 Horror/Scary: February 21, 2024 Issue [#12425] |
This week: Lyrics Of Your Creativity Edited by: Creeper Of The Realm  
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3. Letter from the Editor
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Words are more powerful than some noises. Noises won't last long. Lyrics are so important, and people don't realise that.
~ Billie Eilish
It's a combination of melody and lyrics, not one without the other. It's a confluence of these different elements that makes something powerful.
~ Michael Bolton
I firmly believe lyrics have to breathe and give the audience's ear a chance to understand what's going on. Particularly in the theater, where you have costume, story, acting, orchestra.
~ Stephen Sondheim
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There isn't any pretty music playing in the background of a horror story. Nothing welcoming will reach your ears but the sounds are there. They'll pull you in. A foreshadowing of what's to come. The sounds may lie to deceive you. You don't know. Unwilling, you'll strain your ears to hear it, to follow its mournful path because... Well, you can't help yourself. You want to know. Even as your heartbeat is echoing in your ears, you'll hear the call of death.
What is more beautiful than the mournful song of something familiar yet unknown?
Oftentimes we focus on creating a picture for the reader. Giving them a glimpse into a world most wouldn't like to step foot in. You have to invite them in, give them the best seat at your table with the best view. Yet seeing isn't always believing. To serve them the full meal, a feast if you will, you have to give it all you've got.
The hardest part is creating the sound which surrounds them. You cannot simply tell them what there is to hear. It would only be a whisper of what you really mean. And in order to make the sound explode in their mind, you have to make sure they are fully there! Not watching, not waiting to read your words, but rather embarking on their own with your words leading them into the unknown.
Your five senses matter in each and every one of your stories. Even poetry. To see, you have to describe things. What sticks out while you're walking down a street? Don't describe something tedious no one, not even you, wants to know. To taste, you must know your meals. Delicious or rotten? Stale? Sweet or sour? To smell, you have no choice but to know the stench of dung or the beautiful smell of certain flowers in bloom, or the home-cooked meal your mother used to make. To feel... The sun on your face or the thorn in your finger when you plucked that rose?
But to hear is a different matter entirely. You can tell the reader the jukebox played some random song you know, but if they don't know it, they won't hear it. And how often do you see everyone mention the use of show versus tell? How do you show a sound known only to you? Familiarity. Write about the sounds many are familiar with and twist them to your liking, be it good or bad. The door creaked. Yay!  How does that specific sound instill fear into your reader?
Your words are lyrics which also create the sound of whatever music you wish to play at a particular moment. Don't forget that. You dictate the speed, the tone. The words? Your instruments. You stand in front of it all, the Maestro who changes the tempo with the flick of your wrist. Close your eyes when you write, let the music guide you to a familiar place with unfamiliar outcomes.
'Til next time!
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Comments to my previous "Horror/Scary Newsletter (February 7, 2024)" :
Beholden  wrote:
Thank you very much for including my short story, Sloth, in your Editor's Picks section.
You're welcome. You're usually my go to for written pieces. 
Paul  wrote:
Hi,
Thank you for that marvelous description of animal behaviors, I appreciate it.
But I like owls so I mostly disagree with the Bringer of Bad Luck, they have never done anything to me, but then I don’t believe in gods and demons or their access to control of any animals. I’ve known dogs and cats that didn’t like me, but the wild animals just run from me. To see an owl or crow or any other animals is just seeing them. I raised Parrots for 20 years and I love watching them tale off and fly. I’m jealous of birds because they have that freedom and I do not.
Thank you!
I love watching birds! Were they the talking kind of parrots?  That would have made it even more fun. We have a hawk who likes to perch on our fence from time to time and the beauty of the animal is mesmerizing.
I'm not sure that I believe in all the bad omens but I think you're right. A bird in flight has the freedom we will never experience. 
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Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 5.99
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