Tuesday Tunes: New Beginnings.

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The end of 2010 is in just a few short days, so I thought it would be great to end 2010 with a Teusday Tunes dedicated to new beginnings.  I asked each of my blog sisters to choose a song that reminded them of new beginnings.

Jessie was the first to reply and said:  To stay true to my on going love affair with all things Joshua Radin, I'm going with his song entitled It's a Brand New Day. It's positive & uplifting & speaks of looking at new beginnings with hope. (and the video is pretty amusing too...)

Nikki was next with:  I'll go with Kelly Clarkson 'Since You've Been Gone' - great song for getting over a breakup and starting a new love life!

Sheri said:  I wanted to tap into two totally different genres of music. Firstly, I'm going with "Higher" by Creed. It gives me that sense that there is more out there if I just believe.

"Closer" by Josh Grobin is a pure injection of soft confidence. It reminds me that beginnings can happen everyday and how important those in my life are to my growth.


AE said:  After clawing through my music files, I guess I'm going to have to go with You're Beautiful by James Blunt. Even though they only share a moment, it's one that lasts, one he can take with him into new moments.

And finally me who had to do the same thing as AE even though I came up with the idea.  LOL.  I'm going to have to say, Beu Sisters and Once Upon a Broken Heart.  It reminds us that there is always something around the corner worth waiting for and it's always possible to begin again.

We've also made a few changes for the new year, one of which has already taken place. Our new comment box below.  We hope this will encourage everyone to comment, since we'll be able to "talk" back individually.  As before comments are unmoderated, so I hope everyone feels free to share whatever they are feeling.  ETA:  Just as an FYI, you'll only be able to see the comment box if you're "in" the post.  This can be accomplished by clicking on the post title.  Thanks!

So, what song reminds you of new beginnings. And won't you please share what your goals/dreams for the upcoming year?

Who's Your Favorite Winter Character??

Seeing how we (you & me specifically) won't be together again before Christmas, I'd like to personally wish you a wonderful weekend and holiday celebration with you and yours. Thank you for supporting our little Oasis. ~Sheri~

I've been thinking since last week about how I could mix-up our normal music exploration, here on Tuesday Tunes. Finally, I got some inspiration.

My snowman.

Isn't he adorable??
He's made of springs. I can make him tall or really short.

I'm a huge snowman fan and also a major musical fanatic. When I was thinking about snowmen being my favorite winter character and music that would fit the season, it was inevitable that Frosty the Snowman would cross my mind. What was it about Frosty that got me clinging to the television screen each and every year as a child?

Was it that he was round or that he wore that rocking black hat? Maybe it was his eyes made out of coal, or the fact that no matter how much snow fell in Maine my snowman never looked quite as dapper as Frosty.

When I really thought about it, I realized that it was his character, plain and simple. He was genuine, and so was the song that indelibly etched his image into my childhood. Yeah, I'm a sucker for the true dude, and Frosty is one of the truest characters I've ever know. He would have done anything, including melting to death, to keep that little girl from being scared. (Not sure why that fact never scarred me as a child, but...) 

This might sound funny and maybe even a bit ridiculous, but the next time you're looking for some inspiration developing the innards of a character think of Frosty. He's simple yet dimensional, and somehow still whole.

Now, I have to leave you with one of my favorite all-time songs about him. The video is a bit scrappy, but it's just how I remember watching it as a child.



Who's your favorite winter character and is there a song that captures his/her image???

Tuesday Tunes: Royalty Free Music!

Have you created a book trailer yet? If you haven't (or if you just want to make another), you'll probably want to include some music in the video. You're much better off using royalty free music than something off iTunes ... because, um, that's illegal!

If you're a whiz at GarageBand or can record your own music, I say "go for it" - and email me so I can hire you! But, if you're like me and don't have a musical bone in your body, you can find royalty free music online.

One of my favorite (and free) sites is incompetech. You can browse my genre (horror, funk, holiday, jazz, etc) or feel (eerie, epic, somber, mysterious, mystical, etc). Some of the music is really amazing! Free Sountrack Music is another free site that allows you to search by genre and emotion.

If you can't find anything on these sites - and are willing to pay for your music - you can purchase tracks at Royalty Free Music, Beat Suite, and Stock Music.

For an example, here's the music I used for my Shoreline Trailer!

Tuesday Tunes: A Hip House Writing Prompt

**HUNTRESS ARC winner was #7. CONGRATULATIONS Kelly M !!!!**

We can't deny it anymore. The Christmas carols playing 24/7 since Thanksgiving ended leave no doubt that the holiday season is upon us. I thought I'd take a moment on today's Tuesday Tunes to share my girls' FAVORITE holiday video. As they like to say: "This house is rockin'!"



Which brings me to the writing prompt. What are the first three words that come to mind after viewing this video?

Now use them in a sentence and share it with us in the comments.

Tuesday Tunes: Songs on our WIP playlist

I'm cheating today.  Since it's the holidays and I've been visited by the cold fairy, I'm taking the cheaters way and posting a song from each of our playlists.  Hope you enjoy.

AE:  My latest auditory addiction is Bring Me Down by Throwing Gravity. :) Very good for fast-paced action oriented stuff.

JESSIE:  Joshua Radin, "The Fear You Won't Fall."  Love it so much I actually wrote it into a scene in Beneath the Surface.  Even if it has to come out eventually, I'll always know it was there once upon a time.

NIKKI:  "Untouched" by the Veronicas. I don't know why, but this song has always been my go to song for those emotions when you're crushing on someone (perfect for YA!)

SHERI: Currently I'm moved by "Something Beautiful" by Need To Breathe. The song has strength yet a vulnerability. I'm also constantly listening to "Everything" by Lifehouse while I revise.

And me?  I'm the Gleek.  :)  I LOVED this version of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream.  It fits into the playlist of almost all of my stories, so I'd be silly not to list it.


Happy Turkey Day, Everyone!

~JA

Links with Music

Me thinkist it be time to do some mixing-n-mingling on our Oasis Tuesday Tunes segment. So, I'm giving you my latest greatest new tune that gets me in the mood to write. Honestly, listening to this song is almost like a warm up from some Zumba video. (Yeah, I'm a major Latin dance fan. Anyone else do Zumba??)

Anyway, while you listen to the song take a gander at the links I've collected below. Some awesome contests, giveaways, and blogfests to be had Oasis Seekers! Enjoy.



The Siren Song is giving away the entire Immortals Series. Um...yummy!

The Alliterative Allomorph, Jessica, is having an amazing 400+ Followers Giveaway!

Candyland is having another amazing fundraiser!

Christine is hosting a wonderful holiday blogfest. Easy peasy.

The Journey, aka Colene, is having a Worse One-Liner Idea for a Book Contest! It's really crazy.

The Book Butterfly - um...yeah, Kim is giving away 2 major awesome mashup books: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and also Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls.

Oasis for YA--yeah, right here--is giving away Rachel Vincent's new book My Soul to Take.

AND a don't forget about our book drive for the month of November. ENTER to win prizes, too!

Tuesday Tunes: Music through the ages

Or, at least, through the last few decades.

I’m starting in the 1950’s because…well it’s my favorite for music. It was the start of what I consider the musical revolution (though I’m sure others would disagree). We went from big band to rock n’ roll, and everything in between.

Now music has evolved so much our parents and grandparents wouldn’t even recognize it!

I’m going to list a number 1 hit for each year so you can see how much music—and our tastes—have changed. How many do you recognize?

1950
White Christmas
Bing Crosby
1951
Come on-a My House
Rosemary Clooney
1952
Unforgettable
Nat King Cole
1953
You, You, You
Ames Brothers
1954
That's Amoré
Dean Martin
1955
Rock Around the Clock
Bill Haley & His Comets
1956
HOUND DOG / DON'T BE CRUEL
Elvis Presley
1957
Love Letters in the Sand
Pat Boone
1958
It's All In the Game
Tommy Edwards
1959
Mack The Knife
Bobby Darin

1960
Theme from "A Summer Place"
Percy Faith Orchestra
1961
Tossin' and Turrin'
Bobby Lewis
1962
Twist
Chubby Checker
1963
Sugar Shack
Jimmy Gilmer & Fireballs
1964
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Beatles
1965
Satisfaction
Rolling Stones
1966
Ballads of the Green Berets
Ssgt. Barry Sadler
1967
To Sir With Love
Lulu
1968
Hey Jude
Beatles
1969
Aquarius
Fifth Dimension
1970
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel

1971

Joy to World

Three Dog Night

1972

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Roberta Flack

1973

Tie A Yellow Ribbon

Tony Orlando & Dawn

1974

The Way We Were

Barbra Streisand

1975

Love Will Keep Us Together

Captain & Tennille

1976

Silly Love Songs 

Paul McCartney & Wings 1977

Tonight's The Night 

Rod Stewart 

1978

Shadow Dancing1

Andy Gibb 

1979

My Sharona

Knack

1980

Call Me

Blondie

1981

Bette Davis Eyes

Kim Carnes

1982

Physical

Olivia Newton John

1983

Every Breath You Take

Police

1984

When Doves Cry

Prince

1985

Careless Whisper

Wham

1986

That's What Friends Are For

Dionne Warwick & Friends

1987

Walk Like an Egyptian

Bangles

1988

Faith

George Michael

1989

Look Away

Chicago -

1990

Nothing Compares 2 U

Sinead O'Connor

1991

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Nirvana

1992

Nuthin' But a "G" Thang

Dr. Dre

1993

Loser

Beck

1994

Waterfalls

TLC

1995

Gangsta's Paradise

Coolio

1996

California Love

2Pac

1997

Mo Money Mo Problems

Notorious B.I.G.

1998

Doo Wop (That Thing)

Lauryn Hill

1999

Smooth

Santana and Rob Thomas

2000

Yellow

Coldplay

2001

Can't Get You Out of My Head

Kylie Minogue

2002

By The Way

Red Hot Chili Peppers

2003

Toxic

Britney Spears

2004

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Green Day

2005

DARE

Gorillaz

2006

Rehab

Amy Winehouse

2007

Sea Legs

The Shins

2008

Mirrorball

Elbow

2009

This Is Our Lot

Wild Beasts

A Story's Soundtrack

Imagine yourself sitting in a cushy seat of your local movie theater. Smell of popcorn, lull of voices, and the golden flicker of the sidelights lining the stairs all stimulate your senses.

What is the first thing that grabs your attention at the opening scene of a film? The music, right?

Every film is comprised of individuals scenes with settings, actor lines, and movement. Just like a story set between the pages of a hardcover. But you can't splice music into a storybook...or can you?

When you think about a story you've already written, your current manuscript, or one brewing inside you, what genre of music would best represent that body of work? If you're a reader, think of a story you've read.

AE ~

Music Genre: Rock

Story Genre: Dystopian.

Description: Shifting psychic powers is the one Gift Isilen Temple doesn't want. She was born with the death sentence, but it brings her new life in the form of Aaron Auchul, a government Operative who cannot bring himself to kill her. Together, they find common ground tainted with decades of government lies. 

Song (lately): The Catalyst, by Linkin Park

Jessie ~

Music Genre:  Folksy Rock (not sure that's a genre, but that's mostly what I listened to when writing DESTINED)
Story Genre: Romantic Retelling
Description: When Sadie destroys the one relationship she can't live without, she must journey alone through ancient Greece, and confront the goddess who would see her dead, if she wants to reclaim an immortal love.
Song(s): What if You by Joshua Radin, Crack the Shutters by Snow Patrol, Strange and Beautiful by Aqualung

Nikki ~

Music Genre: Alternative Rock
Story Genre: Urban Fantasy (Greek Mythology Driven)
Description: Sixteen-year-old Maya Georgiou is a beautiful ocean nymph faced with an impossible decision. She must choose between sacrificing Nate, the only boy she’s ever cared about, to a Greek Goddess with insane demands - or take his place instead.
Song(s): Here We Go Again by Pararmore, Starlight by Muse, Perfect by Flyleaf


JA ~

Music Genre: POP
Story Genre: Steam Punk Dystopian.
Description:  Evelyn Winters has been trained from the age of three to be an Enforcer--a trained assassin--and the only child of the Governor and Governess of the underwater utopia know as Elysium.  But, when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, finds his way into her comfy little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie.  The happy little bubble she’s lived in all these years has just popped and the person she knows as Mother is a monster.  She must now find a way to rescue Gavin from her murderous mother’s hands, regain control of her body and the implanted instructions constantly urging her to kill, and start a new life with Gavin on the surface.
Song(s):  Keep Moving On by Avril Lavigne; Breathless by The Corrs; Precious Illusions by Alanis Morrisette.

Me ~

Music Genre: Alternative Rock

Story Genre: Paranormal Romance

Description: Sixteen-year-old Anastasia Tate is a tenacious tomboy who must break an ancient curse, saving a yuppie boy, before she literally looses her mind. Only problem: she must die first.

Songs: When I'm Gone by 3 Doors Down, Storm by Lifehouse, Scars by Papa Roach   

Now share your answers with us. Thanks for the discussion. 

TUESDAY TUNES: Songs For Prom

This week I asked the girls what song do you remember dancing to (or did you want to dance to) at your prom?



Jessie:
I don't know why this one stands out for me, but I remember dancing in a circle with my friends screaming the lyrics to "I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick. It's not like the song was even current, but maybe that's why I remember it so much - since, as I've confessed before, I was a Classic Rick girl in high school.

AE:
My boyfriend at the time was not big on dancing. (He did look cute in a tux, though.) The only song I remember is Faithfully, by Journey.

Sheri:
Never Say Goodbye, by Bon Jovi. When this song began to play during my senior prom, about sixty of us grouped together in a circle and sang this song and cried a ton. It was such a spontaneous YA moment.

Jessica:
My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. It seems it was the ONLY thing that was playing that year. :D

Nikki:
Baby Got Back of course. Wait, no. As always, I can never answer my own questions! They seem good at the time, and then I'm like "uh, I have no idea." I truly don't remember what songs I danced to, but I do remember really liking All I Want by Toad the Wet Sprocket. So I must have danced to it, right?

TUESDAY TUNES: The quirks are showing...

For this addition of Tuesday Tunes, I asked the girls what the quirkiest, most unique song was in their playlist or music files. I figure, we're all writing for teens and seem to favor paranormal or sci-fi/dystopian--but we all have our differences, different voices, different ways to approach telling the stories, and that has to show up somewhere. Plus... I'm nosey. ^_^ Well, the replies rolled in, and I'm sharing them ALL with you.

SHERI SAID:
Pigs in Zen, Jane's Addiction. I usually use this song to motivated me when I'm looking to write a scene with lots of energy or insert crazy humor.



NIKKI SAID:
Outside of songs from the Strawberry Shortcake soundtrack and the Wiggles (all on my iPod for the kids) I’d have to say my most unique song in my writing folder is “I Was Broken” by Robert Pattinson, an acoustic version he sang in a club that made the rounds on the Internet. And there you have my secret celebrity crush that’s not really that big of a secret, considering I used to run a fan site for him! I don’t really use it to write any particular scene, it’s just in rotation with tons of other songs.


JESSIE SAID:
I'd say that the most unique song on my list is Dance Me to the End of Love by Madeline Peyroux. It's not that the song is particularly odd, but it's the only one with such a smoky, jazzy feel. It's always good to play when writing love scenes.


JESSICA SAID:
I'd have to say the oddest song I have in my collection is a song called, "The Only Gay Eskimo." I don't usually have it on when I write, but it's in my playlist, so sometimes it'll pop on when I'm writing. It's just a silly little song that was on SNL. I'm not even sure I know why I have it--LOL--but it's there. I can't think of a scene I'd use it to write, but maybe if it's a silly scene, it would be great inspiration.


AE SAID:
I have such a draw to Middle Eastern things, I wouldn't doubt I had at least one past life there. Every one knows I'm a rock-n-roll girl. My teen son and I pass music back and forth all the time. Recently, I've been listening to Papa Roach, but one of the most unique, farthest for rock-n-roll I can think of is Hunger, by Hans Zimmer, in Black Hawk Down.

Tuesday Tunes Inspires a "Break Up" Post

I get a little obsessed with songs. Like, when I hear one I love, I need to dissect the lyrics and understand them completely.  My current obsession is with "The Truth" by Kris Allen.
   If you watch the video, you'll see it's a super-awesome acoustic version. The lyrics that have me all wrapped up go like this:

Stop ignoring that our hearts are mourning
And let the rain come in
Stop pretending that it's not ending
And let the end begin, oh yeah...

Trying to be perfect
Trying not to let you down
Honesty is honestly
The hardest thing for me right now, yeah

And it made me think about how hard it is to admit that something is over. No matter how bad it may have been, letting go is always hard.  Sometimes devastatingly hard.

Breaking up with your WIP is no exception.  But does there come a time when you just have to part ways? Admit that you had some good times, you learned how to be a better writer, but in the end, it just wasn't meant to be?

And if so, how do you know when that time has come?

I'm currently pondering this question because I'm so "in love" with my current co-written story line, that I've considered walking away from my first baby.  The one I swore I wouldn't leave behind because I was not going to be one of those authors who couldn't hack it the first time out. (I know, insert major eye roll, right?)

But at the same time, I worry that I'd be giving up on my first love too easily.  We had something really special.  And even though no agent has felt it's right for her yet, I've gotten some really nice compliments about it.  Plus, Maggie Stiefvater posted this on her blog last week, about having perseverance and never giving up. As she said, "You have to choose courage." So where does that leave me?

That's right, marital counseling. Just kidding.

But seriously, how do we "stop pretending that it's not ending" and be honest with ourselves about our work? Does that time ever come or is there always room for growth?

Tuesday Tunes: Our favorite songs

Teen Classifications with Tone

Let's face it. High school is not easy. Please. You've got fashion issues, finding the right friends and where you belong, not to mention actually having to study. 


Remember walking into your high school as a freshman on that first day? Everything seemed new: the smell, the feel, the hope of a new beginning and what was to come. If you're a girl, it might have been wishing to meet that dreamy guy who's been a fantasy up until now. Or for a guy, it could have been a secret hope to stumble into that girl who'll see you for who you are and be okay with that.


Then you noticed the stares from the upperclassmen. Yeah, those guys and gals. And each stare was different. Cliques, groups, labels, it didn't matter what you called them. They were there and had a vicious pull, tugging you in all sorts of directions. It was a time of self discovery, figuring out who you were and what life and living in society was all about. 


You'd experienced a tad of labeling in junior high. The athlete everyone was sure would be the town star when he got to high school, or the kid whose musical talents were discovered. But, man, did it up-the-ante after hitting fifteen years old. It was nothing you planned on partaking in, but somehow you got sucked into a label, like the care label on a designer shirt. It was almost like political parties. Each group had their own platform, rules of do's and don'ts and the other groups that you were forbidden to mingle with. 


Yeah, I was tagged--won't name my supposed group--but I was also the rebel. I chatted with who I wanted, where I wanted, and how much I wanted. Sure that wasn't always popular with the 'crowd' I hung with. But I was okay with that.


So, today, we're examining the dynamics of group labeling in high school through music.





AE: A less easily defined group, but one I belonged to: the unlucky at love, the heartbroken, the one whose love life reads like a romantic comedy with them the butt of every joke... 'Love Bites by Def Leppard'.


Nikki: As part of the fringe of being somewhat geeky (AP classes) and somewhat trendy (theater), I always loved Lisa Loeb and her hip glasses!  So I’m choosing her song, 'Stay', even though it was a teeny bit after I graduated high school.


Jessie: According to my husband, who was the epitome of cool football player at the the rich-kid private school, the song that best sums up the popular click from our high school years is "Teen Spirit" by Nirvana.  This was when all the cool kids abandoned the aforementioned rock ballads and fell head over heels in love with grunge.


Jessica:  I was pretty much in a school of rednecks, but the group I always hung around with didn't really want to have to do anything with the boys. We were more interested in our studies.  ;) So, I'm going with 'That Don't Impress Me Much' by Shania Twain. 

And ME, as I stated above...I'll represent the Rebel group with 'Smokin in the Boys Room' by Motley Crue.


Can you add a label to our groups? Do you think high school is any different today?

TUESDAY TUNES: Songs That Make Us Cry

Songs can bring out a wide variety of emotions and feelings - and they can also make us cry. Whether it's tears of joy or tears of sadness, it's interesting to see what makes us shed a few. I asked the Oasis girls what song makes them cry, and if they ever listen to it when writing a particularly sad scene:

AE:
I Can't Live if Living is Without You by Harry Nilsson.
"That was Greg's favorite song," my sister said. Her blue eyes started tearing right there, just thinking about our brother who passed some years ago. "How can you listen to it? All I do is think about Greg and cry." I think of that conversation everytime I play the song. I can't listen to it without crying, either. But I want to cry. I want to hurt. I want to miss him. Because Greg was the best and brightest of us--he laughed and loved without equal. I don't ever want him to fade away. Like Nikki, I've never used it as a tool for writing. For the same reason--it's sacred.


Sheri:
I'm going to go with The Absence of Fear by Jewel. Why it makes me cry? On the outside, I had what appeared to be a wholesome upbringing, ushering me into and through my teenage years. I had clothes, food, a roof over my head, and a ton of friends. But so often I felt lonely. No one, excluding two uniquely close friends, knew what happened within the walls of my house. My mother was a manic depressant. Spelled H.E.L.L. for a teenager. When I first heard this song, I completely fell into it. Even though I had already moved out and was newly married, there was so much I wanted and longed for from my hidden past, from the teen years I'd lost. This song seemed to understand that.  


Jessie:
As you may or may not know, my girls are only 13 months apart. Once Samantha was born, my husband & I knew we were "done." I used to sit in the nursery at night, rocking my precious little baby (this was after the colic was over), and listening to Watercolor Ponies by Wayne Watson. It would bring tears to my eyes thinking about how fleeting those moments would be and how quickly time would pass us by. And just look, my oldest went to Kindergarten this week and little Sami is in pre-K4.

There are watercolor ponies
On my refrigerater door
And the shape of something
I don't really recognize
Drawn by careful little fingers
And put proudly on display
A reminder to us all
Of how time flies

***

But, baby, what will we do
When it comes back to me an you?
They look a little less
Like little boys every day
Oh, the pleasure of watching
The children growing
Is mixed with a bitter cup
Of knowing the watercolor ponies
Will one day ride away

Jessica:
A House Is Not A Home by Luther Vandross. THis song makes me cry every time because a LONG time ago my DH and I were having...issues. In fact we separated, but one day this song played on the radio one night as I pulled into my driveway. My house was completely dark. My son was at my mom's for the weekend. I cried my eyes out in the car in the driveway. But when I opened the door, my husband was sitting at the table with dinner ready and a bunch of lit candles. It was the day we got back together. We've now been married for almost 11 years. A sad story with a happy ending. :D

A chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sittin' there
But a chair is not a house and a house is not a home
When there's no one there to hold you tight
And no one there you can kiss goodnight...

...Pretty little darling, have a heart, don't let one mistake keep us apart
I'm not meant to live alone, turn this house into a home
When I climb the stairs and turn the key
Oh, please be there, sayin' that you're still in love with me

Nikki:
Mine is In the Arms of an Angel, by Sarah McLaughlin. It was the song I chose for the Father/Daughter dance at my wedding (I know it's a random song choice, but there was a part of the lyrics that really reminds me of him). Now whenever I hear it I start crying or turn the channel - because he passed away eight years ago and it immediately brings those memories to the front of my mind. I haven't yet tried to listen to it while writing, probably because I sort of view it as sacred, and would end up thinking of my Dad rather than the scene.

Your turn: What songs make you cry?

Teens on Tunes

Funny how things can turn out so different from what we imagined... take this blog post for example. I posed what I thought was a simple question to a variety of teens, figuring I’d get some precious insight into their teen psyches in return.* The question: what’s your favorite song and why do the lyrics speak to you?

As usual, the teens surprised me. I didn’t get back a slew of girls who were fawning over the Jonas brothers. And I didn’t find a bunch of angry young men looking to take out vengeance through lyrics.

What the answers reminded me is that we CANNOT stereotype teens or the teen characters we write. Teens are deep and multi-layered. Teens are paying attention to the world around them and care about more than just a date to prom. What's more, the girls aren't swooning over mushy lyrics as much as they just want to dance. And the boys, well, they like heavy beats too apparently, but the world seems to weigh pretty heavy on their shoulders.

* I naively also thought this question would not require much time and/or effort on their parts, but that didn't seem to make them any more eager to answer me. >_< Turns out, teens on summer break also seem to be lacking in the motivation department.

The Ladies...

Brandi, 18

"Maybe" by Sick Puppies.  It talks about how it's never too late to change your dreams; and you're never too young to change your lifestyle.

Riley, 17

One of my favorite songs is "Funny the Way It Is" by the Dave Matthews Band. The lyrics are beautiful, but bittersweet. They paint a realistic image of the world and the dichotomies that exist, and about how we take so many things for granted and tend to overlook what we don’t want to see. 

Nyia, 13

My favorite song is "California Gurls." [Katy Perry] I only like the first verse lyrics because they fun and the beat goes well with them.

Abby, 12

I just like the beat of songs.

Bethany, 18
"I'm Not Who I Was" by Brandon Heath.  I like the song 'cause it's about how you go through hard times, and you always change, you're never who you used to me.

The Gentlemen...

Brock, 19
"History in the Making" by Darius Rucker.  This song explains how even though you're going through rough times, things will turn out positive.

Josh, 17
"9 am in Dallas" by Drake.  This song talks about taking on a task and the fear of failure.  It talks to me about being the leader of a team and responsibility.

Scared for the first time everything has clicked

What if I don't really do the numbers they predict

Considerin' the fact that I'm the one that they just picked

To write a chapter in history this sh-t has got me sick

Jake, 13
"Talkin' 2 Myself" by Eminem.  This song talks about how most kids my age feel lost sometimes, like no one out there understands.

Is anybody out there? It feels like I'm talkin to myself

No one seems to know my struggle, and everything I come from

Can anybody hear me? Yeah, I geuss I keep talkin' to myself

It feels like I'm goin' insane, am I the one who's crazy? 

Are these the type of answers you would have expected? What sort of insights can you glean from these answers?

Tuesday Tunes: What does this song mean to you?

First Lines

Whether writing musical notes, lyrics, poetry, verse, or a full-length novel, writers write to move people; stir something within. It can be to motivate, to heal, or simply to raise awareness of some topic or plight of human nature.

(image borrowed from my space)

But there's something special about rhythm, the flow that words set to music takes on. We constantly hear the advice (sound advice I might add) that a writer must open with a strong first sentence, first paragraph, first chapter. And we know that a query letter without that dynamic opening line will take us nowhere. Same goes for a synopsis.


We must grab and taunt the reader, feeding them a hunger they didn't know they had. Same goes for music. 


Have you ever listened to a song that started out with backstory?


"Um, yeah, I'd love to tell you the pain I'm feeling right now so you can make a connection with me, but first I must share with you how I loved picking berries when I was a kid and chucking them at passing cars. Oh, and I forgot to tell you that I hate the color purple because old farmer George down the road used to own a mean dog named purple. That dog freaked me out!"


Sure, the latter might be a funny attribute to your MC but only if it adds to the story. Here, I don't believe it does anything.


What about a laundry list of characters?


"Thelma and I went to Jimmy's farm with Rosemary, Veronica and her lame boytoy chuck, and that's where we had our fight."


Or a dream that kept going and going? Or a long passage about the weather, which had nothing to do with the message of the song itself? 


I don't think we'd keep listening, would we? Prose can be beautiful, sending us to a place we haven't been before. But each line and word should serve a purpose. Musicians have just as tough a job as writers do, and they have less words to communicate their message and "hook" the listener.


Each of us has offered up a first line from a song that drew us in. Tell us what you think.


Nikki offers:
"It's been seven hours and fifteen days, since you took your love away" (from "Nothing Compares" by Sinead O'Connor)


AE said:
Cutting Crew, Just died in your arms. "Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight."


Jessie's pick: the Righteous Brothers, You've Lost that Loving Feeling. "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips." 

JA gave: FAITHFULLY by Journey, "Highway run into the midnight sun, Wheels go round and round, You're on my mind."

For me, it's Bryan Adams song (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, "Look into my eyes, and you will see, what, you mean to me."


I think we can see that each first line conjures a question.


AE - '...died in your arms...' How, why, and who are you?
JA - '...you're on my mind.' Why?
Me - '...what you mean to me.' What do I mean to you? Who is he talking about?
Nikki - '...seven hours and fifteen days...' Is there more significance here then said?
Jessie - '...you never close your eyes...' What is the reason, and who are you?


Can you think of a first line in a song that completely gripped you? What is it?

TUESDAY TUNES: Make Out Songs

This week I thought we'd all post our favorite make-out songs (maybe for our characters ... maybe for us personally)!





Sheri:
Can't help it, especially after this weekend. It has to be "I'll Be
There For You" by Bon Jovi. ";-)

I'll be there for you.
These five words I swear to you.
When you breath, I want to be the air for you.
I'll be there for you.

I'd live and I'd die for you.
I'd steal sun from the sky for you.
Words can't say what love can do.
I'll be there for you.

Jessie:
I think Joshua Radin's songs are beautiful and romantic and I can totally see having a make-out session to them. (Unfortunately, he came a little after my make-out days.) However, I'm going to go with "I'm Yours" by The Script:

I may not have the softest touch
I may not say the words as such
And though I may not look like much
I'm yours
And though my edges may be rough
And never feel I'm quite enough
It may not seem like very much
But I'm yours

For me, I can envision the soft guitar chords playing as the characters get closer and closer to each other, leaning in for that first kiss. Slightly rough fingers play over her cheek bones as he cradles her face, and the song echoes in the background: I may not have the softest touch. I'd be gone if that ever happened to me. :)

AE:
With two wily, busy teens in our little house, if opportunity for a smooch knocks, hubby and I are taking it, with or without the music. ~_^ I don't really have a song for my characters, either, but I play Corrupt by Depeche Mode when I'm writing the steamy, tingly scenes. But, with RESONANCE I've been breaking some of my old molds and have been listening to the Falling Slowly duet by Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox while writing scenes with River and Faith.

Jessie:
Okay, I'm going to go with Nothing Else Matters by Metallica. It's a bit "old school," but it's the song I remember playing the very first time I kissed my husband (before we were married, of course :D ) Even now the lyrics speak volumes to me.

I never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Nikki:
Like AE, I don't have a make out song, so I had to dig through iTunes for something! I think Flyleaf's 'All Around Me' stood out the most...

My hands are searching for you
My arms are outstretched towards you
I feel you on my fingertips
My tongue dances behind my lips for you

What's your favorite make out song?

Blast from our Pasts

 

Today we're going back in time to our own high school days and pop up some of the songs we remember. 

They made us laugh, cry, rage.  Some songs we even remember fondly as our make out song.  Or...Well I'll just leave this alone as I'm sure my family is reading.  LOL. 

They were our soundtracks for our lives.  Most of us can remember what we were doing when we this song came on, or that one.  We can maybe vaguely remember who were dating at the time (unless you're like me and you're still stuck with your high school sweetheart.  :D )

I remember singing into my hairbrush with a lot of these songs or cruising with my girls and screaming the lyrics into the steering wheel.

They can bring back good memories or bad, or even just what we ate that day.  But no matter what response or memory they trigger, it's an excellent way to remember our own high school days and use them for novel fodder.

From Sheri: 
Shout at the Devil, Motley Crue
Don't Stop, Fleetwood Mac
All Fired Up, Pat Benatar
Pour Some Sugar On Me, Def Leppard
Every Rose Has It's Thorn, Poison

Jessie remembers:
Two Princes by The Spin Doctors
Hold My Hand by Hootie and the Blowfish
Run Around, Blues Traveler
I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't do That) by Meatloaf
Kiss from a Rose by Seal

Nikki's choices: 

Vogue, Madonna
Jump, Kris Kross
I Wanna Sex You Up, Color Me Badd
Good Vibrations, Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch
Losing My Religion, R.E.M.

A.E.'s:
Bon Jovi's Runaway:My best guy friend was in theater--he wanted to do a stage performance of it, and wanted me to play the part of "the runaway." I hate having a fuss made of me, hate being the center of attention, and he wanted me to get up on stage in a little black corset number... I choreographed, helped with the set design, but we never did perform it. Thank God.
Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar
Winger's Seventeen
Europe's Final Countdown (long story including a hot guy, a scintillating dance with him singing off key in my ear in a French accent and a street party in France...)
Aldo Nova's Fantasy

And mine:
My Heart Will Go On, Celine Dion
Barbie Girl, Aqua
Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
Iris, GooGoo Dolls
Angel, Sarah McLachlan