Monday 27 September 2010

"Blurred Vision and Dirty Thoughts"

The alternative title to this post is 'It's My Birthday And I'll Suggest A Ramones Themed Anthology If I Want To' but it doesn't quite trip off the tongue so I thought I'd go with the quote from the Ramones' 'Somebody Put Something In My Drink'.

So, since it is my birthday, who fancies writing a story using a Ramones song title as the title for the story? The story doesn't need to be based on the song, it just needs to use the title.

So how about it? Anyone in? I suggest:

1. Stories should be under 750 words, to reflect the fact that Ramones songs were really, really short.
2. Stories posted on your blog on 1st November (or thereabouts) and I'll put links to them all here. If you don't have a blog, I would be thrilled to post them here for you.
3. There needs to be a crime in it, but it can be as petty as you like.

For non-Ramones fans - what about 53rd and 3rd with its tale of a male prostitute:

"Then I took out my razor blade
Then I did what God forbade"

Or Blitzkrieg Bop's "Shoot'em in the back now"

And the rich implications of Teenage Lobotomy's:
"Now I guess I'll have to tell 'em
That I got no cerebellum" (which just have to be some of the finest lyrics ever!)

And then of course there's I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement, You're Gonna Kill That Girl, You Should Have Never Opened That Door, Born to Die in Berlin, Cabbies on Crack, Heidi is a Headcase, Too Tough To Die...lots of delicious inspiration there.

Here are 183 song titles (complete with lyrics).

Leave me a comment if you're in, or send me an e-mail. I'll post regular reminders. Anyone fancy it? Please don't say it's just me, it's my birthday and I will cry.

In other crime related birthday news, amongst other things I got Donald Westlake's MEMORY, published by Hard Case Crime (I also got the new Grinderman CD as we're going to see them tomorrow - (woohoo!) and a quad bike experience. Yesssssssssssss)

Update - I am so stupid - I meant 1st November, not 1st October. That would be cruel - expecting people to write a story in 4 days! Whoops, sorry :o)

23 comments:

  1. Who are the Ramones?

    Happy Birthday! 29th, is it?

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  2. Oh, Ms Witch - with one hand you punch, with the other you caress :o)

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  3. Happy birthday! Count me in.

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  4. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DONNA!!!! :-)

    I do not have a blog, but sure, I'll try it! They certainly have some great titles!

    Bobbie

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  5. Happy birthday, Donna! I've got a busy week, but I'll do my best to come up with something!

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  6. I'll do you one better. I'll take you here when you're in LA and we'll coauthor our own live action story as we go.

    http://www.seeing-stars.com/imagepages/JohnnyRamoneGravePhoto.shtml

    Happy Birthday, Dollface. Can't wait to see you!

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  7. i shouldn't but i might, like those cakes in the staff room.

    happy birthday BB (which is almost as cool as Dee Dee when you think about it)

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  8. Happy birthday, dollface! And yes, of course I'm in. Looking forward to reading all the tales this spawns, too - gonna be good fun!

    Enjoy the quad biking - and Grinderman. I must pick up that album - I love the first one. Should be a brilliant gig! (I'm just back from the Sage where I saw Glenn Hughes - one of the best gigs I've ever been to - mint!)

    Take care, young 'un. Be good!

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  9. Happy Birthday!

    I remember seeing the Ramones at my college in the early 80's. They blew out the sound system three times! It was fantastic.

    I got an idea looking over the titles so you may see something from me too.

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  10. Paul and Iasa - thank you and excellent!

    Bobbie - yay! Just let me have it and I'll post it here - I'm looking forward to seeing it!

    Chris - it was your comment that made me realise I'd posted the wrong date - so you have a whole month!

    Christa - oooooooooooooh, what fun! Looking forward to seeing you.

    Nigel - go on, take that cake.

    Jools - excellent. And glad you enjoyed the gig.

    Rosemarie - I look forward to it!

    Thanks all - you're dears for humouring me this way.

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  11. Please may I baggsy Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)? That's where my head is.

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  12. Nigel - ah, one of my favourite Ramones tracks :o) You can have whatever you want - no restriction on how many times the same title is used :o)

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  13. Hope you had a great birthday - count me in!

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  14. Happy Birthday! I'll do it but I need the reminders otherwise I'll forget.

    Have you seen that there's a discussion of Scottish crime fiction taking place at the Portobello Book Festival on 10th of October? It's a free event featuring Allan Guthrie, Doug Johnstone, Alice Thompson and Caroline Dunford and chaired by Ian Rankin. I thought the Badsville crew might be interested...

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  15. And here I was getting into a sweat, trying to come up with something reasonably silly, sorry, reasonably suitable IN FOUR DAYS.

    I would have done it for you, which probably means I am in. Plenty of time to forget, though.

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  16. No, see, on your birthday, others are supposed to give you presents, not you giving us one like a Ramones challenge.

    I'm in.

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  17. Colin - thank you, and thank you!

    Helen - excellent, thanks! I wish I could go to Portobello. I hope any who are going let me know how it was!

    Dorte - I just won't let you forget.

    Jimmy - well, you see, reading all those Ramones stories will be a real birthday treat for me. Very glad you're in - I look forward to reading it!

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  18. Happy late birthday, Donna!

    I just found out about this challenge. I'm in! I'll post on Monday.

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  19. Fantastic John - I look forward to reading it!

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  20. I love The Ramones! (And what a great idea. ALL the song titles lend themselves well to bad behaving characters.)

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