ROCK & ROLL IS DEAD
Rock & Roll is Dead:
Dark Tales Inspired by Music
Have you ever heard a piece of music, maybe even a snippet of lyrics, and wondered if something evil resided between the song's choruses and hooks? Has a song ever conjured up macabre images in your mind that you doubt the original artist intended? If so, here's your chance to put those thoughts on paper!
We are looking for short stories inspired by the music of our lives. Pick a song and let your imagination run wild. The characters and events should be your own creation but let the song guide you.
Examples:
If you love Guns & Roses, then welcome readers to your jungle by weaving a tale about a corrupt, drug riddled, post apocalyptic city.
In "Hell Patrol", Rob Halford says they are Night Riders and Storm Bringers, but who are the Hell Patrol really? I think they're an undead motorcycle gang that rides the streets after midnight searching for vengeance against rival gangs that are still alive.
Maybe you've always thought that The Little Old Lady from Pasadena is more than a harmless speeder. Perhaps she is really a killer who likes "Death-Proof"-style hit and runs.
What the hell is going on in the introduction of Prince's "Computer Blue"?
Sounds like a great set up for a horror/scifi story.
What we don't want:
Don't simply give us a retelling of the song. Give us a brand new story that has a hint or feel of the music.
Don't mention the actual song in the story. Submissions don't need to be involve the song or even have music in them at all. Remember, this isn't really an anthology about music. Lots of different things inspire people to write. All we ask is that you take your inspiration from a song for this anthology.
Don't use direct lyrics from the song in your story. And don't give your story the same title as the song.
Other tips:
You don't have to keep it to number one hits, but don't do b-sides from your uncle's garage-band either.
Heavy Metal is good, we absolutely love Metal. Slayer, Maiden, Sabbath, Priest, etc. But Death Metal fans beware. If you choose a Death Metal band (Cannibal Corpse, Cephalic Carnage, Mortician, etc) make sure your story isn't simply a regurgitation of the song’s blood and guts. This goes for all songs with dark narratives. There must be a story.
It does not have to be "straight up horror" but it should be dark.
Most of all, have fun, write your best and rock on!
The hard facts:
750-5000 words, no more than that please.
Payment: ½ cent per word
Send subs to submissions@bloodboundbooks.net
Subject should look like this: Rock is Dead: Story Title (Last name)
Please put the name of the song and band in the body of the email.
Deadline: open until filled.
If you want an idea of the types of stories we accept, check out our first anthology, Night Terrors.
Question: One of my favorite groups does music based on themes...little to NO words. (Nox Arcana) And some of their themes are creepy. Does the song have to have lyrics?
Question: One of my favorite groups does music based on themes...little to NO words. (Nox Arcana) And some of their themes are creepy. Does the song have to have lyrics?
-tws99jaw
Good question. I would think a good title and atmospheric music could render a fine story.
This one sounds like a lot of fun. The hard part will be choosing the song.
Question: One of my favorite groups does music based on themes...little to NO words. (Nox Arcana) And some of their themes are creepy. Does the song have to have lyrics?
-tws99jaw
That is a good question. I want to say for the record that we do prefer songs with lyrics, even if it's only a few words. However, creepy music has the potential for a good story, so we're gonna say yes.
What is an example of one of their themes?
I am so salivating right now [image]
-sinauthor
Does that mean we can expect some Sin in the submissions inbox? That would be awesome, spread the word Nat!
This sounds super awesome!
Generally speaking, I dig fiction in which music plays a part in the theme, particularly horror/sci-fi/dark fantasy. Someone ought to do something with historical fiction/horror fused with music from the period in which it takes place.
Oh my god, this is perfect for me. I heart you Blood Bound Books!
Lotsaluv, Em
I'm so glad everyone likes this idea. Once Adam pitched it to me I knew we had to do it. Good to know we're all on the same page!
Straight off my ipod:
That is a good question. I want to say for the record that we do prefer songs with lyrics, even if it's only a few words. However, creepy music has the potential for a good story, so we're gonna say yes.
What is an example of one of their themes?
-bbbeditor
Blackthorn Asylum
Carnival of Lost Souls
Darklore Manor
Grimm Tales
Phantoms of the High Seas
Transylvania
With Songs titled:
Sanitarium Gates, Threshold of Madness, Tapestry of Decay, Spiders in the Attic,The Forgotten Path,
Soul Stealer, Pandora's Music Box, Memento Mori, The Howling, Echos from the Crypt, and oh so many more. The listed albums aren't even all of them. They are award winners for rpg game music and there has been an anthology written based on Blackthorn Asylum.
:)
Awesome idea! Now, getting to the writing...
Armand Rosamilia
"Death Metal" urban horror novella author from Sam's Dot Publishing
Welcome Armand! Give us a link to Death Metal, the title alone sounds interesting.
I'm really interested in submitting for this, but I'm curious: is there not a copyright issue, using lyrics written by other artists?
I'm really interested in submitting for this, but I'm curious: is there not a copyright issue, using lyrics written by other artists?
-matthewsdent
The author should not be using the actual lyrics in the story. I will double check the legal issues with Theresa because she knows most of the copyright laws, but I’ve seen the reverse done several times. Story to a song. For example, The Stranger by Albert Camus inspired the song Killing an Arab by The Cure. They never come right out and say it but the feel of the song is on par with the book. We want the opposite. Don’t steal lyrics, but capture the feel/character of a song and turn it into your own story. The only issue may be with the Title. If you want to do Stevie Nicks, you might not be able to actually call the story Edge of Seventeen. It might need to be called something else, but I will double check and get you an answer hopefully by the weekend.
Ah, I see. Thanks for the clear-up. I need to start thinking of which song I'm going to use now.
I think it's okay to use the title as your title as long as you acknowledge that it came from somewhere else. I do that with loads of my stories. It might be an idea to accompany each story with a little disclaimery-type-thing, for example: "Alive" by Emma Kathryn was inspired by Emilie Autumn's "Dead is the New Alive", something like that. Or "Vampire Bunnies" by Emma Kathryn - based on "State Fair" by Rasputina. Etc, etc. Similarly, Neil Gaiman's piece "Strange Little Girls" is based on Tori Amos' album "Strange Little Girls", granted he's chums with Tori Amos and the story eventually accompanied the tour book. Unfortunately, I am chums with neither Emilie Autumn nor Melora Creager of Rasputina. Shame.
Lotsaluv, Em
Been listening to the radio diligently. All the songs I would normally use are Japanese, so I have to reacquaint myself with Western rock. 
The posts that follow will address a few more concerns about copyrights as well as what we are looking for in stories. Please read ALL posts so we're all on the same page.
I think it's okay to use the title as your title as long as you acknowledge that it came from somewhere else. I do that with loads of my stories. It might be an idea to accompany each story with a little disclaimery-type-thing, for example: "Alive" by Emma Kathryn was inspired by Emilie Autumn's "Dead is the New Alive", something like that. Or "Vampire Bunnies" by Emma Kathryn - based on "State Fair" by Rasputina. Etc, etc. Similarly, Neil Gaiman's piece "Strange Little Girls" is based on Tori Amos' album "Strange Little Girls", granted he's chums with Tori Amos and the story eventually accompanied the tour book. Unfortunately, I am chums with neither Emilie Autumn nor Melora Creager of Rasputina. Shame.
Lotsaluv, Em-emma
I believe this is the idea Adam originally had in mind when he thought of the anthology. I will find out if crediting the artist at the beginning of the story is sufficient. However, I still must discourage writers from using direct lyrics (as explained in our guidelines). The only issue with this idea of crediting is: what if a musician reads the story and decides that they don’t like the way their original vision portrayed/used in the story. Perhaps they feel the author missed the mark completely. If that should happen is there any legal course of action that could be taken against the author, Adam, or Myself? That is what I will find out.
