Ok, the next part of my question is this:

Does music have any influence in the things you write, or how you write?

Hey gang, more questions from the clueless wonder.

For years, everytime I hear music, I can see scenes of stories in my head. In fact, most of my novel is derived through one point or another through music. It's to the point where it's incorporated into some of the dialouge, and the music itself is written in lyric form and even discuss it at to an extent.

Now, for those of you in the biz, if I want to get this novel published, do I need to get copyright from the singer/writers of these songs? Or by citing them in the novel itself, am I covering myself?

I'm all for writing for writing's sake, but some people like to add a message in their stories. Lord knows I do.

In answer to the OP, I think the ending should in some way incorporate at least one of your messages.

I'll give you a for instance. Dune, highest grossing Sci-Fi novel ever. It ends with Jessica, who was not married to her son's father but rather his concubine whom he considered a wife, telling Chani, who is about to be put in the same position, that "She may bear his name, but history will call us 'Wives'"

Hope this helped

oh, and for the record, I detest Michael Moore. I agree with what he says, but he says it in such a way that it's vulgar.

I wouldn't consider Dan Brown to be a shock monger...at least, not until I read his next book.

Hey guys, I've been working on this novel for a while now, and as a practice I've been writing short stories that help develop my main character and the world around him.

In one of the stories I write about Rape (both sexual and mental) and the overlying choices that the victims has afterwards, to either let it consume them or to use the pain inflicted on them as a source of strength.

Now, I've written about alot of the things my age group (college age) is known for, drinking, drugs, and morals as strong as kleenex in a monsoon. But this is by far the darkest I've delved.

My question is, have you ever written on a controversial topic? What was your experience writing it? Of people Reading it?

I'm doing that. I'm just looking at it and going "shit, I sucked..."

I asked someone this question once, she replied simply, and in a matter that reminded me of Steve Zissou, "Revenge"

bless her zombie bones...

I see the scene in crystal quality in my head. Everytime I finish a scene, unless I'm not satisfied with it, it more or less is gone from my vision, because it's not there anymore, it's on the page. I'm pouring my scene out onto the page