lyrical inspiration, take it or leave it?

[sassandgroove]

I am writing a novel that grew out of my fantasy world when I was 12 and never stopped. I love music, and it serves as an inspirsation for my characters and worlds. Many songs, or more accurately, lines from songs have inspired my stories. But my novel is a fantasy setting, with other worlds, and the main characters live in an ultra modern earth like place, possibly a colony. My question is, can I put the line of the song that inspired a scene or chapter at the beginning of the chapter, or would it be silly, take you out of the SFF setting, or even worse, is it unnessessary. It is sounding silly even as I write this.

[scribbler1382]

I don't know about it being silly, but it's illegal. Song titles, as was recently posted in another thread, are okay to use. Song lyrics you have to pay for.

[Mike Martyn]

It may or may not be silly but it is likely a breach of the song writer's copywrite unless the song is writteninthe future inwhich case your only problem is theh trans temporal police!

[katiemac]

sass, I know what you mean. I have more than one mixed CD full of these inspirational songs that affect my mood when I write. Many of the lyrics remind me of my characters, and sometimes a scene is spurred from a line or two of one of the songs.

However, in my opinion, using the lyric in the actual novel is unnecessary. Not only, like many have said, would you have to pay for the use of copyright, it's likely the only person it's going to mean anything to in the sense you mean it is you. Readers might notice the line and go, "Oh hey, I know that song," but the mood and feeling it created for YOU won't rub off onto them. There are also plenty of readers who would skip over such title headings, anyway. About 2% of the novels I read have chapter titles and I skip them, especially if I'm engaged in the story. It matters to me what's in the story, not how it's framed.

[sassandgroove]

sass, I know what you mean. I have more than one mixed CD full of these inspirational songs that affect my mood when I write. Many of the lyrics remind me of my characters, and sometimes a scene is spurred from a line or two of one of the songs.

However, in my opinion, using the lyric in the actual novel is unnecessary. Not only, like many have said, would you have to pay for the use of copyright, it's likely the only person it's going to mean anything to in the sense you mean it is you. Readers might notice the line and go, "Oh hey, I know that song," but the mood and feeling it created for YOU won't rub off onto them. There are also plenty of readers who would skip over such title headings, anyway.

Thank You Katiemac for getting what I mean. I think I knew the answer before I posted, but you really helped clarify it for me.

P.S. I know there would be copy right issues, that wasn't my question. Thanks though.

[Beb]

I know how you feel. Songs often inspire me or get me in the mood of a particular scene or character. Sometimes I'm extremely tempted to sneak part of an obscure song lyric into dialogue but I've always decided against it.

Stephen King used a lot of music in his Dark Tower series, but he sort of cheated in that it made sense in the setting. If your story really doesn't have anything to do with the real world, then it seems like leaving them out might be for the best.

But what do I know? =P

[maestrowork]

Use them as inspiration. Sure. But mostly likely your readers won't have the same attachment to them as you do. So I'll suggest you leave them out. Besides, what they say about copyright.

[katiemac]

Thank You Katiemac for getting what I mean. I think I knew the answer before I posted, but you really helped clarify it for me.

Hey, no problem. Sometimes you just need another outlook to solidify everything for you -- I need that all the time. ;) Good luck with the writing!

[ANNIE]

I know just what you mean- I think.

I'll be listening to a song on the radio and I'll think- Hey! that would make a great soundtrack for that scene in my book when they make a movie out of it

Ha! LOL!!!
I have SUCH a vivid delusion- I mean imagination, I got to go take my meds now BYE
Annie

[Princesstilly]

...Nobody's Home by Avril Lavigne. It fits the tone and basic premise of my novel exactly. And Avril could star as my main character too! Deryk Whibley (her new fiance from Sum 41) would be perfect for her love interest...hmmm, wonder if either of them are thinking of moving to the big screen.

Leanne (who finished Chapter 6 last night...woo hoo!)