- Germaine -
So you want to write songs in stories, but have no idea where to start? Unfortunately for you, I have no idea how to write songs, too. But before you begin to despair, here are a few tips I've learned from reading a few books.
1. Songs DO NOT need to rhyme
I see this a lot. It's a little annoying when it's overused in the same book, especially when the author seems to run out of rhymes.
I'm not saying, "don't rhyme your songs at all." Some songs that rhyme are actually quite good.
I'm saying, "think about it." If the song you're writing fits well with your story, go for it. But if it seems out of place, you might want to consider rewriting it. The worst case scenario would be to delete it entirely and erase all traces of it from your story.
I'm not saying, "don't rhyme your songs at all." Some songs that rhyme are actually quite good.
I'm saying, "think about it." If the song you're writing fits well with your story, go for it. But if it seems out of place, you might want to consider rewriting it. The worst case scenario would be to delete it entirely and erase all traces of it from your story.
2. Write songs like you're writing poetry
Songs are poems, after all. So wouldn't it be fun to just throw out some deep, meaningful figurative language? Of course, it would have to somewhat relate to the song, or else it won't make sense. You could try writing a poem, then putting it to music. Try new things. Take risks. You can always edit later.
3. Keep your songs short
Once I wrote a four-page song into a story with my brother. It wasn't pretty. We could spend minutes just going over the entire song. Sometimes we skipped over it to save time.
My point is, keep your songs short.
My recommendation would be one page, maximum.
My recommendation would be one page, maximum.
Enjoy yourself,
- Germaine
James 1:17
Read any good books with great songs in them? Comment below!