Country Music & Fiction Writing by Laurel Osterkamp
Let’s welcome back Laurel Osterkamp as she shares with us “Country Music & Fiction Writing.” Enjoy!
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What do country musicians and fiction writers have in common? Turns out, more than I thought. Recently, I was in Nashville, so I visited The Country Music Hall of Fame. I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy it. I didn’t consider myself a country music fan.
That said, I’ve always loved Dolly Parton. Who doesn’t? I admire her storytelling abilities so much. Plus, her literacy program, Imagination Library, she sends free books to millions of children worldwide.
On her website, she states:
“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer.
The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”
I love that quote. I especially love that she subtly references herself as a singer AND a writer.
But be honest, when you think about Dolly Parton, is writer the first word that pops into your mind? No? Me neither.
And yet, she’s both brilliant and incredibly prolific.
She’s written hundreds of songs, both for herself and for other artists.
It’s easy not to notice how smart her lyrics are, because she’s so charming and folksy. But when I really think about her story-telling abilities and her knack for metaphors, I get some serious writer’s envy.
Notice her use of active verbs and metaphor in the opening lines of “9 to 5”, as well as how she effortlessly establishes the exposition:
Tumble outta bed
And stumble to the kitchen,
Pour myself a cup of ambition!
And yawn and stretch and try to come to life,
jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin,
Out on the streets
The traffic starts jumpin,
With folks like me on the job from 9 to 5
There’s also this song, the lesser known “Dagger Through the Heart.” I love the imagery, the way she uses hyperbole, and how she doesn’t use mixed metaphors.
(The used box of crayons simile combined with “you’ve made hurtin’ me such an art” is just so spot-on.)
Oh, you’re out there tonight with another
And my pain is so dreadfully sharp.
I picture you with her and shudder,
It’s like a dagger through the heart
Do you think that my feelings don’t matter,
Or your cheatin’ or hurtful remarks
When you leave me all broken and shattered
It’s like a dagger through the heart
Oh, I know I’m a fool to keep stayin’
When you’ve made hurtin’ me such an art,
Tossed around like a used box of crayons,
It’s like a dagger through the heart
And what about her arguably most popular song, “Here You Come Again”?
The storytelling is so tight, and so is the characterization, not to mention effortlessly effective use of 2nd person POV.
I feel like I know everything I need to know about this guy, and about her, and about their relationship.
Dolly communicates so much through use of imagery and details (his body, his smile, his mannerisms, etc.) and also through tone (The word choice, which paints a rather bleak picture, contrasts with the actual tone of the music, which is upbeat and chipper.)
She tells a complete story of a relationship, which is something many novelists struggle to do.
Here you come again
Just when I’m about to make it work without you
You waltz right in the door
Just like you done before
And wrap my heart round your little finger
Here you come again
Just when I’m about to make it work without you
You look into my eyes
And light those dreamy eyes
And pretty soon I’m wonderin
How I came to doubt you
All you gotta do
Is smile that smile
And there go all my defenses
Just leave it up to you
And in a little while
You’re messin up my mind
An fillin up my senses…
But because of her down-home persona, I think Dolly Parton gets overlooked when it comes to her writing ability. The next time I need inspiration for truly good storytelling, I’ll just start combing through her lyrics.
Then of course, there’s Taylor Swift. I’m an unapologetic Swifty whose favorite writing music is basically any song by her. I think she’s an incredible writer.
My two favorite things at The Country Music Hall of Fame were the original sheet of notebook paper where Taylor Swift scrawled out the lyrics to her first hit song.
And this quote by her:
“My definition of country music is really pretty simple. It’s when someone sings about their life and what they know, and from an authentic place.”
That’s exactly how I feel about fiction writing. Sure, it’s all (or mostly) made up, but it must come from an authentic place or it won’t ring true. Could it be that writing country music and writing fiction have a lot in common?!
After listening to song clips by many other musicians showcased at The Country Music Hall of Fame, I realized I could learn a lot by listening to their work.
Anyway, that leads me to “Love and Poetry – a short story written while listening to Taylor Swift.”
I included every song title from The Tortured Poet’s Department, and roughly 100 more song titles and/or lyric references. It was sorta like writing an entire story via Taylor Swift ala magnetic poetry.
More than anything, it was a writing exercise and a challenge. I did it to learn something and to stretch myself.
Now I’m using it as my new reader magnet to gain email subscribers. So if you’re curious, please visit laurellit.com, sign up for my mailing list (I promise not to spam you), and you’ll get the story for free.
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About the Author
Laurel Osterkamp is obsessed with writing and doesn’t know how to stop. In addition to her novels, she has short fiction published in literary journals all over the web, and runs her website, laurellit.com, with book reviews, lesson plans, and writing advice. When she’s not writing (which is rare) she’s often teaching adult ESL, going running while listening to audiobooks, or educating her daughter about the OG teen soap opera, Beverly Hills 90210. She lives in Minneapolis with her family.
Social Media:
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