Song fics are a great way for authors to bring a little bit of their own world into slash. Usually we see this done with the creation of Mary Sues and Mary Sue's cousins (who would constitute all of the author's friends who wanna be in the story too), but I think that songfics are a nice alternative to the Mary Sue, and I hope you'd agree.

Music is the foremost inspiration for many of my ideas, and all kinds of songs can help me create some great fiction. The right lyrics and beat can conjure up the most gorgeous images for a story. From rockabilly to showtunes to bossa nova, they all have an underlying message that can be translated into the 'N Sync slash fandom (and any other fandom as well).

Ordinarily I see lots of pop music in bad slash, and in good slash there's mostly the use of pussyfied alternative bands (ex. - 'Deep Inside of You' by Third Eye Blind seems to be a favorite) But if there's one type of music that inspires me personally the most, it's hip hop and soul.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only author out there whom do hip hop and soul inspire. A fellow slasher once made the comment that I use lots of ethnic characters in my writing, and I think that I do this as a way to a little realer, a little more true. Not only to myself, but also to the world! Everyone knows that white people aren't the only ones out there. As one of the few known black women involved in slash, and especially someone who enjoys hip hop and r&b, it gets kind of frustrating sometimes when I'm gushing about a song that I love to another writer and they're absolutely clueless. Are slash writers really that uninformed and similar? I'd hate to think that we're all a bunch of alt-rock listenin' college students with Pentium 3's and unhealthy obsessions with pop stars. I like to think of a wide array of people behind those computers, from college kids to professionals to high school students to mothers and daughters.

[this is the point in which a song that the author enjoys comes on her MP3 player: Musiq Soulchild - Just Friends (Sunny)]

Now I know I could get a fabulous songfic out of this. But it kind of upsets me because I know that there will be people out there who have never heard this song.

There's so much soul out there. There's soul in this music, soul in the things we write. I think that a lot of writers strive to get that soul in the stories they write, and I think that songfics can be soulful and warm if you use the right song. Soul, hip hop, and r&b are some of the most beautiful forms of music and the love songs in this genre are just incredible. Beautiful stories can come from these songs, but why don't other writers see this?

Enough with the Matchbox 20 and Celine Dion, people. Bring on the soul!

- Bohemia (the_fiercest@hotmail.com)