They're great for several reasons.
1. You can sometimes find some great music that way- there's songs in my iTunes library I've only bought because I read a story using the song or based off the lyrics.
2. Sometimes the lyrics say things more perfectly than you ever could.
3. Usually the basic premise of the story is already there in the song, so you don't have to think about what to write!
I say usually. Not always. Because some songs are very general, so you can interpret the context of the song in more than one way.
Which is great, because it gives you that little bit of freedom; but sometimes, if you can't think of a context (or have more than 1 possible context), it can be frustrating.
Fics based off songs are more often than not the one time you don't have to worry about writer's block, which as anyone who writes will know, is a pain.
My strategy for writing song-fics is simple:
1. Always search first to see if someone has already written anything based off the same song. If they have, I won't do it. I always check before I write anything, but there is a Gelphie friendship "Wind beneath my wings" one-shot buried somewhere in my recycle bin that will never see the light of day because I found someone else had already done one.
I was actually happy about that because I didn't think mine was very good, and I was stunned that no one else had done so before.
2. Copy and paste the lyrics into a word document and make notes about the song's context, and how this will fit into whatever fandom you're writing in.
3. Watch the music video of the song and listen to it repeatedly for however long suits you (Kiss the Girl- just written, not published yet- was played for about three hours repeatedly whilst writing it. Get it Right was played for two days).
4. Um, write it. I like to slip lyrics of the song into the story, just because it's fun that way.
Write now, I'm trying to write a one-shot based off this Faith Hill song "You Give me love". It's a beautiful uplifting song, but I'm having trouble deciding on a context.
My initial idea was either a proposal or a wedding type thing; but the first few lines made me reconsider.
"You turn around, then you ask me behind tears of doubt, just what do I see in you?"
So, then I was thinking of what situations would bring that question to be asked? Last night, I had the thought maybe it was a "meeting the parents" situation gone wrong type thing, but I'm just not sure....
So, I'm going off to play the song again and hopefully inspiration will strike!
You turn around
Then you ask me behind tears of doubt
Just what do I see in you
Please don't cry
I know sometimes it seems
we barely get by
But you don't see how much you do
To get me through
When the world is cold
And I need a friend to hold
You give me love... you give me love
And when my hope is gone
And I feel I can't go on
You pick me up
You give me love... you give me love
I apologize
If I never told you what you are in my eyes
Oh baby, let me tell you now
Every day
Looks sweeter knowing you'll be there in every way
Now how can you say that's not enough
'Cause when the world is cold
And I need a friend to hold
You give me love... you give me love
And when my hope is gone
And I feel I can't go on
You pick me up
You give me love, you give me
Everything my heart desires
Morning sun and midnight fires
Someone there to share my dreams
With you I have everything
When the world is cold
And I need a friend to hold
You give me love... you give me love
And when my hope is gone
And I feel I can't go on
You pick me up
You give me love
Yeah, when the world is cold
And I need a friend to hold
You give me love... you give me love
And when my hope is gone
And I feel I can't go on
You pick me up
You give me love
(By the way, there is no official music video for this song. But I liked this one... because it's Disney :D)
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