Elaina James

Writing song lyrics is a lot like writing a short story, though admittedly a very short story.  They can have everything a short story should have: characters, conflicts and plots. Plus a repetitive chorus to give weight to a particular point and stick in the listener’s memory to be recalled at random intervals. Of course not all lyrics are like this. Some musicians see them as an afterthought, something that is inferior to the melody, harmony and rhythm.   Some songs lyrics can seem perfectly sensible as you sing along with your radio on the dull drive to work, but if you’ve ever seen those lyrics written down, without the aid of music, you might see them in a less flattering light. For me though, songs with a story are the most powerful.   My favourite is Lonestar’s ‘My Front Porch Looking In’. This song has amazing imagery, both in terms of the scenery and the family that are described. I might not have a front porch on which to sit, but this song always makes me t...

T oday I'm thrilled to welcome author Elaine Roberts to the blog to share her writing journey. Do you have a dream?  For many years mine was always about wanting to be a published writer, but I didn’t think things like that happened to people like me. Then when I was in my fifties my son found a writing course and then a class for me, and then it began to feel like it was possible. I was encouraged to write short stories, which I didn’t want to do, but it was a good lesson in writing to a word count. When a magazine wanted to pay me for a short story I couldn’t believe it, someone actually wanted to pay for something I had written. To say I was over the moon is a massive understatement; I danced, clapped and cheered around my front room. I began writing contemporary stories, and I have several unpublished ones on my laptop but I decided to try writing a historical novel, and The Foyles Bookshop Girls series was born. Now I’m proud to say my fifth World War One novel, Big Dreams for...