Melody Plotting Along with Disney - The Song of Hope

Welcome to the second part of my series, Melody Plotting along with Disney, where I’m taking the general ‘songs’ in Disney movies and applying them to novel writing.

As I said before, Disney is brilliant at using songs to portray the emotions and forward motion of its stories. The first post discussed the Song of Longing. You can read about it here:

The three song-types I'm discussing are:

Song of Longing

Song of Hope

Song of the Antagonist/Villain

And I might end the series with a Happily-ever-after post, but for now, we’re going to talk about the second ‘song’ we can learn from as authors. 

The Song of Hope.

In almost every Disney movie (especially the ‘princess’ ones) there is a Song of Hope. This song is the moment when the ‘longing’ (from the first post) seems like a real possibility for the protagonist or it shows a ‘change’ in the protagonists previously ‘hopeless’ circumstances. Lots of times, it involves a love song of some sort. It’s the ALMOST-but-not-yet.

http://www.zastavki.com/eng/Cartoons/wallpaper-27238.htm 

A few examples?

A Whole New World from Aladdin – Aladdin’s song of longing to be seen as more than a street rat is realized in the carpet ride with Jasmine. (the fun doesn't last long as Jafar has him kidnapped right after he lands Jasmine on the balcony)

At Last I See the Light from Tangled  displays Rapunzel’s deepest dream of her heart, she finds hope in being with Flynn. (Yet again, it doesn't last long before Mother Gothel and the gruesome dudes mess things up.)

Belle and the Beast have a clear ‘change’ in their relationship when they sing Something There that Wasn't There Before, followed pretty quickly by the title song, Beauty and the Beast. The adventure and romance Belle had been searching for became a possibility. (But when she leaves to rescue her father, the tables turn and the beast’s life is in danger)

Kiss the Girl clearly displays the hope Ariel has to be ‘kissed’ by Eric and gain her voice back, as well as her future. Her dream is literally a pucker away, but due to the magnificently maniacal Ursula, a hurricane of trouble is soon to follow.

Frozen succeeds in flipping this idea on its head by giving Ana false-hope through the song, Love is an Open Door, while Elsa’s song of hope is the extremely popular, Let it Go. Ana believes her longing from For the First Time in Forever has been revealed in Hans (boy, is she wrong) and Elsa’s biggest fears represented in the same song are replaced by her new-found freedom from her ‘concealment’ of her magic.

If we want to switch gears and look at popular movies?

The Song of Hope in a movie like Titanic is the night Rose and Jack spend together dancing, painting…and other things. There is hope that Rose will no longer be confined by the expectations

placed upon her – it’s a taste of her dream-come-true. But only a taste. We’ll discover near the end of the movie, she has to make that final choice to bring her dream to reality.

The Song of Hope in The Princess’ Bride is when Wesley and Buttercup are reunited before going into the Fire Swamp. Sure they’re almost killed by lightning sand and R.O.U.Ses, but they’re together. (but the sweet happily-ever-after moment ends as soon as they get through the swamp and come face-to-face with Humperdink)

In my historical romance, it happens after a horse-riding incident that ends in a kiss. In one of my contemporary romances, it happens in a tower that ends in a kiss.

Do you know what the Song of Hope is for your story? Is there a part of your novel where the protagonist realizes his/her dream is possible, almost palpable? The Almost-but-not-yet part of your book?

Would you like to share?

Christian Romance: What exactly is it?

I've heard more than once that "Christian Romance is an oxymoron," that there can be no such thing.

As a Christian romance author, I beg to differ, and quite loudly at that.

The romance genre isn't all bodice rippers, graphic scenes, and half-naked men on the cover. And it SURE is isn't all Fifty Shades of Filth. (my apologies to you who read and enjoyed the book...)

I'll even take a step further and say "romance" isn't all about sex either. (although as a married woman and mom of 4 kids and an angel baby... it is about it at least a little!)

As a Christian author, I attempt to write romance through a Godly perspective.

First, what exactly IS romance? Dictionary.com defines it as A feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.

I can get on board with that. Romance is about feeling. Our romance novels, regardless of CBA or ABA, should invoke emotions or feeling in our readers.

Even basic childhood fairytails do that. I mean, seriously. Who doesn't have that little heart quickening when Cinderella's slipper fits at last, or when the prince sweeps her into his arms? Or when Belle kisses the Beast as the last petal falls off the rose?

It isn't all sexual. Especially for women, it's about a heart connection on an intimate level.

In Christian romance, we have a unique responsibility. There are certain lines that shouldn't be crossed. Those lines vary widely based on readership and publishing house. 

For me, I choose to view those lines as a challenge instead of a barrier. I'm challenged to show the romance and to connect my reader while showing restraint. And...you know, restraint can be quiet sexy in itself. While not a Christian book, Twilight was a great example of a "hero" showing respect and restraint, and as twisted as it was, a man denying his basic human (or in his case, non-human) need out of love for the woman of his heart... that, my friends, is ROMANTIC.

Every author needs to examine their heart, pray, and deciding on what their "lines" are, but I'll share with you the guidelines I use:

PREMARITAL SEX 

"Un"married sex happens. It is not a no-no to be included in my books, but it is shown a moral no-no if it happens. In "Sandwich" my heroine has a pretty racy past. She slept with half the guys in her high school class. She's now a Christian and left that life behind her, but it's still a struggle. Karen Kingsbury's Return features a hero who goes too far with his girlfriend, and the resulting story showcases the consequences.

BEDROOM SCENES

I've always said, characters can have sex (although see above note about unmarried ones)... as long as you close the door and give them privacy. But that begs the question... when does the door need to be closed? For me, my rule of thumb is before clothes start being shed, or at what point the door needs to be shut to keep kids out:-)

BODY PARTS

To be blunt... in romantic situations, there are certain, um, parts of the body that react. Since it is our goal to invoke romantic feelings in our readers, not lustful ones, I limit visceral (and physical) descriptions to areas of the body that aren't covered by a bikini or boxers.

RULE OF THUMB: My final line is this, and it covers all of the above three issues nicely.

I don't write anything that I'd feel embarrassed if my mom would read it. I have a fairly conservative mother, but not so much that she's scandalized at the S. E. X. word, so this works for me. 

Discussion: Do your "lines" differ from mine above? What are your thoughts on Christian romance?