Young Writers Society

Myths, poems, stories, songs and tales. The ones in fantasy worlds, the ones which are cherished, told from generation to generation, from mother to daughter, from father to son. Myths, poems, stories, songs and tales which are told, and sung, by the warmth of the fire

Without doubt, they are add an interesting element into the story, make it more unique etc. They are a whole different world in the base world, and more than a few have a heavy impact on the characters and their behaviors, and their perception of the world around them. Of course, not all, but some do.

I suppose that the myths, stories and tales are covered (well, the whole book, noverl etc. is, so why shouldn’t the smaller ones that are enclosed in the book or novel be also?). No, the problem (or at least for me) is the poetry and songs. Here you can take out a thesaurus and add any term or phrase that is equivalent to these to, really.

Because what of them? I am a fiction writer, a fantasy writer, if one chooses to be particular, and I have no idea whatsoever of how I should even get started to write such a poem, ballad, or song.. I don’t have either the idea, not the ability, and I am aware of it. And it scares me, up to some point.

Seriously, it does. And I, who never, ever read poetry (if I can help it, and then not in English), I, who despised it (no offense to all poets! I just never do bring myself visit the poetry part of YWS…), and I, who can knows nothing of it, am supposed to write those precious six, seven lines worth of words. Words with meaning. Hilarious, isn’t it?

And then I will make my characters ooh and aaah. I will make them contemplate over it, and I will make sure that hearing that particular song or piece of poetry or ballad will, up to a point, change either their whole lives or line of thinking. Even if I don’t do that, it will still be in the book, and it will still be oozed and aahed over. And did I mention that that particular piece of writing is supposed to be composed by a long dead poet, one that presumably lived a century or two before the actual action in the book? And that all those modern-day critics are awed by it?

The same goes to songs. I am not a song-writer, and I will make a fool out of myself trying to be one. I suppose it is one thing to write a few clusters of words, and another to give them meaning, a depth.

Oh my.

Presumably, it would be easier to just emphasize the fact that yes, Character A did indeed listen to a story, poem, ballad, and then go on with what you were doing.

But what if that mythology is an important factor in the world? What if those songs, and/or poems, are part of a unique culture that I am trying to create? What then? I simply cannot just say, over and over, that they listened to something. It ruins the climate.

And then come on. It just gives me the shudders that someone, anyone, would read that particular piece of writing.

It just looks crude. And it makes me unhappy. So? Help? Tips? Any help and any tips?