Challenge for March 1st

[up-fiddler]

The Challenge for March 1st is far more arbitrary than the February Challenge. It will guarantee new material and make us think differently to get at a story. Again, the idea is to USE THIS AS A TOOL FOR GROWTH and if you are in then you are committed to offering an honest critique of everyone else who participates. In return, everyone will be giving your material a constructive commentary. POST NO ENTRIES PROIR TO THE DEADLINE so that we don’t limit ourselves to what others think or write.

Here’s the Challenge:
You must use a minimum of 9 words from the acceptable list to develop your story and song. You MAY NOT use any of the words from the second list. The idea is to guide our songs away and apart from clichés. My feeling for how this should work is to print and cut out all the words in the acceptable list and then start arranging them haphazardly in space in front of you on lined paper. Keep moving and interchanging them until a story starts to develop and then build the song from there. Our primary focus this time will be to develop the strongest chorus ever. Then after the Challenge is over if you don’t like the song you will still have a great chorus that you can develop into a different song.

Acceptable List:
Around (As long as you don’t repeat it.)
Bus (Busses are in, trains are out.)
Character
Devil (Devil made me do it is a notable exception!)
Ear
Foible
God (Can’t let one in without the other.)
Hey
Interest
Joker
Kansas (No reference to Dust in the Wind…..They’ve made enough $$$$)
Look
Maybe
Notable
Opt
Pull
Quick
Restore (Extra credit for computer clichés though!)
Situation
Tenfold
Upstairs
Value
Why
Xerox
Year
Zilch (I just want to see the rhyme)

May Not Use List:
Arms
Bad
Care
Dare
Every
The ‘F’ word or any of its synonyms
Garish (Like, who would anyway?)
Help
Ivory
Jack or Jill
Kiss or king
Like or Love (Especially not Love)
Me (No narcissists this time)
No, or Nah, or any repetitions of such
Oh, or Ooh, for the same reason
Pasty (The food, not the twirler!)
Quiet
Real or Really
Shit or Say
Trouble or Train or Tender
Understand
Very
Word or What (We’re fine with Rap or Hip Hop but not these clichés)
X-ray or Xena (The Warrior Princess)
You (Because we can’t use Me either.)
Zero

[mikeh]

Dude, you're a real "taskmaster" I'd like you for a writing partner, I'd never have time to slack off!!!!!

I'm heading out of town for work and will have very little time before March 1 -however, I will print out the list of words and try to contribute.

[Yonce N Mild]

Good idea. I'm in. The idea is not to post anything until after march 1st right?

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by Yonce N Mild

Good idea. I'm in. The idea is not to post anything until after march 1st right?

Post March 1. Critiques after. Glad to have you both in. I hope that many others including our regulars chime in on this one.





Dave - http://morehousesongs.com/
Studio - http://www.inthechipsproduction.com/

[Tim Brown]

Does it have to be an audio file with it, or is it just lyrics? I am "studio-less" at the moment.

The gear is all packed away - I'm moving in a few months, so I didn't see the point in unpacking all that stuff. I really need to get some kind of little stand alone DAW at least for a digital audio sketchpad.




Tim

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by Tim Brown

Does it have to be an audio file with it, or is it just lyrics? I am "studio-less" at the moment.

These are lyrics only. However, after the Challenge last month many of us posted audio files to our rewritten material when all the critiques were in and any final changes to the songs were made.

This exercise might keep your writing skills whetted while you wait for your gear to get its new home. We'd be glad to have you in. Join in with an open mind and thick skin. (Actually, people have been very honest but not rude.)

[jdblessing1970]

Hey Dave,
About the word "like" being in the non-acceptable list...does that mean as in "i like you" or "it was like something" or both are unacceptable?

Jeff

p.s. I'm so THRILLED that you decided to make this contest about strong Choruses... especially since you know darn well that that's one of my weak points. lol

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by jdblessing1970

Hey Dave,
About the word "like" being in the non-acceptable list...does that mean as in "i like you" or "it was like something" or both are unacceptable?

Jeff

p.s. I'm so THRILLED that you decided to make this contest about strong Choruses... especially since you know darn well that that's one of my weak points. lol

Any use of an unacceptable word in the Challenge is well......unacceptable. Glad to have you aboard Jeff.

[Yonce N Mild]

Not using the word what is proving difficult........and interesting.

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by Yonce N Mild

Not using the word what is proving difficult........and interesting.

What?....er.......How's that again?

I actually put a lot of thought (and a little humor) into the lists. I tried to make us all stretch without actually tying our hands. It will be interesting to see how different they all turn out using the same set of criteria.

[Yonce N Mild]

Originally Posted by up-fiddler

What?....er.......How's that again?

I actually put a lot of thought (and a little humor) into the lists. I tried to make us all stretch without actually tying our hands. It will be interesting to see how different they all turn out using the same set of criteria.

How did you decide what words to use/not use? I'm just interested in the thought process. I may try and use this exercise in the future when I feel like I'm in a bit of a rut.

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by Yonce N Mild

How did you decide what words to use/not use? I'm just interested in the thought process. I may try and use this exercise in the future when I feel like I'm in a bit of a rut.

I was drinking coffee and thinking of pop tunes. Unacceptable List Anytime I found a word being 'overused' I wrote it down. Then to add some cleverness to the list I alphabetized them and added in a few words where there were lettere that weren't represented.

Acceptable List This list was more difficult. I tried to take words that would not be so descriptive as to tie one's hands and yet not universal enough to produce a sing-song rhyme scheme. The fact that the words may be used anywhere in a phrase helps the writer substantially but when the words aren't used at a phrase termination then writer will need to weave them into the storyline. I saw this as a good thing. Response, so far, to this Challenge has been slow so perhaps I am wrong in my thought process. We'll have to see what we have here on March 2cd.

[mikeh]

up-fiddler

I'm wondering if the response to the challenge has been thin - simply because it is too hard to write to a specific set of criteria. In my humble opinion, it is relatively easy to write songs based on criteria of your own chosing - or when "the muse hits" - but writing to spec......that actually takes skill and is where the actuall craft of songwriting is put to the challenge.

You will have my submission on March 1 - so even if it's only you and I, we'll at least have 2 sets of lyrics to review.

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by mikeh

up-fiddler

I'm wondering if the response to the challenge has been thin - simply because it is too hard to write to a specific set of criteria. In my humble opinion, it is relatively easy to write songs based on criteria of your own chosing - or when "the muse hits" - but writing to spec......that actually takes skill and is where the actuall craft of songwriting is put to the challenge.

You will have my submission on March 1 - so even if it's only you and I, we'll at least have 2 sets of lyrics to review.

Glad to have you in Mike. Yes, I expected this one to be more difficult for us but the idea behind it is that we continue to grow as writers. As we all know, growth doesn't occur when we do 'more of the same'. It is only with stretch and work. I hope to achieve both with this Challenge.

[cnix]

This looks kinda fun. Think I might play along.

Charlie

[Yonce N Mild]

Originally Posted by up-fiddler

I was drinking coffee and thinking of pop tunes. Unacceptable List Anytime I found a word being 'overused' I wrote it down. Then to add some cleverness to the list I alphabetized them and added in a few words where there were lettere that weren't represented.

I think I am going to try that when I write some more for my band. Going through our current songs and finding words I use multiple times across different songs and adding them to my own "unacceptable" list sounds like a good way too keep things fresh.

I have a song almost finished for the challenge. I'm almost done, I'm just working on a bridge maybe another verse. So we'll have at least three entries.

[jdblessing1970]

Originally Posted by Yonce N Mild

I think I am going to try that when I write some more for my band. Going through our current songs and finding words I use multiple times across different songs and adding them to my own "unacceptable" list sounds like a good way too keep things fresh.

I have a song almost finished for the challenge. I'm almost done, I'm just working on a bridge maybe another verse. So we'll have at least three entries.

For the record, I'm in. Some how I found this one came easily once I focused in on a few key words. Main problem I found was those pecky Unacceptable words...taking a second look at the list I found a few of them suckers in my first verse and in my CHORUS...shame shame shame. Had to rewrite them to keep the meter without losing the story line, but I think I've something workable and even catchy. Now I just have to be patient and wait until March 1st to post it.

[cnix]

I keep finding unacceptable words in my song. It is being ripped apart.

[Xeries]

I've never refused a challenge where creativity was required. I don't suppose I'll start now.

How many lines do you want in this chorus?

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by Xeries

I've never refused a challenge where creativity was required. I don't suppose I'll start now.

How many lines do you want in this chorus?

I think the Challenge is arbitrary enough as it is and to try and rigidly define the chorus may provide more exasperation than it is worth. Knock yourself out on the chorus and see what it looks like. Have fun.

[up-fiddler]

Remember that Saturday night midnite is the deadline for writing. People will have all day on March 2cd to post their work. By Sunday midnite (unless you are an Aussie) you need to have your entry up and ready for critique. Good luck all. I hope to see many participants.

[Rat Lizards]

This made me want to write something like

train train train
me say zero
no no love train
very shit!

...but I suppose I would lose.

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by Rat Lizards

This made me want to write something like

train train train
me say zero
no no love train
very shit!

...but I suppose I would lose.

No contest, no winners..... Just a growth tool to help us become better at our craft. Enter and you will get honest critiques from all who are in the tune kettle with you.

Still.........the train,train,train,very shit! has a nice ring to it.

[cnix]

Originally Posted by up-fiddler

Remember that Saturday night midnite is the deadline for writing. People will have all day on March 2cd to post their work. By Sunday midnite (unless you are an Aussie) you need to have your entry up and ready for critique. Good luck all. I hope to see many participants.

So we do not post our song on the 1st, rather the 2nd of March?

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by cnix

So we do not post our song on the 1st, rather the 2nd of March?

True that.....