Music & Lyrics
Mar 20th 2007
Claudia DainOn Writing!
My husband and I were supposed to go see Three Hundred. Supposed to. When we got to the theater, Music and Lyrics was playing at the same time and he wanted to go see that instead.
You read that right. My husband wanted to see a romantic comedy over a graphic novel action movie based on a historical battle. You can see why I love this man.
We both loved Music and Lyrics. It was light, sweet, funny, and it showed us a good time. I don’t ask much more of a movie than to be entertained and this one worked for both of us.
For me, the movie had special relevance as a writer of romantic novels. The crux of the hero’s journey in M&L is that the hero, Alex, has been living off his past success as an 80’s pop singer/songwriter. He produced one solo album, but it was a flop.
It was a flop because all of the songs on the album, all of his original songs, were written by formula. They were written for the precise purpose of being popular and because of that, they lacked heart and soul. Because they were empty of real emotion, they failed. And he failed.
Does this happen to writers as well as songwriters? Is it possible that writers can become so scared, so desperate to deliver what the customer wants, that they lose their voice and their vision for what they want to say?
Writing is a business and what sells is the only thing that matters. Right?
Yes, but…
The climax of Music and Lyrics came when Alex wrote a song on his own, from the heart, for the heroine. The song wasn’t great. It wasn’t poetry. But it was from the heart, everyone could hear that, and because of that, it was a great song. It was a love song.
And when a book is written from the heart, it has a special magic. A book can shine with a certain purity, a certain resonance. When it does, you can feel the emotion on every page and you’re carried along on the tide.
Or not?
Do you think a good book is the result of inspiration or skill or luck? All three? None of the above? What do your favorite books have in common?
20 Comments »
20 Responses to “Music & Lyrics”
Ali on 20 Mar 2007 at 8:03 am #
I do truly believe that a good book can be an inspiration. If it has the capacity to take you to a new place that you havnt been before. Then you have travelled and that is always good. New places and new people even if imaginary have real benefits. All my fav books which run the range from Regency romance ie Stephanies Laurens, whose characters make you want to be them. To Janet Evanovich, whose characters you can relate to in many of the various embarrassing situations. Rober Jordan, for the sole reason of being magical. Jennifer Fallon whose characters are complex and real even though their landscape is not.
They all take me places I may not have been able to go, but my goodness what a wonderful journey. I am a well travelled person, but reading is my passion, and all good authors must have passion, inspiration, skill and luck, or they wont make it in the business. Someone needs to buy the product, if it is not up to standard than it just wont move.
Julia London on 20 Mar 2007 at 9:26 am #
My good friend Julie Kenner and I went to see M&L — our husbands were horrified by the title alone. My husband doesn’t know it, but he adores romantic comedies. He just thinks of them as movies. But if he suspects it is a romantic comedy–which would be anything starring Hugh Grant–he gets his testosterone on and refuses to go, LOL. But Julie and I both loved it.
I’m with Ali — books that carry me away are inspiring and make me want to devour more books. Most recently, the ones that have really swept me away have been Phillipa Gregory — the Other Boleyn Girl and the Boleyn Inheritance. She can keep me turning pages until I drop.
Ali B on 20 Mar 2007 at 9:53 am #
Dear Goddesses
I think writing a good book is a mixture of inspiration and skill. There will be a few who can write well intuitively, but for most of us getting it right is as much about perspiration as inspiration.
Ali B (new writer from Bristol, UK, my other pastime is golf - love the blog!)
Claudia Dain on 20 Mar 2007 at 10:01 am #
I’m with Ali, too. Passion, inspiration, skill AND luck…all necessary. Not an easy combination to achieve, but all the books I love and the authors who write them have it.
About Hugh Grant, he learned to dance, sing, and play the piano for his role in M&L. That’s impressive. Sort of raises the testosterone level of Hugh Grant for the males in the audience. LOL Any time a guy digs in and puts on his “get ‘r done”, well, other guys can respect that.
Julia London on 20 Mar 2007 at 10:15 am #
Hey Ali, I am a golfer, too. Or was. I haven’t actually picked up a club since last summer, but I’ve played (badly) for years.
Ali B on 20 Mar 2007 at 10:22 am #
Hope you visit my new golfing blog
http://cuttinguprough.blogspot.com
Have also written a novel but not published - (yet?)
RachelG on 20 Mar 2007 at 10:57 am #
A lot can be forgiven if the book is filled with the writer’s passion for her/his story. But if the writer isn’t skilled enough to finesse and nuance the story, it can fall horridly flat. Which is such a huge disappointment to the readers. I hate it when I’m really into a book or a movie and the ending totally ruins it for me.
Karen Rose on 20 Mar 2007 at 11:07 am #
My favorite books bring people to life that I’d like to know. Like Nora Roberts’ Chesapeake Bay trilogy. I wanted to be Anna Spinnelli’s next door neighbor, you know? Or her Irish Sisters trilogy - when I went to Ireland, I knew Brianna’s B&B didn’t really exist, but I couldn’t help being disappointed that it didn’t.
When I was a little girl, I’d read Little Women, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Sue Barton Student Nurse again and again - and I’d pretend I was right in there with them. I’d even spin stories in my mind about joining Nancy Drew’s circle of friends. Not that I ever planned to bump off Bess or George, mind you - I just wanted to be added to the fun.
A good book leaves you with new friends. My husband always raises his brows at this - “You know they’re not real, don’t you?” Of course. But it’s so much fun - and so effortless - to pretend when the book is well written.
anneriailin on 20 Mar 2007 at 11:58 am #
I’ll add my two cents in. I agree with everyone else that I like books that take me places that I have never been or never will be able to go. I like the escape aspect of reading. If an author can achieve that with me then they have succeeded. The other thing I like in my books is humor. Add all of those things together and you’ll have me hooked.
Karen Hawkins on 20 Mar 2007 at 12:14 pm #
I think characters are the most important aspect of a book, too. A great plot will sell one book, great characters will have me looking for a backlist.
I loved this movie, btw. I thought the romance was simple, but well done. And I loved the contrast of the two characters and the great humor. Give me a book, movie, or friend that can make me laugh, and they’re all keepers!
(And welcome to Ali, too!)
Sabrina Jeffries on 20 Mar 2007 at 12:16 pm #
Definitely all three are required, IMO–skill, inspiration, and luck. Speaking as a writer rather than a reader, you CAN do a book on skill alone and have it turn out well. Once in a while you have to. And sometimes a book that has a special place in your heart for some reason is either TOO close or doesn’t resonate with others as it does with you. I cried my way through the writing of Married to the Viscount, but I don’t think it had that effect on readers, although it did very well. I tore my hair out over One Night with a Prince and readers loved it.
As a reader, my favorite books don’t have one thing in common. Some I like for the humor, some I like for the sexual tension, some I like for bringing me into a world I’ve never experienced. But that’s just me.
Suzanne Enoch on 20 Mar 2007 at 12:30 pm #
I agree, Sabrina — you can produce a book with any one of the three, but when inspiration, luck & skill all hit at the same time, THAT’s when I truly love being a writer.
Claudia Dain on 20 Mar 2007 at 12:46 pm #
If I had to pick one thing that was true about each of my favorite books it would be that they felt real. The people, the place, the plot–I believed it all. It’s that idea of being transported. I love it. I hope for it every time I pick up a book.
And every time I write a book, too! LOL
Kay on 20 Mar 2007 at 2:44 pm #
Plot is important, but I have to feel something for the characters or I can’t read the book. I will read some series mysteries just because I love the main character. Even if one out of every three or four of the books is a dud plot wise, I still want to know what my character is up to.
Sometimes I wonder if the author is getting tired about writing about the same main character. As a devoted fan of a few of these, I enjoy seeing the character grow and the story arc be carried throughout several books. Then I feel like rereading one of the books is like visiting an old friend.
FilmPhan on 20 Mar 2007 at 3:12 pm #
I find that I am more attracted to books that have characters with major flaws in them. The hero would be more interesting if he had scars, or blindness, or emotional problems. The heroine would be interesting if she had extra pounds, or was a poor servant and not a queen. For me, it isn’t fun reading about 2 insanely gorgeous and flawless people fall in love. I love to watch the characters heal each other because it so much more emotional.
I love characters that I can connect with also. I like to see them as friends. If I don’t like the characters then I usually don’t like the book. The plot can be terribly boring or far fetched and I would still love it because the characters would keep me there.
DebMarlowe on 20 Mar 2007 at 7:41 pm #
I can’t wait to see this movie!
What you said about the songs that Hugh Grant’s character writes, Claudia, totally reminded me of Adam Sandler. Two times his character in a movie has written a song just for his heroine, and both times I have melted right there in the theater. Wedding Singer–yeah, I wanna grow old with him! And 50 First Dates–I’ll give him another first kiss! In these roles he totally does it for me, even though he’s so beta!
I agree with what nearly everyone already said. Alpha, Beta, whatever. I have to believe the characters to love the book. I love good writing, good plot structure, but I gotta love the characters to really love the ride.
Nicole Jordan on 20 Mar 2007 at 7:51 pm #
>>>And when a book is written from the heart, it has a special magic. A book can shine with a certain purity, a certain resonance. When it does, you can feel the emotion on every page and you’re carried along on the tide.
That is so beautifully put, Claudia! And I agree to a large extent. On the other hand, I’m kinda torn on the question.
Sure, a book has to have heart to connect with readers. But I don’t think it always has to come from the writer’s heart to be well-received.
Some of the books I’ve written from my heart have gotten raves and others not. I think it depends not so much on the writer’s heart as how the story and characters connect with readers’ hearts. If that makes a lick of sense.
Case in point… several years ago with one of my books, I HATED writing every single blasted word becasue I was going thru burnout. The ONLY reason I finished was because I was under contract and I’m obstinate enough that if I say I’m going to do something, I darn well do it. I also despised the writing process because it was a trite, overused formulaic premise/plot… mail order bride–marriage of convenience story. But it did really well, and many readers loved that book because it was also a timeless, classic plot. And fortunately I managed to infuse the characters with enough emotion to give the book substance… even though it was pure torture for me.
Believe me, that book didn’t come from my heart! It came from my veins. And it was a lot more painful that drawing blood. But as far as I know, not too many readers could tell what I went through to deliver that manuscript.
And honestly, if a writer wants to have a long-term career in this tough, tough business, it’ll take every ounce of inspiration and skill and luck and perspiration she can muster.
Thanks for posting about M&L, though. Now I’m definitely going to have to make time to see it!
NicoleJ
Brandy on 20 Mar 2007 at 8:30 pm #
I think it takes skill to put into words the inspiration for a book, and luck that readers “discover’ the book and love it.
Karen Hawkins on 21 Mar 2007 at 1:27 pm #
Brandy, that’s a good point. I’ve known WONDERFUL books that came and went and were somehow ‘missed’ by the readers. Sometimes, it’s about placement and marketing and having a catchy cover, and not about the author’s skill or luck at all.
Kathy on 22 Mar 2007 at 8:26 am #
When I read a book I some time find some thing stricks me in my own problems or life. When that happens to me its inspiration. I enjoy reading, You can always find me reading some thing in my spare time and moments. Yes I think book writers can be inspiration not luck. Your just in tune.