How can you develop creative writing skills? [Archive]

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Death Metal Moe

04-19-2005, 06:29 PM

Just curious if anyone has any books, techniques, drills or hints they can point me to in order to help me develop my writing skills a little more.  I understand that if you're not creative, you can't force it, and it may end up that I'm just not creative enough to make anything of any worth up.  But I wrote a couple song ideas in my old laptop that died, and when I read them before the hard drive spun it's last time, I was actually pretty proud of them.  They very accurately described how I felt at the time.  And I for once didn't get the douche chills reading something I wrote down.  But I haven't tried to write anything since then.  Is it just something you have to keep doing in order to hone the skill?  And don't worry, Moe isn't going to start posting his Torture Soul Poem Corner or any such shit.  This is more for me.  The most I may do with a completed idea/song is take them to my band in order to use them as lyrics.  And that's after I'm VERY comfortable with the quality of the songs, and after making sure the song doesn't deal with an issue I'd feel uncomfortable having them read about.

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monsterone

04-19-2005, 06:34 PM

when i wrote a lot more, i would "journal;" still kind of do.  basically, it entails keeping say a marble note book and trying to devote a certain amount of time to daily.  but i would scratch things down of note papers and transfer then to the book.  atleast you can see your progression.

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Death Metal Moe

04-19-2005, 06:42 PM

YOu see, I'd probably shit if anyone ever found my notes and writings, so I don't physically WRITE anything down.  The only way I was comfortable doing this was to type stuff in my notebook computer so I could keep the whole thing locked behind my passwords.

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monsterone

04-19-2005, 06:48 PM

i'm the same exact way, exactly.  but i've been journaling to get through some issues and an attempt to get rid of a creative block.

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Death Metal Moe

04-19-2005, 06:55 PM

Well, I will admit writing things down might help me out.  It seems ever since I've been thinking about wanting to write meaningful shit, I've had a good idea or 2 a day, but I forget them by the time I'm home near my desktop or laptop.  I would carry something with me to write it down, but I just know how I'd feel if someone found a note, recognized my handwriting, and either brought it to me to ask me what it meant, or even worse, misunderstood it and thought I was a weirdo for the rest of my life.

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monsterone

04-19-2005, 07:14 PM

not to side trac moe, but i'm reading the church of satan info pack, and shit if that doesn't give you something to wrap your mind around. oh yeah, check out that lil john song i posted about earlier.  da bawmb,

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ChickenHawk

04-19-2005, 07:21 PM

How can you develop creative writing skills?
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Death Metal Moe

04-19-2005, 07:23 PM

Oh I don't need inspiration, I need a more effective way to put my ideas and feelings onto paper or in this case, into type.  I have lots of ideas.  I'm just bad at expressing them in writing.And I've read a lot of the Church of Satan stuff.  Lots of common sense shit about self empowerment in there.  But they cross the line when it becomes a RELIGION.  I don't want to be part of any religion personally.

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Death Metal Moe

04-19-2005, 07:25 PM

Hugs, not Drugs Chicken Hawk.

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monsterone

04-19-2005, 07:49 PM

quote: Oh I don't need inspiration, I need a more effective way to put my ideas and feelings onto paper or in this case, into type.  I have lots of ideas.  I'm just bad at expressing them in writing.And I've read a lot of the Church of Satan stuff.  Lots of common sense shit about self empowerment in there.  But they cross the line when it becomes a RELIGION.  I don't want to be part of any religion personally.<img src="http://unhallowed.com/sigs/Death-Culture.gif" border="0" /> <a href="http://www.unhallowed.com/">www.unhallowed.com</a> <a href="http://thebigsexxxy.blogspot.com/">One Big SeXXXy Blog</a> i say word. and ch might be right about the herb.  1 word:  pantera.  and not the board member; anough about him being assaulted by fruits and veggies. 

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DarkHippie

04-20-2005, 06:35 AM

I do a brainstorm and outline before every story I write.  Then for the first draft I just fling shit on the wall and see what sticks.  loosely follow your outline, but just write whatever comes to mind.  The first draft is supposed to suck so don't worry about it.

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IamFogHat

04-20-2005, 07:21 AM

The only thing you can do to help your creative writing skills (besides drugs) is reading more and writing more.  And by reading I don't mean those technique books and all of that nonsense.  The only kinds of those books that you're talking about will say something like; they'll have a list of things to do/not to do, and then the last item on the list will say 'Do not listen to this list, make up your own rules, creative writing is how you make it creative etc'

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Recyclerz

04-20-2005, 11:44 AM

I agree with what Foghat says but would modify it slightly as follows:1. Read (obsessively) those authors/songwriters that you admire or respect2. Copy their style while writing about things that are important to you3. Repeat 1 & 2 until you find your own "voice".Even if you are primarily interested in writing lyrics, I would recommend reading some of the great fiction writers and even, ahem, poets,  to see how they bend the languange to force you to look at the world in new ways.

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Tall_James

04-20-2005, 11:58 AM

How can you develop creative writing skills? <ol><li>Locate a talented writer.</li><li>Kill talented writer.</li><li>Crack open skull with rock. (or typewriter for dramatic effect)</li><li>Feast upon the sweet cranial juices that are brimming with talent sauce.</li><li>Repeat as necessary.</li></ol>

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sr71blackbird

04-20-2005, 01:55 PM

Moe, Id suggest you start reading books by people who have a knack for writing creatively and try and copy their style.  The same way that you as a drummer will hear a style of drumming and try and reproduce it.  They say imitation is a form of flattery.  Im on a big Annie Proulx kick now.  Her style of writing is amazing and witty.  Check out some of her books, especially Accordion Crimes and see what I mean. 

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Billy Staples

04-20-2005, 07:17 PM

quote: How can you develop creative writing skills?   he said it best...

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torker

04-20-2005, 07:21 PM

avoid writing in feces<img height="53" src="http://sena-cos.com/images/orenjimaru.JPG" width="40" border="0" />

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Death Metal Moe

04-20-2005, 07:32 PM

quote:<div align="center"></div>avoid writing in feces<img height="53" src="http://sena-cos.com/images/orenjimaru.JPG" width="40" border="0" /><img src="http://home.comcast.net/~rmfallon/RFnettorker1313.jpg" border="0" /><div align="center">Dad kills people and you help him! Uh-uh. We're just fulfilling God's will. I'm telling Dad on you! </div><div align="center"></div>Well I mean we all know that joking with fecal matter is never justified, so I'm good on that front. 

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Billy Staples

04-21-2005, 05:02 AM

<a title="Why isn t the Messageboard Forum display behind " href="http://www.ronfez.net/messageboard/viewmessages.cfm/Forum/71/Topic/44714/page/Why_isn_t_the_Messageboard_Forum_display_behind_.h tm">Why isn't the Messageboard Forum display behind?</a> oh boy...whoever you pick has certainly got their work cut out for them!!! Staples

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blancostupido

04-22-2005, 06:05 AM

Yeah I've had cringe moments when someone went thru my notebooks but One technique is called MIND-MAPPING and can only be done on paper longhandTake a word or phrase and write it down....say "time"....draw a line from that and write down the next thing that comes to mind, like "time what?....time heals" "heals....wounds" "wounds...blood...hurts" or whatever.  Keep mapping these out sort of like a "family tree" structure & let one idea create the next.  Draw circles around key elements and if a phrase comes to you rather than a word write that down too.  Think of rhymes or whatever and the key is KEEP WRITING & DON'T EDIT.  That comes later.  As mentioned before "brainstorming".  there are no bad ideas, just keep your hand moving and the ideas flowing.Sheila Davis wrote a bunch of books "The Craft of Lyric Writing" is onealthough more geared to pop/standards lyrics, there are excellent tips on rhymes, near-rhymes, song structures & features examples and critiques from students and well-known artists

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