Still 3.1 - Story Types Specific to Fanfiction

(but with songs)

So. Songs.

I'm pretty sure I don't have to extol the virtues of music here. Good music makes statues weep, soothes the savage beast and brings people back to life. There's only one letter of difference between magic and music; et cetera, et cetera. We all know this.

This Guide appreciates music in all (or at least many) forms. But what I'm interested in right now are just the lyrics. Because when you're writing fanfiction, it's easier to bring in the lyrics. Or rather, it's the only element of music you can realistically hope to integrate into a fic. Because let's fact it; most people wouldn't glance twice at the youtube link you so painstakingly spaced out for their convenience.

The average reader is a lazy bum. Heartbreaking, but true. You only have to look at any hit/review ratio to be ascertained of the fact. Applaud if you have a number which is not a decimal lesser than one. You're one among a lucky, lucky few.

(And no, I'm not doing that oblique hinting thing. You have to trust me here.)

But anyway, back to lyrics.

Lyrics are used widely in songfics and karaoke fics, the two subtypes of fandom story classifications that I'm attempting to cover in this chapter… and the next. Bite-sized chunks and all that.

3.1.2. Karaoke Fics

Let get this one over with, then.

Because in that Camp with the monsters in the woods and two near-fatal injuries per week (an assumed average), people standing around on a stage next to a karaoke machine, blushing and not making eye contact with the people they're singing about is just… wrong.

Or something Dionysus dreamed up in one of his wilder bacchanals. Take that as you will.

Unlike T/D fics, however, I think I've actually seen a story where someone made this karaoke thing (kinda) work. It involved Apollo, some sort of blackmail and people being snarky and reluctant about having to participate in something like karaoke at a Demigod life-or-death training Camp. Which does make sense.

However, I cannot remember if any of the characters actually sand songs in that fic. Which could make it a parody, and that sort of negates the whole point of listing this under karoke fics.

Either way; most karaoke fics tend to be like most Truth or Dare fics. Just like Truth or Dare stories, Karaoke fics are things which make me, by their very existence, question the meaning of life and/or fanfiction. This is due to distressingly similar reasons; so much so that writing the tips for improvement started giving me déjà vus.

First. Confessions of love don't really happen by way of karaoke, at least not without considerable buildup. If you must have someone sing their love for someone else, make sure it's at the end of an actual relationship story. That can be horribly cheesy, but it would make more sense than people suddenly bursting into songs about their affections.

This isn't High School Musical, people. I might have liked that movie, but it the PJO characters don't work via song.

Second. Not everyone is in camp all the time. Refer the Truth or Dare chapter for further details, because readers aren't the only people who are lazy bums.

The third one is something new.

You might remember that scene in the Last Olympian, when Nico and Percy wanted to get into the Underworld. Both of them were pretty desperate; like life-or-death desperate over it. But not to the point that either of them even considered attempting to sing. It was a No, and that was that.

The moral of this story: Percy and Nico would risk possible death rather than sing.

Now apply this to a karaoke scenario. At best, you get them to sing and the entire Camp immediately rises in protest and duct-tapes their mouths shut. And make them swear on the Styx never to sing again for good measure. At worst, they refuse to sing at all and spend their time glowering at the people who want them to sing.

It's quite possible I have the worst-best scenarios mixed up. But whatever, you get the point. Not everybody is a good singer. Some people are actually incapable of carrying a tune.

This is something I have learned from vast personal and very intimate experience. Ahem.

Fourth; song lyrics do not make a story. If you have to write a karaoke fic; please add in character interactions. I have literally seen stories which go like this;

Percy took the mic. He sang,

(insert entire song here)

People clapped. Percy handed over the mic to Nico, who sang,

(insert more lyrics here)

Note: If the lyrics take up more space than your actual story, you're doing something wrong. Copy-pasting lyrics is not writing. It's copy-pasting lyrics. Try to avoid this, even if you think the song is perfect for the character and speaks for itself. In which case, you're looking for a fanmix, not a fanfic.

Lyrics should be used to accent your story, it should not be allowed to dominate it; but that really is something to be left for the next chapter.

Further Notes: For anyone who might be wondering about this, I did not forget the OOCness. I would have, but after some thought, I realized that it was a problem so rampant and widespread that it would seriously require it's own chapter to be addressed properly. Chapters, actually.

Other Notes (which are not part of the Guide)

To ToReadandWrite: Pregnant!Annabeth is on my list, yes. Sue!Thalia, however, managed to escape my notice. I would be greatful if you could tell me exactly what you mean by that. It sounds horribly like something I would hate to miss out on. D8 Also, the series in question is Codex Alera by Jim Butcher, but it starts of really slow. You need to sit through the first book an a half. Or possibly just the first half of the first book, since we do have an epic battle in the second half.

And thank you. :)

To Everybody: As there's this giant possibility that I might miss out on something-

Okay. I'm definitely going to overlook/forget things I would rather not overlook/forget. And this is where you come in, dear readers. Comment upon nything you fell needs to be commented upon. My gratitude will be yours. 8D

Up next; Songfics!