by Mayv 'SpearBourne' Amaia

Created on: August 15, 2010   Last Updated: September 14, 2011

Songfic, also called song-fic or songfiction, is a genre of writing related to or sometimes considered a part of fan fiction. It could be considered a sort of music video in written form.

Such works may be inspired by a particular song or may have some of the lyrics interspersed between section of a story in order to enhance the mood. They may also involve the characters in the story hearing the song on the radio and being affected by it.

While some writers of fan fiction use a few lines or even only the song’s title to add to the reader’s experience, some writers have been known to include the lyrics as a way of adding to his or her word count. Some might even use the lyrics to impart the feelings and even the plot rather than composing a more original work.

This has led to some readers and reviewers becoming soured to the thought of reading another work which they fear will be unoriginal or lacking anything they could not get from the song itself.

This, however, has not discouraged some authors who may feel that they can do it better. An author might feel that he or she can prove the naysayers wrong and compose a songfiction that is original while using the song’s lyrics as a sort of guiding inspiration.

While some authors have indeed composed songfiction which is enjoyed by readers, sometimes the song used is unfamiliar to the general public, particularly when the song didn’t have a great deal of popularity in the mainstream or it is an older song not often heard anymore.

If knowledge of the song in question is critical to understanding references made within the story, any meaning or ambience the author wished to impart could be lost. Use of a line or two from the lyrics, however, can influence a reader even when he or she had not heard that song before.

Due to many songs and their lyrics being under copyright, the legality of writing and posting songfics is questionable at best. Some archives and sites will allow them or will turn a blind eye if they are submitted and posted; some sites and archives expressly forbid the inclusion of a song’s lyrics in a story.

Others still might allow songfiction but will not permit authors to include a copyrighted song’s lyrics to be posted in full within the story.

As with all fan fiction, when one is submitting a work for posting on another’s site, it is wise to check the guidelines for their stance on particular genres of writing.

Sources:

http://fanlore.org/wiki/songfic

http://www.fanfiction.net/guidelines/

http://web.archive.org/web/20080822041856/http://www .subreality.com/glossary/terms.htm#S

http://littlecalamity.tripod.com/Text/Dictionary.htm l

http://www.theparapet.net/fanfic/glossary.html

http://www.fanhistory.com/wiki/Songfic

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