Born to Run Story Event 2025 Support Thread

[WaxPhilosophic]

Born to Run Story Event 2025

August 25, 2025 will mark the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run album. Arguably Springsteen's breakthrough and most well-known work, the album embodies the idea of escape, freedom of the open road, and taking a last-gasp chance at finding happiness.

To celebrate this bit of musical history, I'm using it as the basis for my first ever story event.

The Challenge

Pick a line from any song on the Born to Run album and write a story around it.

There's the obvious, "Wendy let me in, I want to be your friend, I want to guard your dreams and visions," from the title track that conjures ideas of wooing the girl of your dreams.

There's the melancholy, "No one watches when the ambulance pulls away. Or as the girl shuts out the bedroom light," from Jungleland that brings up images of sadness and loss.

Or there's "So you're scared, and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore," from Thunder Road that suggests throwing caution to the wind and finally pursuing a dream before it slips away.

Plenty of good lines, themes, and imagery to choose from.

The Details

This is an open challenge. Any author may take part. Any category is acceptable.

The stories will be posted on Aug 25th (the anniversary of the album's release), so please be kind to the site admins and have your entry in the queue at least a week prior, with Aug 1st through Aug 18th being ideal.

Use "BornToRun" in the notes to admin section of the story submission form to signify your taking part.

Use the tag "Born to Run 2025" to help group your submission with others participating in the challenge.

The Caveats

Use of copyrighted song lyrics in works of fiction is not covered under fair use! Do not simply quote songs in your story.

I'm not a copyright lawyer, but this link might help:

https://www.thelaw.com/law/are-song-titles-lyrics-protected-by-copyright-or-trademark-law.317/

Capture the theme and the feeling, not the exact wording.

Questions and Such

Please direct any questions about the challenge as a reply to this thread. I will answer the best I can. And please be patient as this is the first challenge I've organized and I do also have a day job.

 

[THBGato]

Cool concept Wax! This is a boss-level challenge.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Great idea!!!! Going to have to see if I can squeeze another one out!

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

Cool concept Wax! This is a boss-level challenge.

"Boss level" *groan*

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

Great idea!!!! Going to have to see if I can squeeze another one out!

Thanks. I've very much enjoyed your Spillane challenges as well!

 

[YDB95]

Great idea! I'm in, though I have no idea as yet of which line I'll use. (Full disclosure: I actually did exactly this several years ago, but I'll write a new one for this event.)

By the way, there is a book out there of short stories based on "Meeting Across the River". I've been meaning to read it.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

Happy to have you onboard! Though I might hold off on reading the story you linked until later, because from the title, I think it's eerily similar to what I have planned (at least the song it's based on.) I've got a couple characters I left in a lurch at the end of a story I wrote based on Depeche Mode's Little 15, and I was planning to give them closure with this event, basing it on Springsteen's Thunder Road.

Looking forward to reading your story for this challenge. Thanks for joining in.

 

[AchtungNight]

“Dancing in the Dark” has always been my favorite Springsteen song. It’s not on the album but very evocative of many erotic themes. Not sure if I’ll participate in this event but thought I would mention the song. Other awesome tracks from Springsteen include “Cover Me”, “I’m Going Down”, “I’m on Fire”, and “Open All Night”. Can we use songs not from the “Born to Run” album if inspired?

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

“Dancing in the Dark” has always been my favorite Springsteen song. It’s not on the album but very evocative of many erotic themes. Not sure if I’ll participate in this event but thought I would mention the song. Other awesome tracks from Springsteen include “Cover Me”, “I’m Going Down”, “I’m on Fire”, and “Open All Night”. Can we use songs not from the “Born to Run” album if inspired?

If it inspires you, go for it! My idea for the challenge was to capture the theme and feeling of Born to Run. Taking that last chance, you and your girl against the world, getting out of town and onto the open road, etc. I'm sure there are plenty of songs in the Springsteen catalog that fit the theme. If not on the Born to Run album per se, but you still want to use it for inspiration, I don't see a problem.

 

[SimonDoom]

Interesting idea for a challenge. Springsteen is a great choice for this because, number 1, he's such a great lyricist that there are a gazillion song lyrics to choose from for inspiration, literally dozens from every single album, and 2) his songs are so evocative of different moods and situations, including longing and desire. "Fire" immediately came to mind as a good sexy story inspiration, although it's not from that album. Or, from She's The One: "With her killer graces, and her secret places, that no boy can fill."

 

[vanmyers86]

Born to Run is one of my favorite albums ever, not a bad song on it. And as I review the lyrics to what's on that album, it feels like every third line has potential as an evocative, effective title! "The Lonely Cool Before Dawn." "There's Magic in the Night." "All the Redemption I Can Offer" - and that's just Thunder Road!

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

Born to Run is one of my favorite albums ever, not a bad song on it. And as I review the lyrics to what's on that album, it feels like every third line has potential as an evocative, effective title! "The Lonely Cool Before Dawn." "There's Magic in the Night." "All the Redemption I Can Offer" - and that's just Thunder Road!

And who can forget the "barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge"? Or the "giant Exxon sign that brings this fair city light?" Both from the closing end of the album. Plenty of lines to choose from!

 

[RetroFan]

When I saw the title, I thought it was going to be a competition about sports-related stories. Did anyone else think this?

 

[AchtungNight]

Seems the event could be about a theme more than an artist. Whatever gets creative vibes going.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

Interesting idea for a challenge. Springsteen is a great choice for this because, number 1, he's such a great lyricist that there are a gazillion song lyrics to choose from for inspiration, literally dozens from every single album, and 2) his songs are so evocative of different moods and situations, including longing and desire. "Fire" immediately came to mind as a good sexy story inspiration, although it's not from that album. Or, from She's The One: "With her killer graces, and her secret places, that no boy can fill."

I just took another listen to She's the One while looking up the lyrics. Plenty of good lines in there.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

Seems the event could be about a theme more than an artist. Whatever gets creative vibes going.

I suppose it could be. It was the 50th anniversary of the Born to Run album that got me started on this. But, it's the themes expressed in the songs that conjure up images of potential stories.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

Oh My God! First off can you imagine 50 years! Wax, what an incredible idea. I on my way to becoming a young Army Nurse back then and wow do I remember the parties listening to this album.

I have an amazing idea goodness!! Good luck to you all!

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

Oh My God! First off can you imagine 50 years! Wax, what an incredible idea. I on my way to becoming a young Army Nurse back then and wow do I remember the parties listening to this album.

I have an amazing idea goodness!! Good luck to you all!

Happy to have you joining in. And yes, 50 years! It can't be possible, right? Because we can't be that old!

 

[NoTalentHack]

Born to Run Story Event 2025

August 25, 2025 will mark the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run album. Arguably Springsteen's breakthrough and most well-known work, the album embodies the idea of escape, freedom of the open road, and taking a last-gasp chance at finding happiness.

To celebrate this bit of musical history, I'm using it as the basis for my first ever story event.

The Challenge

Pick a line from any song on the Born to Run album and write a story around it.

There's the obvious, "Wendy let me in, I want to be your friend, I want to guard your dreams and visions," from the title track that conjures ideas of wooing the girl of your dreams.

There's the melancholy, "No one watches when the ambulance pulls away. Or as the girl shuts out the bedroom light," from Jungleland that brings up images of sadness and loss.

Or there's "So you're scared, and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore," from Thunder Road that suggests throwing caution to the wind and finally pursuing a dream before it slips away.

Plenty of good lines, themes, and imagery to choose from.

The Details

This is an open challenge. Any author may take part. Any category is acceptable.

The stories will be posted on Aug 25th (the anniversary of the album's release), so please be kind to the site admins and have your entry in the queue at least a week prior, with Aug 1st through Aug 18th being ideal.

Use "BornToRun" in the notes to admin section of the story submission form to signify your taking part.

Use the tag "Born to Run 2025" to help group your submission with others participating in the challenge.

The Caveats

Use of copyrighted song lyrics in works of fiction is not covered under fair use! Do not simply quote songs in your story.

I'm not a copyright lawyer, but this link might help:

https://www.thelaw.com/law/are-song-titles-lyrics-protected-by-copyright-or-trademark-law.317/

Capture the theme and the feeling, not the exact wording.

Questions and Such

Please direct any questions about the challenge as a reply to this thread. I will answer the best I can. And please be patient as this is the first challenge I've organized and I do also have a day job.

"Baby this town rips the bones from your back." Erotic Horror, here I come!

... Kidding.

... Probably.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

"Baby this town rips the bones from your back." Erotic Horror, here I come!

... Kidding.

... Probably.

Ooh, now that's an angle I did not see coming. But I like it! "Kids are huddled on the beach in the mist," takes on a whole new meaning.

 

[Trionyx]

If you had allowed songs from other albums, my vote would have been a song from Born in the USA. The song? “I’m Going Down,” of course.

 

[YDB95]

If you had allowed songs from other albums, my vote would have been a song from Born in the USA. The song? “I’m Going Down,” of course.

No reason why you can't toss in allusions to songs from his other albums. I've started my story and there are at least five other albums represented.

 

[Trionyx]

No reason why you can't toss in allusions to songs from his other albums. I've started my story and there are at least five other albums represented.

“Pick a line from any song on the Born to Run album and write a story around it.”

This is from the opening announcement of this challenge. I’m normally not a stickler for rules but I’d prefer to follow them in this case. Anyway, it was my lame attempt at humor.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

As long as you don't stray too far the themes represented by Born to Run, I don't see a problem with using another Springsteen song. Ideally, it would be something from the album (since it's the 50th anniversary) but in the end it could be the themes of running away with your girl in your cool car or whatever else you find in the songs.

 

[YDB95]

“Pick a line from any song on the Born to Run album and write a story around it.”

This is from the opening announcement of this challenge. I’m normally not a stickler for rules but I’d prefer to follow them in this case. Anyway, it was my lame attempt at humor.

In no way does including allusions to other songs violate that rule, as long as the story is centered around a song from BTR.