stay with the six minutes of the music.

The problem was that the reader had to cue the music at a point in the story, so the connection was a bit loose.

 

[sr71plt]

I recently tried to use Bolero as a piece of a story.

I put in a link to a youtube and wrote the story so that it paced to the musical phrases. The problem is that readers read at different speeds and I wasn't sure that a reader could stay with the six minutes of the music.

The problem was that the reader had to cue the music at a point in the story, so the connection was a bit loose.

But it was a creative approach.

 

[trysail]

What a phony! It's gotten so egregious that it's passed the point of funny and has reached the point of flat out hilarious.

I must admit I kept reading through this to see where the erotica started--and didn't find it.

Why on earth do you see the need to post this here? What does this have to do with erotica?

http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/hypocrisy-meter.gif​

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

PILOT throw your dictionary away, its wasted on you.

 

[JackLuis]

But it was a creative approach.

I thought so, but I guess the story wasn't as good a Revel's music.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Simply stating the title or some other reference point of the music (or piece of art, or books, whatever) in the background could do it (and be a delicious discovery) for one level of readers of a story. The basic story should stand on its own, yes, for the total readership--and the mention should not be jarring for those not cluing into the reference. But having reference points that can bring new/different/deeper meaning to the story to a subset of readers without spoiling a good story for the larger set of readers is just good, multidimensional writing.

And there are people who claim that numbers mean much to them as well. The trick, as you say, is to introduce the reference without jarring everyone else.

ETA: Pilot I gotta say, if a man if a man is known by the quality of one's enemies... Yours are mediocre at best. Pretty funny.

 

[sr71plt]

ETA: Pilot I gotta say, if a man if a man is known by the quality of one's enemies... Yours are mediocre at best. Pretty funny.

Quite. Maybe that's why I'm poking Dr. M. on his recent posts. Trying to find a better class of enemies.

I don't even want to begin to figure out why Trysail doesn't realize this has (eventually--despite JBJ's continued pot shotting around the edges) become a legitimate erotica writing thread. (Not that he's contributed anything of substance to it)

 

[Stella_Omega]

Being the enemy of mediocrity is a good thing, dude. Not a bad thing.

Okay, back to the subject, overall mood;

“WELCOME TO LEATHER PRIDE!” the signs said. “BAZAAR, SECOND FLOOR. DOG CAMP, PONDEROSA ROOM. COMPETITION SIGNUP, VENTURA ROOM. LEATHERWOMEN, EAGLE ROOM. ”

Emily pushed through the big hotel doors, and found herself in the middle of a rip-roaring and very male crowd. She ducked through the black-leather clad throng, her heart beating loud and fast; she hoped she wasn’t about to have a heart attack. Even though she’d worn jeans she felt out of place; The clothes she’d bought seemed okay at the mall, but the silver printed skull on her black t-shirt now made her feel like a dumb girl.

These people were so big, and so loud, and confident! With wide eyes she watched a young man sweep past her; he was on the end of a glittering steel chain attached to a glittering steel collar. His body was beautifully lean and shone with oil— and abundantly visible since he only wore boots and tight silver shorts that hugged his lean flanks. She gulped when he winked at her, and carefully made her way to the escalators that went to the main convention halls, riding up behind two broad men in bike jackets. They had their arms wrapped around each other’s waists, and the red bandannas in their back pockets were on matching sides so that the hankies looked like they, too, were touching each other affectionately.

The second floor was even busier, and crowded with booths selling scary things, and men putting each other into cages, and men watching each other crack whips. A plump man bent over, bracing his hands on his knees, to accept the swats that another man was giving him. Booming voices called out greetings to long-lost friends, and Emily was surprised at the generally good natured mood. There weren’t any tears, no blood running down skin, no scary scowling sadists in sight. She could have been at any sports club— if sporting uniforms were made of black leather and the decor included cages.

Emily took another fortifying breath, and found the door to the women’s division of the national leather organization. A woman smiled at her, and handed her the program book; Emily clutched it in her hand and found a chair near the wall where she could watch in safety.

so far I've offered two rather negative moods, someone please contribute something more positive

 

[lance gt]

Here's a prime example of setting a mood. Dubbed the world's shortest horror story.

The last man on earth sat alone in his room. There was a knock at the door.

Two sentences create more emotional feedback than a paragraph.

 

[lance gt]

Another question for you. Does anyone read other peoples books while they're writing their own story? I found it distorted my writing style, so I leave reading to time between stories.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Lance, that wasn't a "positive" mood at all!


or maybe it was-- positively horrific.

I do read books at times, depending on what I'm writing. Sometimes i want to hold onto a feeling i got from something else I've read, and re-reading it can help keep things consistent.

I like to read Patrick O Brien for his language use.

 

[lance gt]

Lance, that wasn't a "positive" mood at all!


or maybe it was-- positively horrific.

I do read books at times, depending on what I'm writing. Sometimes i want to hold onto a feeling i got from something else I've read, and re-reading it can help keep things consistent.

I like to read Patrick O Brien for his language use.

LOL. I guess you could look at it differently and say it was a positive sign that he wasn't alone anymore. Then the suspense of it being a man or a woman, takes hold.

 

[Stella_Omega]

LOL. I guess you could look at it differently and say it was a positive sign that he wasn't alone anymore. Then the suspense of it being a man or a woman, takes hold.

Ah. I tend to think of "man" in that usage as "member of genus Homo Sapiens."
Funny, now that I think of it.

 

[lance gt]

I was thinking more on what the music actually is to me. I mentioned before that I see my story as a video playing in my head and the music is the soundtrack. Just like in the movies, it provides that embellishment to the scene and creates an emotional attachment to it. I'm not looking for the song to be understood by the reader, just the inspiration of it coming through in the words.

In regards to my story, I know it's not erotica, although it contains numerous moments of sexual activity. It's a mainstream novel, but I wanted to use it as an example for my post. Erotica was fun to write and get my feet wet and I still enjoy writing it, but this is my first attempt at a major work.
One thing I'm proud of about it, is that it's entirely me and I'm trying new approaches. I have three characters telling the story and I gave each a unique style in the writing to portray his way of telling it.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

It doesn't mean that you can't convey the mood by being in the mood yourself, though, does it? You like to pontificate on what a writer can do and cannot do without really being able to say they can't do it through their own writing talent. There's no saying that a writer can't convey a mood by putting him/herself in that mood--even when he/she isn't revealing to the reader what put her/him in that mood. The conveying is in the words and the writer's talent in creating mood with words, not the background music. You can't say a writer isn't capable of doing that.

And backtracking and giving a smug "well they can't do it on a crap story garbage pile like Liteoritca" doesn't say that a writer posting stories here can't--and doesn't--do it either.

Read me again, dear. I never said there was anything wrong with taking inspiration from a piece of music, and if you like to mood-up by listening to music before or as you write, feel free. I was warning against name-dropping a piece of music into a story as a way of trying to set the mood of a scene:

"He led her into the bedroom where Chico Hamilton's "The Squimp" was already playing in the background..." "He held her close, and as the strains of "Un Bel Di" reached their crescendo, she looked at him..." "The club was dark. The music of Satie filled the air..."

That's the kind of thing I'm warning about. It's fine if the reader knows The Squimp or Un Bel Di or Satie, but if they don't, the reference achieves nothing, and the writer, who thinks he's established the same kind of thick mood that he feels when he listens to that music, has actually conveyed nothing.

If you want to get general and set a scene by mentioning the type of music being played, that works. Everyone knows what metal or soft jazz or classical says about a place.

I'll say for the record too, that whatever pronouncements or pontifications I make about writing, there's not one of them that can't be broken and broken with brilliant results by a good writer. Art isn't Science and there aren't any Universal Laws of Fiction. But there are tips and tricks and observations and pitfalls worth mentioning and talking about. And if anyone wants to be Pope of Prose around here, they're welcome to grab their croziers and step up.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Another question for you. Does anyone read other peoples books while they're writing their own story? I found it distorted my writing style, so I leave reading to time between stories.

I read books every day of my life but I dont read the genre I'm writing for when I'm writing it.

 

[sr71plt]

Read me again, dear. I never said there was anything wrong with taking inspiration from a piece of music, and if you like to mood-up by listening to music before or as you write, feel free. I was warning against name-dropping a piece of music into a story as a way of trying to set the mood of a scene:

And read me again, darling. I posted that it's just fine to make side references like that to reach a subset of your readers--giving them an extra dimension to read into the story--as long as you don't make it intrusive for the read of those who wouldn't "get it."

It's the technique that most children's movies have been using for decades--to keep the parents as happy as the children in watching the movies.

 

[sr71plt]

I read books every day of my life but I dont read the genre I'm writing for when I'm writing it.

Ditto here.

 

[Stella_Omega]

And read me again, darling. I posted that it's just fine to make side references like that to reach a subset of your readers--giving them an extra dimension to read into the story--as long as you don't make it intrusive for the read of those who wouldn't "get it."

It's the technique that most children's movies have been using for decades--to keep the parents as happy as the children in watching the movies.

Yup.

You are both right. Naming Chico Hamilton isn't enough to set the mood for most of your readers, but naming him does no harm either.

 

[lance gt]

Yup.

You are both right. Naming Chico Hamilton isn't enough to set the mood for most of your readers, but naming him does no harm either.

I think the trick is to describe the genre of music, along with the name of the artist.

"the smooth jazz beat of so and so's song had Yolanda writhing her body sensuously..." "the haunting melody of Blah Blah's concerto echoed in the halls..." and so on.

At least it gives a reference point for the reader to understand how the music is setting the mood for the scene.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I think the trick is to describe the genre of music, along with the name of the artist.

"the smooth jazz beat of so and so's song had Yolanda writhing her body sensuously..." "the haunting melody of Blah Blah's concerto echoed in the halls..." and so on.

At least it gives a reference point for the reader to understand how the music is setting the mood for the scene.

Of course it's so damn easy to add a YouTube link these days!

But if you're going to do that, make sure it isn't utterly obscure-- Chico Hamilton is showing up, but "The Squimp" is not; http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Chico+Hamilton+The+Squimp