Writing Rules I Break (Kathy Pritchett)

Our suggested theme for the month is “the one writing rule I break.” I thought about it, and I break them all, especially the one “Write consistently every day.” Life and the necessity of making a living intervene.

So, what the heck, I’ll break another rule. Instead of utilizing the prompt, I’ll expand on the suggestion I made at the last meeting: that a great story or novel should be as carefully orchestrated as a well-written, well-arranged, well-performed song.

As an example, listen to Garth Brooks’ “The Thunder Rolls.” http://en.musicplayon.com/play?v=102875 Written by Garth and Pat Alger, the song opens with just the gentle rolling sound of thunder from an incoming thunderstorm. Yet the sound creates tension; you know more is coming. Then a single guitar picks up a simple melody. The story immediately jumps into the setup: time, setting, senses, foreshadowing (There’s a storm movin’ in), then the hook that gives a hint of the conflict to come (He’s headin’ back from somewhere That he never should have been).

With foreshadowing, the thematic continuity appears: the thunder rolls, repeated, with music going downscale. The opposing main character appears in the second part of the first verse creating a clear character picture, with further foreshadowing of the conflict (Hopin’ she’s not right Prayin' it's the weather That's kept him out all night). Both characters are caught in the beginning of a thunderstorm, indicating the same timeframe, symbolizing the impending conflict.

The music rises to a crescendo in the chorus, hinting at the heart of the conflict and the level it will achieve. (the lightnin' strikes, Another love grows cold On a sleepless night. As the storm blows on Out of control Deep in her heart The thunder rolls).

The second verse brings the conflict. The husband arrives home, the wife is overjoyed. Just when you think the issue is settled (Thankful he’s alive), a complication arises (But on the wind and rain A strange new perfume blows). The lightning flashing in her eyes continues the analogy of a stormy relationship. You just know, due to the foreshadowing, that the conflict isn’t over. The chorus repeats, with more thunder, holding us in suspense as to the nature and outcome of the conflict.

The commercial version of the song ends here (with a VERY long guitar riff). However, at the urging of Tanya Tucker’s producer, Garth and Company wrote a third verse that is seldom heard, but completes the conflict and ends the story. Or at least lets us know what the final conflict will be. Tucker recorded the song, but never released it, so Garth did. This is the version of the song Garth usually performs in concert. The video has also raised funds for victims of domestic violence.

In this case, the artist controlled every aspect of the story (characters, theme, conflict, pacing, setting) just as writers should. This is where careful plotting and rewriting come in, to ensure that every word pushes readers into the story we want them to feel.

 “The Thunder Rolls”

Three thirty in the morning
Not a soul in sight
The city's lookin' like a ghost town
On a moonless summer night
Raindrops on the windshield
There's a storm movin' in
He's headin' back from somewhere
That he never should have been
And the thunder rolls
And the thunder rolls

Every light is burnin'
In a house across town
She's pacin' by the telephone
In her faded flannel gown
Askin' for miracle
Hopin' she's not right
Prayin' it's the weather
That's kept him out all night
And the thunder rolls
And the thunder rolls

Chorus

The thunder rolls
And the lightnin' strikes
Another love grows cold
On a sleepless night
As the storm blows on
Out of control
Deep in her heart
The thunder rolls

She's waitin' by the window
When he pulls into the drive
She rushes out to hold him
Thankful he's alive
But on the wind and rain
A strange new perfume blows
And the lightnin' flashes in her eyes
And he knows that she knows
And the thunder rolls
And the thunder rolls

Chorus

The thunder rolls
And the lightnin' strikes
Another love grows cold
On a sleepless night
As the storm blows on
Out of control
Deep in her heart
The thunder rolls

The not always heard last verse:

She runs back down the hallway and through the bedroom door
She reaches for the pistol kept in the dresser drawer
Tells the lady in the mirror he won't do this again
'Cause tonight will be the last time, she'll wonder where he's been

Other songs, particularly ballads, follow the same pattern. Which of your favorite songs do? Or which ones illustrate other techniques?