So, while the Summer 2011 ZU Awards season isn't exactly over--it's currently in the voting stage--it is for me. Surprisingly, I not only wasn't nominated for the Best Writer award like I was last year, but I wasn't nominated for a single award at all! Maybe I'll have better luck this winter, when the next awards season takes place. I wasn't really expecting to win, but I was expecting at least a nomination. You see, there is actually a bit of a hierarchy in the ZU Writing section, one that I have identified as follows, from lowest to highest: spammers, new members (to the Writing forum) who haven't read the rules, Writing forum newbies who have read the rules, little-known veterans, known veterans, and elite veterans/moderators. I consider myself to be an elite veteran, one among the likes of ZU members Doran_Bladefist, Holden, The Unknown Soldier (now known as Gamzee), Sakume, Jordan, Hero of Geeks, and moderator Fairess, plus former moderator and former ZU member Veyrael. Strangely, though, almost all--if not all--of the people I just mentioned were nominated for Best Writer this awards season. But I wasn't. Am I complaining? Yeah, probably a bit. If I hadn't been nominated last winter, I probably wouldn't be complaining at all. But I was, so I was expecting to at least be nominated again. Oh, well. I guess it makes sense considering how little I've actually written in the past few months compared to the previous few months.
You may have noticed the word "music" in the title of this post. Well, if you did, then good for you. If not, you should be more observant. Whether or not you noticed it, you're probably wondering why I'm mentioning music, especially on a blog about writing. Well, think about it: is all music improvised? No. Almost no music is improvised! Somebody writes the music! The reason I am bringing up music here is because I've written my own music...lyrics. I can't actually write the music; I can't tell which notes are which just by hearing them. However, all of the songs I've written lyrics for have tunes which I've already completely established. I've also recorded all of these songs at least once (many at least three times!) with really pathetic a capella instrumentals. So I thought I'd share a song I've written for you, along with a recording. The lyrics were written in winter or early spring of 2008 (1-3 months before I would even write my first short story!), and the song was also originally recorded pretty much the same day. The recording I am providing here was made about two weeks ago, so it will actually sound like me, not a little child. More information about the song itself can be found after the lyrics. However, brace yourself. This was my first full song ever, and the lyrics are pretty...bad. Anyway, here it is:
"Overcome the Evil"
Lyrics written by Eric B., 2008
VERSE 1:
When all seems lost
And there doesn't seem like there's anything you can do
You must overcome the evil
By yourself
There is darkness below our feet
There is darkness in the air
So you must
Overcome the evil
I'm overcomin' the evil!
CHORUS 1:
I can fight the evil!
The evil doesn't stand a chance!
It doesn't have its grip on me anymore!
I can fight the evil!
I'm the evil-killer!
For I
Am a hero in my heart
VERSE 2:
When there's no escape
And there's no one but you and the dark
You must overcome the evil
With me
If everytime you turn around
There's somethin' bad starin' back at you
Then you must
Overcome the evil
I'm overcomin' the evil!
CHORUS 2:
I can fight the evil!
The evil doesn't stand a chance!
It doesn't have its grip on me anymore!
I can fight the evil!
I'm the evil-killer!
For I
Am a hero in my heart
A hero in my heart
INSTRUMENTAL BREAK
BRIDGE:
If everytime you turn around
There's somethin' bad starin' back at you
Then you must overcome the evil
I'm overcomin' the evil
CHORUS 2
Night Fighter!
Download my summer 2011 recording of "Overcome the Evil" by clicking this link!
Song Information: This was the first song I ever took the time to fully write out lyrics for! It was meant to be the theme song to a little TV show thing I made up (not meant to be real) called Night Fighter, which features a superhero of the same name who fights villains using the power of darkness rather than light. The song itself is not very well-written, with the word "evil" repeated once every few seconds. Then there's also that bit in the chorus that goes "I'm the evil-killer," which one of my friends says sounds like the character kills evilly! Which was not my intention, by the way. Still, the tune can be catchy. This is my best-ever recording of this song. And please excuse the poor a capella "instrumentals." I use them in practically every song I record. The only instrument I can play is the clarinet, which is hardly appropriate for any of my songs. (Originally written and recorded in 2008.)