As a writer of fan fiction, I enjoy writting song fics. I'm inspired by music alot and I work hard to make these types of fan fiction enjoyable and interesting to read.

However, when it comes to HP fandom, I have a very hard time finding a rather decent song fic fiction to read. In fact, most of the time, they fan fic has the name of a song but hasn't nothing to do with the song itself.

Now, I've also noticed that if you automatically writer of song fics, then many people will think you're a bad writer. Now for me, I don't think that's true, but I want to know if any one has read down right horrible song fics that make them want to hurl. I want to learn from those because I tempetted to write a song fic in HP fandom.

I have noticed over 50 HP fan fics entitled 'Bring Me to Life.' *shivers* I used to love that song.

-Q

 

Whenever i ever see a song either original or not in a fanfic I just scroll right by it.

I read fanfiction for action or comedy, I feel like songs are trying to bring about emotion and thats just not what I read fanfiction for.

 

I find nothing wrong with listening to music to inspire a mood to something you're writing, but creating an entire fic (I assume most of these are one-shots? Don't read them myself...) around a song is just kind of....well, stupid, IMO.

 

The use of a few selected lines of song/poetry in a fic can be a great way to set the scene for some action (think Coppola's baptism in the Godfather) however it should not be the focus -- instead it should accentuate and add onto the fic; it should not have the fic added onto it.

Songs can be used in literature (there are great examples of effective song use in IT, Catcher in the Rye, and Confederacy of Dunces) however fanfic writers in general don't know how to use them. As a result you get emo-cutting fics with emo-cutting lyrics in the background.

 

True it does mean every other sentence -- but I was phrasing it politely

 

I don't think I could write an emo cutter fic even if I tried. If I did, I'd probaly start laughing my head off. Besides, the key to writting a song fan fic is knowing which song to use and when/where to put lyrics. It's really not that hard to write one but to write one worth reading is rather difficult at times.

 

Most of the songfics I have seen so far have been written by fangirls 'inspired' by some popular hit who then thought "omg that's so liek Harry!1" and proceed to copy the lyrics and write a few sentences around them (where Harry goes "Omg that's so liek me!2"

I remember a parody of those where the author made up some lyrics ... can't remember anymore though.

 

I avoid songfics like the plague, simply because the only ones I have ever read, which was years ago, were down right awful.

There is also the fact that most of the ones of ffn are supposedly not allowed, because they contain copyrighted song lyrics.

I personally don't see the point in song fics. It makes vastly more sense to just right your own fic. I know all fanfiction writers copy the material of the parent author, but to write down the lyrics of a song, add a small number of lines of actual fic, and say its a fic, down right stupid in my eyes. Its like the folk who post a couple of hundred words, and call it a long chapter.

 

Well that wouldn't be too hard for me because I don't listen to popular music.

 

And this differs from most songfics how? (Not that I disagree with the sentiment mind you)

I've read one or two decent fics with song lyrics IN them, But to be honest it was usually after 5 or 6 chapters, and then the song was never mentioned again. at least the good ones were like that.

 

Manatheron, my point was its one and the same, pointless.

 

There are so much bad sonfics out there that i think that it's better to not write one at all as you will only get feedback from emos, stupid people and prepubescent fan girls

 

Which of course was the point of my post.

 

Well I guess I wouldn't really call it a song fic. It's inspired by a song. Still, I enjoy writing song fics but that's mainly in CATS fandom for people who can acutally enjoy them.

I really doubt I would attract those kinds with Sex Changes. I know for a fact that all the Mary Sues are going to think I'm messed up which is a good thing. I don't even think they've heard the of the Dresdens Dolls and I really hope they haven't.

 

The only songs that are worth singing are the ones that express the agony, and suffering that is life.

God, this life sucks. Let me put on "Wake Me Up When September Ends," by Green Day, and I'll think about how much I hate my father.

 

To me certain musics can inspire certain fights and/or settings. But I find that non-lyrical music actually fits best, because lyrics control the thought of a song and totally override the tone set by the music themselves.

For example, in Queens, with Harry fighting the Incubi I actually replayed Don Davis' - Chateau from the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack. The song just fit perfectly, and it helped move one part of the fight to the next. Match the actions with the beat and then move on. I've taken time to actually sit and write out certain songs that will best fit certain scenes in Queens. At some point I might release a bit of a soundtrack list so others know what I had going on.

But that's where I draw the line, only because trying to use lyrical music tends to make you think of their singer's setting, rather then your own. There's music out there that I've even thought of using (Papa Roach's - The World Around You as a quick example) but when you let yourself use a song that has lyrics, you suddenly start to form an idea or a plot device that centers around what that singer is saying. Something that may not even fit with what you want to write.

That and, like most everyone said, 99% of songfics just have big nut pubes stuck all in their teeth.