When I heard Aerosmith’s song Angel, I knew it was perfect for my current novel. All I had to do was weave some of the verses and the chorus into the scene to show how the song triggered a terrifying flashback for my protagonist. The results were awesome, and a little creepy. Yes, I would have to get copyright permission, but that was okay. It beat writing my own, which I knew would end up sounding sucky.Okay, not so fast. I did some research at a writer’s suggestion. Turns out, it would be expensive and time consuming to try to get permission to use the song, and in the end the band might not even grant it to me. Oh great! Now I had no choice but to write my own lyrics.
As it turned out, writing lyrics is similar to writing a story, because that’s what a song is, in a way. You still need to have a concept and a hook. You need to be concise with your details, and use imagery to add texture and meaning. Plus, you need to write a beginning that grabs your listeners. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to write the whole song, just a couple of verses and the chorus. The added bonus was I could incorporate part of the concept of my novel, which unified the whole thing. And the result was even creepier than with the Aerosmith song. What more could I want?
Granted, the song won’t top any charts. Nor will any musicians be banging on my front door, pleading with me so they can use it. But that’s okay. At least now I’ve given an agent one less reason to reject my manuscript. Yay!
Has anyone else had to write lyrics or poetry for their novel? If so, was this a new experience for you?
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8 comments:
That is great! Way to go!
No, I've not written lyrics for my novels, but I have written a musical and I was writing lyrics long before I ever dreamed of writing a book. Funny that...
Good job! I haven't had to write poetry (gag) or lyrics because I just can't do that kind of stuff.
And *whispers* I skip over that kind of stuff in books. I just don't get it, and it slows me down trying to figure it out.
Elana. LOL. I do exactly the same thing. I don't care what the poems say. And I don't understand them half the time, either. :D
Loved your song Stina!
And yeah, things would get ugly if I had to write lyrics for my novels...
LOL, Christine. So if this book doesn't pan out in the end, I could always pursue my high school dream of being a rock star. I still have my electric bass somewhere in the basement. :D
nice blog... :D
http://yusri-outsider.blogspot.com
So...I have a question. Maybe you'll know. I was told that you can use a title of a song in your book, as long as you don't directly quote the lyrics?
I really hope that's true, because I've done it in a couple really pivotal scenes.
Also, just wanted to say this is a great site! I liked to it from one of your comments on ktliterary (ask Daphne).
Whenever I see another YA writer who reads mostly YA I feel compelled to check out their site and see if they have any good book recommendations. :)
Hey Callie, I did a little extra research. Song titles aren't copyrighted so you're free to use them in your story. However, if you character was to sing the lyrics and you print them, or portion of them, in your manuscript, then you're in trouble. Hope that helps!
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