Songfics. WWWWH

[klammed]

Who to use with, when to use, why to use, what to use, how to use.

Songfics, we've seen them around every now and then. Sometimes, we too get the urge to use a certain set of lyrics that have inspired us, or seem to fit 'just nice' into our story, chapter, whatever.

But sometimes, we also see quotes of lyrics that seem to have no place in the plot, mentions of songs that hold no place in the development of the story, etc. etc. etc.

So...

Let's talk.:D

[Kodra]

I'll be the first to admit that for the most part when a writer puts a song into his fanfiction, I will generally skip over it. Now the exception is when they quote a song at the beginning of a story, and I'll read through because to me that is telling me that there is a tone being set here, and that I should read it to better understand the story.

I'm reading a fic to see my favorite characters in a new light, doing new and exciting things. The song is something I'll almost gauranteedly ignore.

On a side note, here's hoping that we get someone other than Klammed, Myself, and LucheLibre to join in to this very interesting and often controversial discussion.

~Kodra

[klammed]

Yeah, and after this we'll discuss grammar, sentence structure and paragraphing in line with Artistic Licence. That's with a capital 'A' and 'L'. *grins*

All those little semi-colons and fullstops to play with, and knock down... and...

*ahem*

Yes, anyway, I'll try to remain coherent as I say my bit. (I've just written a rather lengthy review... somewhere, and may not be in the best of mental health. I never want to be an english teacher when I grow up, the horror of it all. Excuse me for a moment while I correct my 'writting' to 'written'. That's the thrid time tonight.)


Now the exception is when they quote a song at the beginning of a story, and I'll read through because to me that is telling me that there is a tone being set here, and that I should read it to better understand the story.

I've disliked the addition of songs into stories for a good long while, till (and gosh, I'm using her stuff as examples again) I saw Calico pull it really well off in many of the chapters in her BB AU fic. There, the quote of the song did indeed set the tone, if not enhance the story. In such cases, as Kodra has kindly put across, it is beneficial to read the lyrics.

Though of course, there are instances where most would just go 'wth' when reading songfics, and there are some writers who think that adding little quotes here and there will do wonders to their story just because they saw someone/everyone else doing it too. Fads, my friends, are not useful when it comes to your story. Yes, borrow elements where ever is necessary, but no where else.

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So we come back to the 'who?', 'when?', 'why?', 'what?' and 'how?'. Let's not go in that order.

WHAT
Hey, don't scream at me. What?

Err... yeah, anyway. What to use? Songs, duh. Yeah, yeah, end of pointless discussion, blah di blah blah.

But what are songs? A quote from onelook.com states that it's "noun: a short musical composition with words". Words, theres what you're given. They're words that someone else, not you, has been able to pen and lend emotion to. 'The' doesn't necessarily mean anything on its own, neither does 'coffee', 'two', 'ditch' or any other word like that, but Savage garden managed to string those words (and others) together and tada, you have "Two Beds and a Coffee Machine".

So what songs to use? Or specfically, what parts of the song to use? Quite often, the entire song will NOT fit snuggly into your story. Undoubtedly, a section of it will. It may be the first verse, the chorus, or just three lines of it. Use that, and nothing else. Jargon, especially in the form of redundant quoting never makes for happy reading.

WHY
Why are some writers compelled to include the lyrics of some song into their works? Does it sound so absolutely cool that they just HAVE to share it with their audience?

In some ways, yes. Songs hold emotional impact, and this may inspire the writer, even as they are writing their piece, or even inspire them TO write that piece. They include the lyrics to try to enable their readers to understand what they feel when the story is being written in the words of someone who has it pegged down so perfectly. Isn't it why we listen to songs anyway? Because we can relate? Because we feel something?

So yes, we like to add little lyrics that inspire our work into our stories, but we should always remember to do it with care. Too much, and the audience will be left confused. Too little, and it'd be better to just leave it out altogether.

WHERE
Personally, I find that distributing lyrics in italics (and sometimes not) line by line through a story is very distracting. Like Kodra, I tend to exclude them altogether when reading such a fic.

So where?

Well, there's not much to say about this. Top, or bottom. You could (and especially for vignettes) use it to begin and end your story. Alternatively, you could use the lyrics as a break between the scenes of a story, but be careful to make sure that it doesn't detract from the plot.

WHEN
When it's necessary. When it makes the correct impact. When it allows the reader to see more of the picture you are trying to paint.

When it's necessary. If it's not, scrap it.

WHO
Remember who you are writing about. Unless it's comedy, I'm sure you wouldn't add the lines "Like a virgin, touched for the very first time" to, say, Batman.

So yes, would the lines apply to the character's personality, to their feelings, to the situation they are going through?

Think, think, think, and then think some more.

HOW
With the utmost care and discretion, keeping in mind the four 'W's.


Adding lyrics to a story should be like adding music to a movie scene. It shouldn't be jarringly obvious that it's there. Rather, it should flow and meld with the entire picture, both becoming it and making it something 'more' at the same time.

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That's all I can think of right now.

SO guys, the Rest of you, please discuss. It's applicable to all fandoms really, so there's no excuse. C'mon, 8 views excluding mine and Kodra and nothing to say?:p

[LucheLibre]

On a side note, here's hoping that we get someone other than Klammed, Myself, and LucheLibre to join in to this very interesting and often controversial discussion.
You know, after reading that sentence, I vibrated with the most honest, sentimental chuckle I've had in quite some time. Some say irony is the foundation of humor, and...well, this is some good evidence for that, especially when I'm one of the main causes for that irony. :anime:

That aside, I have to inform you, Kodra, that I won't be able to contribute to this discussion in any meaningful way, simply because I've not read any songfics. In fact, I'm not really sure I know what that means in practical terms. Nevertheless, klammed has thrown down the hammer of reason and I feel bound by common decency to get up to speed. So if either of you or somebody else could point me in the direction of a few standard songfics, I'll get on the ball.

There are a few general things I could say, though. One thing that I do know is that I am powerfully moved by music, that is, notes played through instruments occasionally accompanied by a singer. Words on paper (or a computer screen, for that matter) are not music. They are closer to poems. So in reality, songfics would not be songfics, but rather poemfics. The reason I bring this up is because fics that use poems to set a mood or make a point or explain some profound truth are something that I have read a few of, and I am very moved by them. The poems accomplish what they are put out to do. It may be that I have just come across the right ones, but the end result doesn't change.

One of the main conclusions to keep in mind with fics that have poems in them is that the poem is never broken up and almost always occurs at the beginning or end of a chaper or story. In this way, this point helps form my opinion of how "songfics" should be structured.

Music is great. Poems are great. Bringing the two together make what we call "songs." To put a song on paper requires that the music portion of it be set aside. With half of the song's essence missing, the impact on the general audience is also mostly lost.