JPF Home Page Forums Lyric and MP3 Feedback Creative Challenge Forum CHALLENGE / CONTEST: short story song

Here's an idea for a challenge: take a short story (less than 800 words) and turn it into a song. I say "short" because we don't have the luxury of endless hours. Also, too much material can sometimes cloud the mind. Begin with only a few characters and a simple setting, and future challenges can take bigger bites. Now, about the characters: animate or inanimate, I don't care. But all of them must carry over into the song's lyrics. "Short stories" also often have morals (think bedtime stories or children's books). Here are my guidelines:

1) No foul language please. Stretch those vocab muscles!
2) If the short story is not your own work, you must credit the source in your post.
3) All story characters must carry through to the song lyrics!

anybody interested?

well Brian, I guess you were right! :/

Hi Nick...It's already written(if that's ok?)..but I'll bite.....

Have a dental appointment this morning ....but ...I'll be able to get on this afternoon...and will post then....(I hope)

very best....
Kaley

Hey Nick,

I'll try this. I've always wanted to do a song based on Flannery O'Conner's story, A Good Man is Hard to Find. Perhaps just something about "The Misfit." This will not come instantly, I will have to think about it. A song about anything written by Kafka would be very interesting as well.

Here's Mine... the song is from our new CD, Miss Willow's Fence Row....I wrote it back in 2003....and the story was written in 2006....

here's the story.....

The Empty Nest
(read aloud version at soundclick)
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=6469


The Empty Nest
by Kaley Willow
©2006 All rights reserved

Little Charlotte Chickadee woke with a start. She thought she'd heard one of her babies calling out to her. She got up from her fine feathery bed, put on her fluffy slippers and looked around the big empty nest. "Oh dear, I must have been dreaming again," she chirped. Charlotte's heart felt very heavy. Though she saw her children at least once or twice a week, it just wasn't the same since they'd grown up and left the nest.

"I can sit here and chirp about it all day and feel sorry for myself, or I can do something to feel better", she said determinedly.

As Charlotte Chickadee poured her favorite crunchy birdseed cereal into her little red bowl, she thought how nice it would be to hear the pitter patter of feet again. Before she could take that thought any further, she heard a cry come from somewhere in the Fence Row. "I wonder what that's all about." Charlotte quickly flew to the tip top of her tree. She looked up and down the fence row paths. She looked high to where the tree tops touched the sky. She looked down low to the overgrown brush and honeysuckle bushes. Finally, her keen eyes spied two tiny puffs of fur huddled together under the old spruce tree. "Oh my, they are just babies."

Charlotte Chickadee swooped down to the ground and flapped her wings gently. "Excuse me, dear little ones, but why are you alone?"

"Mommy didn't come back," said a tiny grey squirrel.

"Mommy always came back before, but this time she didn't," sobbed the other baby squirrel.

Little Charlotte Chickadee's heart grew two sizes bigger as she looked into the babies' eyes. She felt the babies had been left alone far too long and feared something had happened to their mother. "We''ll need to do something about this," Charlotte chirped ever so softly. "You may stay with me in my big nest." And that’s exactly what the babies did.

Although the two puffs of fur had no feathered wings and didn't look a bit like her, Charlotte loved them as her own. When the squirrels grew big enough to take care of themselves, they left the nest in the Fence Row and built their own homes.

And, Charlotte Chickadee's nest was never empty again. To this very day,Charlotte opens up her heart and home to all little ones in the Fence Row who need a hug and a place to stay.
©2006
************************************************
Here's the song
Track # 6
Miss Willow's Fence Row
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg2


Empty Nest Feelings
Kaley Willow
©2003

Little Charlotte Chickadee
Flew to the top of the tallest tree
Cause she had something special on her mind
See...all her kids had up and flown
And she'd been livin' life alone
With a lovin'heart two times the normal size

When You Have empty nest feelings
You can let it get you down or make a nice new start
When you have empty nest feelings
It just might be the right time
To open up your home and your heart

So...Charlotte looked high and low
Then up and down the old fence row
Till she found little ones in need of hugs
And...though they didn't look like her
No feathered wings just puffs of fur
They started fillin' up her home with love

When You have empty nest feelings
You can let it get you down or make a nice new start
When you have empty nest feelings
It just might be the right time
To open up your home and your heart

Repeat

Miss Willow's Fence Row (NEW CD!!)
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg2
Piano Music and Demos (Many Genres)
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=8404&content=music
Children's Songs
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=6469&content=music
Andy & Friends CD
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg

mmm, agreed! I may have to try that one myself! Perhaps using "The Metamorphosis" (1916). In fact, I'm going to do it! Great idea Wendy thanks

Kaley, wow I'm impressed! Very good job, IMHO. In particular I like how you kept the feel of the story. I mean, (hope I'm not offending here) it seems like a children's story and the song conveys that care-free playfulness found in youth. On one hand you have excellent themes like unconditional love, and the mature adult perspective of the "empty nest syndrome" yet it's all told in a manner that even the littlest child could appreciate. Am I way off here?

In literature, the freedom and playfulness of Youth is very important. The Romantic writers of the late 19th century, in particular, used images of Youth to convey Utopia, God, harmony - basically everything "good" and "right" with the universe. There is definitely something to be said for authors who can take complex, mature scenes, and turn them into playful fables. Love it!

Hey Nick

I'm not sure how I'd pull it off, but "The Tale tell heart" would be a great subject for this excersize... another one that would be neat to try would be.. C.S Lewise's The Screwtape letters... each one could be it's own sonnet... I'll have to ponder whether I have enough time for either project lol...
Derek

Hey Nick I tend to do this a bit.... a couple of examples would be "White Heather" on my site and "the Curse of Carrie" on Mark's.... Sorry I missed it till now I'll hunt up a short story and have a go if it's still open

Cheers

Noel

i wrote this when i watched the movie "The mighty" based on the novel "Freak the mighty"

The Mighty : Movie

Freak The Mighty : The novel

Freak The Mighty

freak the mighty

let me introduce,
the fat boy lived with grim and gram
Max Kane, the boy without brain
he had no friend, he needed no friend
despite working hard, still in grade seven
abused for his father, a convict on payroll
he met this boy, his tutor, Kevin Dillon
kevin with two supporting sticks
he knew what he need to do

he said,
Every word is part of a picture
Every sentence is a picture
All you do, is let your imagination connect them together
If you have an imagination that is.....

this is how thier series of quest begun
that night was a rise of a knight
the brainless boy who never spoke a word
who never had a friend indeed
screamt and defended the boy who never
stepped on the ground without his sticks
he needed legs, he needed brain
partnership between brain and leg begun

he said,
Every word is part of a picture
Every sentence is a picture
All you do, is let your imagination connect them together
If you have an imagination that is.....

jingle bells, jingle bells, cry from the hell
time of snow, warmth of fire glow
happiness wrapped in shiney packs
but for both, freak and mighty
the black clouds of sadness whelming over
kenny kane, a slaughter, kidnapped max kane
freak fought bravely and got martyrdome
but for mighty, bloody worse hell to come

he said,
Every word is part of a picture
Every sentence is a picture
All you do, is let your imagination connect them together
If you have an imagination that is.....

[outro]

And as we get to this point,
which I guess shall be the end,
you will have heard the story of Freak the Mighty,
who slayed dragons, rescued maidens,
and walked high above the world.

chorus and outro parts are movie dilougues...!

Thank you very much Nick....I'm really really tickled you liked it...After some critiques on the creative writing board, I've made a few changes.....so that the Mama comes back and gets her kids...

I'm glad you felt it had both a more mature theme...and a
playful theme....I think it does too....The song came pretty easy...because I was talking to a friend about her empty nest..
and the connection to a wee bird and her kids leaving the nest seemed natural .....The actual writing of the story came later.

Thanks Nick!!...

best...
Kaley

Miss Willow's Fence Row (NEW CD!!)
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg2
Piano Music and Demos (Many Genres)
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=8404&content=music
Children's Songs
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=6469&content=music
Andy & Friends CD
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg

Hmm, I'll have to think on this one. I've read so many stories lately that would work.

alittle late to this party... (needs a pop or country pop melody)

Source: "Goldilocks and The Three Bears"


"Just Right" (female uptempo)
(c)2008 Lynn Orloff

We've all heard the story of the Three Little Bears,
How a curious Goldilock stumbled into their lair,
She learned quite a lesson through the course of her plight,
She discovered what was best, was when something was "just right".

So I'll take from that fable some wisdom myself,
I'm gonna look for a man whose real close to top shelf,
And while others may find this method amusin',
I'm gonna find me that man, someone of Goldilock's choosin'.

Chorus
I'm lookin' for that just right kind of man
He doesn't have to be the very best
Not askin' for perfection here at all
Just gotta pass the Goldilock's test

Don't want a guy who's cocky or way too self-assured,
Not lookin' for a party boy, but I don't want a bore,
Don't need a guy whose all type "A", don't want him too uptight,
Don't want a guy whose too carefree, he's gotta be just right.

He doesn't have to look like some big movie star,
Or have big bucks and drive a brand new fancy car,
A cross between a gentleman and some big burly brute,
The kind of guy where Goldilock's would say "now there's a beaut"

I'm lookin' for that just right kind of man
He doesn't have to be the very best
Not askin' for perfection here at all
Just gotta pass the Goldilock's test

Bridge
I need that "just right" someone, that's always been my plan
I want the guy who Goldilocks would choose to be her man

Oh yeah I'm searchin' for that just right kind of man
No, he doesn't have to be the very best
Not askin' for perfection, not at all
Just gotta pass the Goldilock test
Yeah he's just gotta pass the Goldilock test

Alternative bridges:

A. Extremely this, extremely that, will never get my vote
That down the center middle ground is what will float my boat

B. My once upon a time guy has to be a middle line guy
Not anything extreme, but that perfect inbetween


*(might revisit the bridge)

HI lYNN <
Good Stuff, but the bridge should move your story forward
all you have done here is repeat whats gone on before, with the right inspiring bridge, you could light up the last verse brilliantly.

the two lines below from verse three are too cliche, they let the rest of the song down, they are wallpaper lines *.

* We start looking away because they are not original)

Change them and you have something nice

( from verse 3)
He doesn't have to look like some big movie star,
Or have big bucks and drive a brand new fancy car,

Lamorna

Hi Lamorna,

I couldn't agree with you more on the bridge, it was weak at best, no it was worse than weak. I posted a few alternative bridges. I know the rule of not putting the hook in the bridge and I totally ignored it because I was in a hurry. Love that term "wallpaper lines" since I've never heard that before. Those two lines could be something I'll look at. Thanks for your input and nice to meet you.

Best,
Lynn

HiDee Brother Nick!

Never have Time to read anything but Lyrics here & the Daily papers. DO love a good challenge, tho...& Mz Lynn's sorta Inspired this Baby...

"Updated Nursery Rhymes"

Hickory-Dickory Dock
3 Blind Mice ran up an Atomic Clock
The Farmer's Wife had a Laser Knife
She Slashed at Them within an Inch-of-Their-Life
The Clock got Completely Un-Synchronized
Blew Itself Up..& Everyone Dies!
So Leave Well-Enough ALONE, Kiddies
(IF..You're Wise)..
Hickory-Dickory Dock!

Hey Diddle Diddle
The Cat's In The Middle Playin' Fiddle
While The Cow Jumped Over the Moon
NO Particular Reason, but it WAS Ear-Pleasin'
(& Really UNLIKELY..TOO!)
So Kids, Be a SKEPTIC or get Ulcers-Peptic
From Believing ALL the Crap Sung To You...
Learn All About Critters & HOW they Time-Fritter
So You CAN Solve The Riddle 'bout
Hey Diddle Diddle!

Jack Sprat Could Eat No Fat
& His Wife Could Eat No Lean
So She Entered Him on "The BIGGEST LOSER" Show
(He Went-Along, 'cuz She Was Mean)...
After Weeks of Exercizin' & Diet-izin'
Jack Won a Great BIG Prize!
He Invested it ALL To Fatten His Wife
& NOW They're BOTH..King-SIZE----

(And they lived Happily Ever-After, TOO! G'Night Kids!)

(C) 2009 by Stan Good, BMI
All Rights Reserved.