Trying to be a writer, not a song-writer

[G.R.]

So first of all, this post is just meant as a good old-fashioned venting, not really a cry for help or advice. But that said, I'd be interested to know what other writers in the same predicament have done to progress on their story without hitting the wall. I'm writing a whimsical YA fantasy and, as seems to be the case with fantasy more than any other genre, I've reached a point in the story where I need to create a song (which in reality is really just a poem with no music). Ordinarily that wouldn't daunt me. I'm good at poetry. Not. The only type of poetry I've ever had any luck with is the haiku, and you don't see that in too many fantasy novels. You certainly don't hear Legolas reciting Elven lore in 5-7-5 verse.

So what to do? I've found one website called RhymeZone that allows me to type in any word and it spits out words that rhyme. This has sometimes been useful, though some of its suggestions don't seem like real words. Nevertheless, that doesn't really help me with the 'flow' of the poem. But I'm power my way through it, I suppose. It feels like a different part of my brain is being exercised than when I typically write, but that could just be me.

So, has this happened to you?

[Chloe]

Hey, I don't particularly know what you're going through, but I am a poetry writer and maybe if you want someone to look over your poem and help you out?? I would definitely be up for that. If not, that's okay too. You can find my work here, if interested: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[G.R.]

Thanks, Chloe. I appreciate that. I actually think I'm progressing rather well. It caused me a bit of a stumbling block but I think I've gotten through it. It helped when I created an outline of what I wanted the song/poem to be about.

And I'm pleased with the rhyme I wrote for an earlier chapter in the book. This is a section of it:

"I came upon an object found,
Tossed aside along the ground.
Without purpose or home, its owner forsaken,
Til fortune brought it to me, so now I have taken."

I find myself trying to choose words that are easy to rhyme and it almost becomes a game, but sometimes a frustrating one. Some words just aren't meant to rhyme.

[Abigail]

Actually, I think it would be awesome if you used a haiku. Or limericks. And sonnets!

[Chloe]

I agree with that. Some words just aren't. And there's different types of poems, too, that don't rhyme. Have you ever heard of a free verse? And that's actually a pretty good stanza!!! Wow!

[Brenda]

I wrote an SF novel once. I set the characters down and told them to play nicely, while I did some worldbuilding in the back -- I needed to set up a horrific moral crisis in the society. So I did this, and when I came back the characters had gone off and decided to stage a musical. I believe it was OKLAHOMA.
I was horrified. Do you expect me to negotiate the rights with the Hammerstein organization? I demanded of them. How can I ever get permission to quote all these lyrics? And I don't even like OKLAHOMA, there are better musicals out there.
So fine, the characters said, pouting. You figure it out, you're the author. So the simplest thing for me to do was to write the musical for them to stage. This is made vastly easier by the fact that I did not have to write a score. Instead I wrote the entire script (no reason not to seize the chance to tie it into the theme) and dummy lyrics for all the songs. These were free-verse in the free-est sort of way, which you can do in a stage song. It is perfectly convincing.

[Charles]

Have you tried listening to some instrumental music while you hammer out lines? Then you could go back and pick out the best one.

Or you could listen to a song you like that conveys what you want, and then wiggle the words until it is unrecognizable.

[Chris]

I love and write poetry as well as music lyrics. I would not call it writers block when needing a song for a specific chapter or character. It's a fun and creative part in your book and characters and you can do as you please. Songs do not have to have a rhyme scheme. Especially in an older period via renascence. You can combine different styles like rhyming and free lancing. In the end as long as your happy with the outcome that is all that matters. I've had poems I would write in the rhythm of a song and sometimes run into a loss of rhyming stanzas and then I would try rhyming every other stanza to break the writers block. But that is just how I handle something like that.

[G.R.]

Anthony wrote: "...but I believe you believe you can't."

You're right. And this was how I actually started writing in the first place. I confided to someone that I had an idea for a story and was looking for someone to ghost write it for me. She threw it back at me and said, "Why don't you do it?" Well, I picked up that gauntlet and haven't looked back.

There are some good suggestions here and thanks for all the feedback.

"When I have a conundrum I know where to turn, the GoodReads community, there's so much to learn." (Okay, that sounded better in my head than when I read it aloud.)

Since I first put up this post just a few days ago, I've managed to finish my 'song.' Having uninterrupted time was a plus. And now I'm on the final chapter of the story.

[Chloe]

G.R. wrote: "Anthony wrote: "...but I believe you believe you can't."

You're right. And this was how I actually started writing in the first place. I confided to someone that I had an idea for a story and was ..."
Congratulations!!!!! Is there any way I could read your poem, and maybe tweak it for you??

[G.R.]

Chloe wrote: "Is there any way I could read your poem, and maybe tweak it for you??"

Sure. Just sent you a message.