Thug / Life

February 26th, 2008Blog0 comments

I have to write some rap lyrics for a project of mine. I’ve never written rap lyrics before, so I emailed a couple of friends who are good at such things for tips. I’ve also been listening to and dissecting lyrics that I like to figure out what makes them tick.

I think a huge part of writing is confidence in the endeavor. It is, in essence, improv in extreme slow motion — you are thinking of things on the fly, tying them together, and setting them on the page. An audience or a reader can easily sense insincerity or inauthenticity. Young writers or writers operating without enough research have a huge problem with both of these things. But confidence goes a long, long way.

When you write with confidence, even if you are putting down words/stories that are factually untrue, they feel true. They become true. Fiction can be as true as fact.

The reader/audience is giving themselves up to your narration. They are letting their minds go, putting themselves in your hands. Everyone wants the truth (or something that sounds very much like it!) to be told to them. And the best writers write with authority.

I’ve been saying this a lot recently: The best writers I know have all developed a sort of Dude-like Abide and Fuck-It mentality. They cruise along, putting out tons of work and writing with authority. Everything they put out is good, and it’s all about the truth. I read somewhere that you can always be chasing after the next thing, worrying and wondering, always asking the universe why it hasn’t given up its gold — or you can just sled down the mountain, always onto something new, finishing one thing and immediately jumping onto the next. It’s your choice.

The more I think about it, the more I think that confidence is about letting go rather than armoring up. And it comes with practice. Practice, practice, practice.

It’s finally open: The Echo Park Time Travel Mart!

My friend recently pointed me in the direction of this biz — it’s by the 826 National folks, the guys behind McSweeny’s. They run tutoring programs for kids cleverly disguised as pirate stores, super hero supply shops, and space travel supply stores. According to their website, 826LA is currently looking for interns. Teaching kids how to write — sounds like a swell time!