Good Lyrical Writing

by Adam Huddleston

Very few of us smelly humans walking the face of the earth dislike songs of one type or another. The combination of music and poetry (the definitions get blurred at times) stirs something inside us. It can elicit a myriad of emotions and good lyrics play a major role in that.

Now, what makes a particular arrangement of lyrics good? The answer to that is as varied as the many forms of music. It’s all a matter of taste. To explain, let’s look at a few of my favorite examples:

1. The Statler Brothers recorded a country music hit in 1965 entitled “Flowers on the Wall.” One of my favorite lines is in the chorus. “…playing Solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one.” If you realize that a standard deck contains fifty-two cards and that all are needed to complete a game of Solitaire, you’ll see the level of futility the singer is attempting. It’s a simple line that implies quite a bit.
2. REO Speedwagon had a number of hits over the 1970s and 80s. One of these was “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, a power-ballad from 1984. The line, “And even as I wander, I’m keeping you in sight. You’re a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter’s night” while errs on the side of cheesy, still contains sharp imagery and word flow.
3. The last example is more of a movie line than a song. Near the beginning of “Mary Poppins”, Dick Van Dyke’s character Bert states, “Wind’s in the East, mist coming in, like somethin’ is brewin’, about to begin. Can’t put me finger, on what lies in store, but I feel what’s to happen all happened before.” It’s a quote with a slightly dark undertone and gives the remainder of the movie its sense of magic and wonder.

While most of these lines are lyrics from songs, we as writers should strive to inject the same emotional power in whatever medium we are working in.

Happy writing!

It’s the Little Things

by Adam Huddleston

It’s the little things that stick with you. My wife and I just returned from an anniversary trip to Omaha, Nebraska. We heard they had a wonderful zoo and children’s museum so we took the kids with us as well. While there are a ton of memories I will always cherish, there were many small events here and there that made the trip most memorable. Although these tidbits may not make an entire story on their own, they can be woven into my prose, making it much more meaningful.

Memories like: the feeling of cold, sticky orange juice running down my leg after my three-year old spilled his drink at the hotel’s free hot breakfast, my children’s laughter after seeing a primate’s hairless bottom, the rich, creamy texture of a slice of cheesecake for dessert one night, and the constant hum of the road under my tires as the white dashes seemed to come at me forever.

Observe the world around you during your daily activities. While many events might seem insignificant, they can make a big impact on your work.

Happy writing!

My Favorite Works of Fiction-Part 2

by Adam Huddleston

I can hear the groans coming from the peanut gallery. Shouts of “Oh no, not another one!” pour from the rafters. Well guess what folks, one blog is not enough to cover the vast multitude of books that I’ve enjoyed reading throughout the years. That being said, I’ll try to keep this list to a minimum.

Dystopian fiction, in all of its dark and dreary goodness, can provide the backdrop for some excellent story-telling. One of the all-time greats in this genre is “1984” by George Orwell. The author does an outstanding job of infusing a thrilling story with a gloomy, futuristic backdrop. It is the quintessential cautionary tale of a federal government grown too large and powerful.

If you are looking for an excellent combination of horror, fantasy, western, and science fiction (this really exists), Stephen King’s magnum opus “The Dark Tower” fills that role. Be prepared to go on a massive journey through seven books with a large and dynamic cast of characters, a myriad of settings in both the real and make-believe worlds, and tons of connections to King’s other works.

The last entry this time around is an oldie, very old actually, but a goody; “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare. If you’ve never read Shakespeare, it can be somewhat cumbersome to find your way through the King’s English (or Queen’s English if you prefer) but the story is well worth it. On the chance that it becomes too much to bear, I’ll allow you to cheat and watch one of the numerous motion picture versions of this classic tale. In my opinion, Kenneth Branagh’s version is one of the best.

So, there it is. I can’t promise that there won’t be a third part to this thread at some point in the future, but hopefully you’ll give these stories a chance and enjoy them as much as I did.

Happy reading!