In 1996 I was doing a hip hop compilation CD called The Collective for my production company, SCR Entertainment
. There were 11 MCs and because I value the craft of lyric writing, during the album pre-production stage I decided that we, as a collective, would get together and critique the lyrical content of each song submitted for album consideration. I wanted to ensure quality in content.
Now, two of the MCs had crazy flow but their lyrics fell short of the established standard so after repeated failed attempts to improve their writing I put a spotlight on the primary issue; limited vocabulary. I asked them each a single question which I ask of you as well: as quickly as you can without taking time to think, how many rhymes can you come up with for the word “you”? Try it. Don’t read further until you try this.
How many did you come up with? Neither of the MCs could do more than ten. Now pick up a rhyming dictionary and you will find more than 100 words that rhyme with “you”. Many of these words would inspire whole new ideas, and many of those ideas could be the difference between a great song and just another mediocre one.
Many of the greatest songs were crafted, not just written. Crafting great ideas takes time and effort in thought. As a writer, your greatest asset is a command of words. Your tools as a writer should include a rhyming dictionary, a thesaurus, and works of other writers you admire.
Reading a variety of written works will also inspire ideas. One of the first rhyme writers I loved back in the day was Rakim (very old school.) For R&B it was the writing teams of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and LA & Babyface who were consistently crafting hit after hit through the 1980’s and ‘90’s.
Even if you don’t want to be a great lyric writer, (really!?!?) your writing will improve when you write often and study great writers and the craft of writing. Study the great writers and the craft of writing!
About the author:
Roger E Lear, also known as REL, has been creating and producing music for over 22 years. He has helped many new as well as established artists create money making music. He has built his career as a full time music producer by providing excellent quality music production and song writing services. REL publishes a free weekly newsletter with helpful tips for aspiring artists at http://www.BanginBeatsByREL.com. Included with all subscriptions are free sample beats. You can learn more about REL at http://www.BanginBeatsByREL.com/About-REL.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Article Marketing - Writing Articles To Build Your Online Business
Online writing includes articles, blog posts, eBooks, short reports, and any other writing that is written and read exclusively on the internet. Writing articles is the foundation for all of this writing, and it is imperative that you get started with article writing as soon as possible. There are many reasons for this, and here are just a few.
Writing a three hundred word article every day will get you into the habit of writing. I had not written for more than twenty years when I first started writing articles a year and a half ago. During the first 30 days or so it was difficult to make myself write. At some point it just became part of my daily schedule, and I have been writing ever since. I currently have about 775 articles published on the internet, and you can do the same thing if you write every day.
You can repurpose your articles into other types of online writing. I have written blog posts based on my articles, including more information in certain areas and eliminating some of the content in others. I have also combined several articles into short reports that I have sold and given away, as well as used my articles as the basis for two eBooks. Because you can write an article in less than an hour, they are the perfect vehicle to create other types of writing. You can even use an article as the content for your autoresponder messages.
Start writing articles on topics you are knowledgeable about. In the beginning you will just want to get your information out, so do not worry too much about the style or format of your writing. As you become more proficient in your writing ability you will begin to find your voice and the words will just flow naturally. This will also help you with search engine optimization because you will be writing the way you would explain your topic to someone you were speaking to, and this will show in your writing.
Once you submit your articles to the article directories the information will circulate around the world. Make sure you lead people back to your website or blog, and have a way for them to opt-in to receive more information from you in the future. You will trade them a short or special report in exchange for their email address, and this free giveaway will also come from your articles.
I encourage you to learn how to write and submit your articles in a way that will maximize your credibility and visibility on the internet, and you will be able to build your online business in just a few months.
About author: Connie Ragen Green
Connie Ragen Green teaches you how to write articles and eBooks to build an online business, as well as how to use the technology needed. Visit http://www.EbookWritingandMarketingSecrets.com to find out more.
Writing a three hundred word article every day will get you into the habit of writing. I had not written for more than twenty years when I first started writing articles a year and a half ago. During the first 30 days or so it was difficult to make myself write. At some point it just became part of my daily schedule, and I have been writing ever since. I currently have about 775 articles published on the internet, and you can do the same thing if you write every day.
You can repurpose your articles into other types of online writing. I have written blog posts based on my articles, including more information in certain areas and eliminating some of the content in others. I have also combined several articles into short reports that I have sold and given away, as well as used my articles as the basis for two eBooks. Because you can write an article in less than an hour, they are the perfect vehicle to create other types of writing. You can even use an article as the content for your autoresponder messages.
Start writing articles on topics you are knowledgeable about. In the beginning you will just want to get your information out, so do not worry too much about the style or format of your writing. As you become more proficient in your writing ability you will begin to find your voice and the words will just flow naturally. This will also help you with search engine optimization because you will be writing the way you would explain your topic to someone you were speaking to, and this will show in your writing.
Once you submit your articles to the article directories the information will circulate around the world. Make sure you lead people back to your website or blog, and have a way for them to opt-in to receive more information from you in the future. You will trade them a short or special report in exchange for their email address, and this free giveaway will also come from your articles.
I encourage you to learn how to write and submit your articles in a way that will maximize your credibility and visibility on the internet, and you will be able to build your online business in just a few months.
About author: Connie Ragen Green
Connie Ragen Green teaches you how to write articles and eBooks to build an online business, as well as how to use the technology needed. Visit http://www.EbookWritingandMarketingSecrets.com to find out more.
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