Sometimes we’re tempted to import entire verses from Bob Dylan, Kurt Kobain, Tupac, or other emblematic recording artists, to create instant mood and atmosphere, establish a period, or make a statement.
Here are three reasons why, when you feel that urge, resist….
• Quoting fro Bob Dylan is expensive. One verse might run you hundreds of dollars for permission to quote. Although the free use provision of the copyright laws has never been strictly defined, two lines from a recorded song are the most you dare to use without risking liability.
• Quoting from Bob Dylan is bound to leave some of your readers out in the cold. Is this a good trade-off for the convenience of an expositional short cut…?I don’t think so. There’s always a better way to do the job with your own focused imagery and unique perceptions. A good piece of writing beats a pop culture reference any day.
• Quoting from Bob Dylan draws attention to itself. The more the quotation runs on, the more it will look like an anthology entry–and the less engaged the reader will be. An entire verse of Dylan, whole stanzas of Dylan Thomas, a sonnet by Shakespeare–any one of them might be “perfect.” But unless you quote selectively and sparely, you’ll have imported a set piece that threatens to wipe out (even if briefly) the story world you’ve worked so hard to create.
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