Historical Romance OR Dancey Dance Dance

For today’s post I thought we might play a little game. Seeing, as how I write the posts you guys don’t really have much of a choice, do you?

First, I want to talk about creative writing. What is it that makes writing a novel different than writing a song or a poem? The words can be, essentially, the same. Is it the music that makes it a song? If you take away the music does it then become a poem or a short story? Ok, well then what is it that makes a poem different from a short story? It's true that some poems have different structures and cadences that they follow, but others don’t. Perhaps it’s the narrative in a story, but many poems also have narratives. Well, I have just succeeded in confusing myself and probably some of you.

So, what the hell is the purpose of the above statements?

Maybe ask a little nicer and I’ll tell you.

I would like to suggest that all creative writing is just expression; and with the exception of a few minor technicalities it is very hard to tell the different genres of creative writing apart. If we take away the music, the narrative, the structure of a piece of writing doesn’t it just become an expression of a feeling or wonderful description?

This leads me to our game: I like to call it HISTORICAL ROMANCE or DANCEY DANCE DANCE

Objective: Read the quotes below and decide whether you think they are from a historical romance novel OR whether they are lyrics to a popular song. Sounds easy enough…right?

I will put the answers at the very bottom of the post. If you scroll ahead and cheat, you suck, and I will know… Just picture my look of utter disappointment and betrayal.

OK….Blog Post Reader come on down, you’re the next contestant on HISTORICAL ROMANCE or DANCEY DANCE DANCE!

I’ll start you of easy….

1. “The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful, stop me and steal my breath.”

2. How can I love when I’m afraid to fall? But watching you stand alone; all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.”

3. “Say you’ll love me every waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime.”

4. “Because I can only love you entirely. With everything I am, and everything I ever will be. Body, mind, heart, soul.”

5. “He touched me. He whispered things in my ear, things I never would’ve expected to affect me the way they did. I feel like I lose control when I’m near him.”

6. “If tomorrow is judgment day and I’m standing on the front line and the Lord asks me what I did with my life, I will say I spent it with you.”

7. “I would be no more than a shadow of myself if I thought that I had truly lost you.”

8. “You think it’s easy? You think I don’t want to run to you? But there are mountains, there are doors that we can’t walk through. I know you’re wondering why because we are able to be just you and me within these walls, but when we go outside…you’re going to wake up and see that it was hopeless, after all.”

9. Come to me. Cover me. Shelter me… heal me. Burn with me, as I burn for you.”

10. When I lay with you I could stay there, close my eyes, feel you here forever.”

Answers:

1. SONG! Edwin McCain – I’ll Be

2. SONG! Christina Perri – A Thousand Years

3. SONG! Phantom of the Opera – All I Ask of You

4. BOOK! Tessa Dare – A Night to Surrender

5. BOOK! Valentina C. Brin – Rise of a Nobleman

6. SONG! Whitney Houston – My Love is Your Love

7. BOOK! Lise Arin – Matilda Express

8. SONG! The Greatest Showman – Rewrite the Stars

9. BOOK! Diana Gabaldon – The Fiery Cross

10. SONG! Adele – Set Fire to the Rain

Citations

Arin, L. (2017) Matilda Empress. Los Angeles, California: Rare Bird Books.

Brin, V. C. (2019) Rise of A Nobleman. Amazon Digital Service- LLC – KDP Print US

Dare, T. (2011) A Night to Surrender. New York City, New York: Avon.

Gabaldon, D. (2001) The Fiery Cross. New York City, New York: Delacorte Press.

Adele. “Set Fire to the Rain.” 21, Fraser T. Smith, 2011, Track 5.

Houston, Whitney. “My Love is Your Love.” My Love is Your Love, Whitney Houston et al., 1998, Track 3.

Perri, Christina. “A Thousand Years.” The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1: The Score, Atlantic- Chop Shop, 2011, Track 4.

McCain, Edwin. “I’ll Be.” Misguided Roses, Lava Records, 1998, Track 4.

Efron and Zendaya. “Rewrite the Stars.” The Greatest Showman: Official Motion Picture Soundtrack, Wells et al, 2019, Track 8.

Webber, A. L. “All I Ask of You.” The Phantom of the Opera: Official Movie Soundtrack, 2004, Track 8.