Prisoner Posted June 17, 2021 Posted June 17, 2021 2 hours ago, Rence said: Missed opportunity for the challenge name to be A Link to the Past best Zelda game I fear
Rence Posted June 17, 2021 Posted June 17, 2021 24 minutes ago, Prisoner said: best Zelda game I fear is breath of the wild
Auburn Posted June 17, 2021 Posted June 17, 2021 oh wow this is a concept I've never written for in this game before
Hug Posted June 19, 2021 Posted June 19, 2021 19 hours ago, 8thPrince said: @Hugdo we have an example this time? No I am retiring from writing, good luck everyone else though
8thPrince Posted June 19, 2021 Posted June 19, 2021 (edited) I N T E R V I E W S 8thPrince Take us through the writing process of your first song Spoiler Pegasus Marine was probably the simplest to come up with. I scanned through a list of the common constellations and immediately fixated on the Flying Fish. The theme rapidly branched off from there: These fish SEEM unreal, but they really do exist, and they’re so interesting to watch. This informed the theme of the piece, that there’s beauty in the “mundane phenomena” of life. I’m writing all of my songs to music this time: I came up with the melody and chords before writing a single word, wrote gibberish on top of them that matched the rhythmic stress of the melody, and then began subbing lines out to complete the song. What’s your favorite line from your first song? Spoiler Definitely “I’ve heard of fish off the coastline/That take the blue out the spotless sky/And dye it the same shade as the sea”. I thought it was good imagery to describe a flying fish, and how they sort of “bend” the laws of nature by being able to travel in the air just as they travel in the water. “Pegasus marine” (An inversion of marine pegasus) to describe them is also a favorite. (Fun fact, the song was originally going to be called Legendary Fish. “Legendary ocean” made it to the final cut, but luckily I came up with a better descriptor, and that became the new title, haha!) Take us through the writing process of your second song Spoiler Summer’s Evidence was very hectic because I rewrote it completely in the final two days before the deadline. I had my melody and chords set, and was well into writing through the first verse, prechorus, and chorus… But then I hit two snags: One, the chorus. It was originally going to be much shorter, yet have a very “slow-moving” melody. There simply weren’t enough words to set the scenes I wanted to set with the amount of syllables the melody allotted me. Second was the first verse: The song was originally going to be called White Lattice. Very similar, essentially identical theme and plot, but it was more focused on using the dress the love interest wears as a plot device. One of the first lines I had went something like “the sunburnt flecks on your shoulder are evidence that summer’s beginning”. I got really fascinated with this line, so much that I decided it should be the title and that it HAD to be moved so it could be the centerpiece of the song. I decided to go for it, and had to rip up my ENTIRE melody and lyrics. It came out much better, in my opinion! What’s your favorite line from your second song? Spoiler I wanted to paint a picture of a rural summer setting: wooden fences, forests, playing at a lake, etc. But honestly, I love the first verse: “Faster than I could turn the calendar page/Drenched in reminders and exam dates” into “My uniform’s on the hanger, still dripping sweat/And study guides pour off of my desk”. I worked hard to plan out this metaphor of “saturation”. The planner that’s soaked in ink, the guides that spill off the desk like water, and so forth. The main character was so preoccupied and overwhelmed with school that he didn’t notice when his friend became so beautiful. She IS summer, his escape from life’s distractions. There are some more minor lines I like too: I tried to paint the girl as more “adventurous” while he’s conventional and sort of nerdy, which helps inform why the story ends the way it does. Take us through the writing process of your third song Spoiler Diamond Messiah was something very new to me overall, as this was the first song I’ve had to do research for. I’ve been having this strange itch to write about a typically “masculine” setting. It’s not everyday you read a song about sports, haha! The whole song started with the phrase “messiah of the diamond”. It had great assonance and a strong rhythm, I knew it would be the center of the song, so I began brainstorming: “OK, so this song is about a baseball player, and a very good one. What if I twist it around a bit to focus on the reaction to him, rather than being in his head…” The challenge requirements actually helped a lot in this regard. A song in the head of someone who’s perfect is boring. A song about someone who’s perfect is boring, so I had to get creative. What if the song is from the point of view of someone who resents this messiah? That’s how the song really started to get rolling. It’d be from the POV of a former hotshot who now finds himself displaced by a star rookie. The distance that 2nd and 3rd Person POV provide also helps separate “frustration” from “envy”. If the reader was in the head of the main character, there’s a chance of them becoming unlikeable if the piece is based around a negative emotion like jealousy. I had to walk a tightrope that kept the MC root-worthy and not mean-spirited. The MC still had to be a believable hero at the end of the story. This is probably where some of the critiques about the emotional resonance of the song came from: I was conflicted on how much I could push before the main character just became a brat, I wanted him to be headstrong, not a jerk. Let’s hit back on research: I had a lot of fun doing it for this song, I had the idea of an anime sports-club type setting, so I learned all the rules of baseball, watched a few games, and watched anime like Battery, Big Windup!, and Ace of Diamond before sitting down to write this song. The characters from those shows ended up forming the main character here. What’s your favorite line from your third song? Spoiler “Chart out the runs and batting averages of all of Varsity: Even with one arm tied you’re number one in loyalty”. A lot of the song has slight twists on common phrases, as I wanted to keep the song light, fun, and cheeky, just like the MC. He’s not a hateful person, and has a big heart when it comes to the good of the team and his teammates. There are also fun bits of foreshadowing throughout the entire first half of the song that hint to the events of the second half, see if you can spot them when the full song and instrumental release later this weekend! Are there any common threads throughout your songs? Where are you going next? Spoiler I think the judges have hit on it best: My songs are about mundane, everyday events, and they do revolve around some youth and coming-of-age themes. Nothing life-changing is happening and no one is really worse-off once the story concludes. I like sprinkling detail in to make each song feel like a specific moment in time, rather than high-level explorations of intense emotions. I think fleeting emotions and memories can be the most interesting. In that sense, Pegasus could be considered the “thesis statement” of how I’m writing this season, while Summer and Diamond are supporting arguments. I want to follow other contestant’s leads and have a sort of “album set” of songs with a unifying theme once the season concludes. That’s why last season’s Dashing Penguin and I Took a Fistful of Sand From the Beach will make an appearance on my SOTS 4 tracklist, I think they slot perfectly into the era, and I still really like them. They might even get instrumentals! As for where I’m going next, I hope to keep exploring unique situations, settings, and characters you don’t often see in SOTS entries, or even songwriting in general. We’ve been to the ocean, to the countryside, and to the baseball stadium. Anything is game! Any hints for your fourth song? Spoiler Well, I know exactly what I’m writing about, and even have some ideas for imagery and titles I might use. It’s still in the research phase, however. We’re going back in the past like the challenge says, of course, but rather than focusing on the decade, the song will be more focused around a specific subculture that doesn’t really exist anymore. The song will have a new type of narrator you haven’t seen from me yet, and while my other songs have been very clean-cut, positive and shiny, this song will be… Somewhat rebellious? Scandalous? Grimy? It’ll be interesting, lol. I hope I pull it off! Edited June 19, 2021 by 8thPrince
8thPrince Posted June 19, 2021 Posted June 19, 2021 So honestly I was super interested to hear about other people's writing experiences and figured this might be a fun way to interact with the thread between challenges and reviews, so I typed up this "mock interview". If anyone else wants to participate, i'd love to see them, you can copy/add questions as you wish!
Hug Posted June 20, 2021 Posted June 20, 2021 Take us through the writing process of your first song Spoiler My first song, big & small, was written after looking through the list of constellations. There were multiple "paired" constellations, but Canis Major/Canis Minor stuck out to me the most, and it inspired me to write about a "big" dog and a "small" dog in a sort of Disney-esque story about mortality. What’s your favorite line from your first song? Spoiler Nothing really stands out on its own, but I'll just say the opening couplet "I run as fast as my paws can go / To my friend and home away from home" as it establishes the tone pretty quickly. Take us through the writing process of your second song Spoiler I wrote two songs for the second challenge, but I'll go through "at minm street", as that's likely the one that I'd add to the theoretical ~album~. My original idea was to write something fantastical using a typically dull color. That diverged a bit, and it became more about siblings and temporary escapism, and there's hints and allusions to the children being mistreated (with "at minm street" just being an anagram for mistreatment.) What’s your favorite line from your second song? Spoiler Without context this line will feel random, but "Brother, let’s stay together / Wherever the smoke of a chimney takes us" is my favorite line in "at minm street", because in context, it has a bit of hope to it when the rest of the song is darker and bleak. Take us through the writing process of your third song Spoiler I was absolutely stumped and wrote whatever would let itself appear in my Google doc. What’s your favorite line from your third song? Spoiler "A bright boy plays a melancholic song / The keys of his piano weep / A somber smile can’t hide the crying melody", I guess? I like the personification and juxtaposition here. Are there any common threads throughout your songs? Where are you going next? Spoiler Originally, I was going for fantasy/whimsy with a bit of a darker tone, like I was doing in big & small, but the third song doesn't quite carry the same tone as the first two and now I'm not entirely sure what ties them all together (except them perhaps being a bit sad when you think about it -- song one is about death, two is about abuse, three is about depression) Any hints for your fourth song? Spoiler I wish I knew myself. Let's just post Divine Quintessence and imagine I wrote it for this challenge and was going for Ye Olde English times. [intro] Myne divine quintessence Bask in thyne competence Blessed by thyne luminesce O glory be, divine quintessence [verse] What powers have you over me What spellcraft casts me to my knees Your fingers call forth alchemy I’m gold inside your magic hands The soil trembles when it hears your name The waters boil when it feels your flames Your winds have made the mountains shake That’s understating, I understand [chorus] I’m but a simple, lowly fool You’ve made to feel like shining gold No candles one could ever hold To thee who claimed my weary soul I’m but a simple, lowly man Who played into your master plan Nay destiny nor happenstance Could overrule your righteous hand [verse two] What limits may your powers have What insight may your knowledge cast Your footsteps lead a golden path I’ll follow to the wicked end The sunlight dulls when you cast a smile The starscape pales to your vibrant shine No darkness breathes inside your light That’s understating, I understand [chorus] I’m but a simple, lowly fool You’ve made to feel like shining gold No candles one could ever hold To thee who claimed my weary soul I’m but a simple, lowly man Who played into your master plan Nay destiny nor happenstance Could overrule your righteous hand [outro] Myne divine quintessence Bask in thyne competence Blessed by thyne luminesce O glory be, divine quintessence
Prisoner Posted June 20, 2021 Posted June 20, 2021 Oh, fun! Take us through the writing process of your first song Spoiler With 'Hopelessly Devoted To You', what I wanted to achieve was clear- I wanted to write a song with all the literary elements that makes a poem/lyric smooth to read. So I employed diction to its full effect. Alliterations, internal rhymes, etc. As for the inspiration, I looked through the list, saw the sculptor and went from there. Take us through the writing process of your second song Spoiler 'One day you're driving your dad's old car' is one of the hardest songs I've written. Rhyming is quite minimal here so you have to rely on timing and characterisation to get the point across. As for how I wrote it, I just wrote these sentences down and was like yeah is this good? and then edit and edit till the lines read a bit like poetry, or spoken word at least. Take us through the writing process of your third song Spoiler So I was a bit stumped at first but then I listened to this song 'Into the unknown' from Over The Garden Wall and noticed it doesn't have any first person pronouns so I looked up at the album and saw this other song 'Patient is the night' and was like, what if it's not the night but the day that's patient? So I wrote this song where a horrible event happens in a broad daylight full of hope and warmth. I also wanted to create this narrator that's sort of like in denial about the situation, so I replaced all the words like 'dead', 'gone', etc. with safer words like 'sleeps', 'dreams', etc. Are there any common threads throughout your songs? Where are you going next? Spoiler Not really tbh. I lost interest in things very very easily so every new song will be different in some way. I'll say though that the little boy in an accident in Song 2 is the same kid who died in Song 3. And it's impossible to predict where I'm going next nnn. Any hints for your fourth song? Spoiler I've a few ideas but I haven't really started making a decision yet so it's hard to tell.
Hug Posted June 20, 2021 Posted June 20, 2021 6 hours ago, Prisoner said: I'll say though that the little boy in an accident in Song 2 is the same kid who died in Song 3 nah wait this is iconic
8thPrince Posted June 21, 2021 Posted June 21, 2021 Diamond Messiah Spoiler [VERSE 1] The seniors’ caps were barely caught by gravity, Still, you were running to the field, One arm caught in your jersey sleeve Summer’s endless flow of days trickle until school arrives, Down to precious seconds of practice time That bat’s the chisel that etched Varsity’s legacy But you’ll spray-paint over their plaques, Tagged “Love, the former JV Team~♡” It’s the season of upsets, one class toppled by the next Juniors raising the banner overhead [PRECHORUS] Until the stitches in your baseball fray and bleed: It’s day-in, day-out, infield to dugout, Days gone by of botching pop flys It’s your turn to lead this team [CHORUS] But he’s the messiah of the diamond With a snapback as a crown Mount Sinai rising from the infield When he’s on the pitcher’s mound Stadium lights shine like a halo; He’s baptized in Gatorade, Swept up in cheers that once were meant for you: Now you sweep up the confetti with the cleaning crew [VERSE 2] Each break you’d be surrounded by the JV Team Now Coach gives them five And they’re caught in his field of gravity Bending down to scrub your cleats, seeing as he turns to leave That his shoes still stayed effortlessly clean [PRECHORUS] It wasn’t your birthright, but how’d it vanish overnight? At the diamond, sundown to sun-up, Just one goal of showing him up ‘Til your shoulder was misaligned [CHORUS] Now you grip the spaces in the chain-links That divide the field and stands Threatening to snap that fence Like popsicle sticks with your one good hand But still, there’s no way to surmount that wall With one arm in a sling So you have to watch on from your seat: It’s the gap between a hard-worker and prodigy [BRIDGE] Three years of work wiped out makes the wasted sweat sting more You never doubted that common truth: “There’s always bigger fish than you” But what Great White invades a public swimming pool? [CHORUS] He is the messiah of the diamond But you’re captain of the team So if you’re struck out on the benches Then they’re gonna hear your screams Chart out the runs and batting averages of all of Varsity: Even with one arm tied you’re number one in loyalty Raising the banner high in your free hand At homefield and away And being first to squeeze on shoulders When they barely lose the game And when they win you’re on the field A cooler dragging right behind Taking the honors with a smile on your face: Treating the messiah to a little Gatorade...
Galah Posted June 21, 2021 Posted June 21, 2021 9 hours ago, 8thPrince said: Diamond Messiah Hide contents [VERSE 1] The seniors’ caps were barely caught by gravity, Still, you were running to the field, One arm caught in your jersey sleeve Summer’s endless flow of days trickle until school arrives, Down to precious seconds of practice time That bat’s the chisel that etched Varsity’s legacy But you’ll spray-paint over their plaques, Tagged “Love, the former JV Team~♡” It’s the season of upsets, one class toppled by the next Juniors raising the banner overhead [PRECHORUS] Until the stitches in your baseball fray and bleed: It’s day-in, day-out, infield to dugout, Days gone by of botching pop flys It’s your turn to lead this team [CHORUS] But he’s the messiah of the diamond With a snapback as a crown Mount Sinai rising from the infield When he’s on the pitcher’s mound Stadium lights shine like a halo; He’s baptized in Gatorade, Swept up in cheers that once were meant for you: Now you sweep up the confetti with the cleaning crew [VERSE 2] Each break you’d be surrounded by the JV Team Now Coach gives them five And they’re caught in his field of gravity Bending down to scrub your cleats, seeing as he turns to leave That his shoes still stayed effortlessly clean [PRECHORUS] It wasn’t your birthright, but how’d it vanish overnight? At the diamond, sundown to sun-up, Just one goal of showing him up ‘Til your shoulder was misaligned [CHORUS] Now you grip the spaces in the chain-links That divide the field and stands Threatening to snap that fence Like popsicle sticks with your one good hand But still, there’s no way to surmount that wall With one arm in a sling So you have to watch on from your seat: It’s the gap between a hard-worker and prodigy [BRIDGE] Three years of work wiped out makes the wasted sweat sting more You never doubted that common truth: “There’s always bigger fish than you” But what Great White invades a public swimming pool? [CHORUS] He is the messiah of the diamond But you’re captain of the team So if you’re struck out on the benches Then they’re gonna hear your screams Chart out the runs and batting averages of all of Varsity: Even with one arm tied you’re number one in loyalty Raising the banner high in your free hand At homefield and away And being first to squeeze on shoulders When they barely lose the game And when they win you’re on the field A cooler dragging right behind Taking the honors with a smile on your face: Treating the messiah to a little Gatorade...
Prisoner Posted June 21, 2021 Posted June 21, 2021 On 6/20/2021 at 11:05 PM, Hug said: nah wait this is iconic I try
Prisoner Posted June 21, 2021 Posted June 21, 2021 After writing a song that I utterly loathe, I now actually have an idea that I love and also a stanza I think I might be going back to my roots
Prisoner Posted June 23, 2021 Posted June 23, 2021 "NINETEEN! NINETEEN! NINETEEN!" - Prisoner, 23 June
Galah Posted June 26, 2021 Posted June 26, 2021 ? “Every monumental epoch had its ordinary days Every consequential era sculpted by the hands that raised” ?
Prisoner Posted June 26, 2021 Posted June 26, 2021 10 minutes ago, Aurora said: ? “Every monumental epoch had its ordinary days Every consequential era sculpted by the hands that raised” ? Let me guess, the renaissance?
Galah Posted June 26, 2021 Posted June 26, 2021 1 minute ago, Prisoner said: Let me guess, the renaissance? It's actually about the Ptolemaic dynasty using the Renaissance as a metaphor.
Prisoner Posted June 26, 2021 Posted June 26, 2021 Just now, Aurora said: It's actually about the Ptolemaic dynasty using the Renaissance as a metaphor. That means I'm right
Galah Posted June 26, 2021 Posted June 26, 2021 Just now, Prisoner said: That means I'm right I've also incorporated themes from Old Kingdom Ancient Egypt and the Ottoman Empire, just to cover all bases. It's an 18-minute long electroclash/hyperpop/African heavy metal extravaganza.
Prisoner Posted June 26, 2021 Posted June 26, 2021 5 minutes ago, Aurora said: I've also incorporated themes from Old Kingdom Ancient Egypt and the Ottoman Empire, just to cover all bases. It's an 18-minute long electroclash/hyperpop/African heavy metal extravaganza. you really went into historian mode huh
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