Are there things related to the lyrics forum that anyone would like to discuss that aren't specific to a particular piece? Topics? Likes and dislikes of your own writing? Things you'd like to change or improve on? What makes you write? Do you have to be in a certain frame of mind? Is music involved?
I'm just throwing out some ideas. A few of us have talked the past couple days and I got the go ahead to post it. If it's worthy of it being stickied that will happen. If it doesn't fly maybe there will be some ideas for us to share at least.

__________________

Sounds fairly interesting. Something like a music theory forum, only for lyrics and poetry instead, is that what you are getting at?

Well, I do think that would be quite right. Look beyond the growling and screaming - necessary ingredients, don't get me wrong - of any good metal song, and you see that the lyrics are often quite impressing. At least to me, good lyrics is a must to actually like a song; and from that point of view it is only natural to want to discuss the hows and whys of making them.

__________________

no, she is not getting at a poetry music theory forum.... but this is involved too! its more the question why we write and what gets us to write something.

I personally think this is a great idea, and we can see and improve our own work and the work of others, through the accomplishments in this thread.

__________________

You're both right. It's intended to be a place for you to discuss all the general aspects of writing that wouldn't be appropriate in threads devoted to critiques of specific works. That's pretty all-inclusive, so take advantage of it if you care to.

My my, that was broad. Though it will probably be most interesting once, and if, it gets started.

May we have a mod comment on this?

__________________

Umm, I could have sworn I'd posted again here.

Okay, I'll try to get the ball rolling. Since there's the other thread about having writer's block, do you find yourself worrying when it hits or do you ride it out patiently? Do you ever write yourself out of it?

__________________

I am the mod.

when i get writes block i dont write

actually i dont write much at all , so...

__________________

I find it quite frustrating to find a suitable topic to write upon, and when writers block happens. If im taking a cycle in the nearby woods, it'll really help on clearing my mind and writing some more

__________________

Yes, I know you are. Don't worry I'm not trying to downrate you; but you happened to post at same time as I was writing.

There are a multitude of methods to get around writers block. One is to start by ripping off someone else, just to find the right tone for the piece. But damn you to something slimy should you present it before it is one hundred percent your own.

__________________

Here was awfully quiet. Is there really so few of all the metaltabbers that are interested in discussing the hows and whys of lyric writing?

__________________

Maybe there's no inspiration for question asking presently? I know I could think of all sorts of things til I brought the subject up.

Does anyone have a particular place where you seem to write more? Do you write only about specifics or is there no limit to subject matter?

I used to mostly write in a notebook. The computer was very hard for me to get used to writing on. It took a couple years to do. For a long time weekend mornings at work was the only time I'd write. It was quiet and I was alone.

__________________

I could talk like a waterfall about all these topics, but Time is not always available.

Now, to come to your questions.... Its not about quantity, it is about Quality. But I will rephrase your quesiton into: Does anyone have a particular place where you seem to have more Inspiration?

Yes, of course... I'm going for inspirational walk around the corner nearly everyday. I do this at midnight, when no soul wanders thorugh the ill-lighted streets. I think about certain Topics or concerns, and build those ideas into complex ideas. Well, when I'm finished with my thinking process, I go to the nearby forest here, with pen and paper, and jsut write down my Ideas on paper. I think about them more and more, till something strikes me and makes me write it down in a poetic way. The quietness in the forest helps me to develop my ideas, and the sorrounding helps me to find the right words to use.

Do you write only about specifics or is there no limit to subject matter?
Well, the subject matter is from day to day different, because I think about different topics/subjects which have influenced my being itself from certain happenings.

__________________

nights walking around ill-lit german streets? writing in a forest?
i just stare at the little blinking fellow and type to make it stop

__________________

what the hell do you mean?

__________________

when you reply to this, click inside the reply window and look at the black line that is there. see how it blinks? in Notepad when you type it stops blinking

__________________

Oh, I see. I never paid attention to that. I write on Wordpad when I write on the computer. I don't know if there's a blinky thing or not.

I went out in my back field and parked myself under the low-branched pines and just sat there awhile. I had paper and pencil with me. It was cool because the birds would get extremely close to me back there and weren't scared at all. I used part of the experience in a Clash of Swords piece I did several years ago. the woods themselves have give me good inspiration.

__________________

oh crazy.... well thats going to follow me the rest of my life.... can't stop looking at it....

__________________

Interesting, I grab inspiration at 'silent' moments too. for instance when I'm riding the last train home at night. or when I'm driving through some pretty scenery on my motorbike, I usually stop to chill out for five minutes and enjoy every bit of it. Allways when there's no soul around.. I like silence and desolation at times.

I don't write about specifics but there's usually a life's lesson or experience in my lyrics. that's why I'm not all too eager to post them down every time. Some make it onto a cd, most don't. Most of them stay mine.

Anyways, interesting topic. I haven't been around for a while but it's good to see some people still put some effort in this forum, for that, I salute you.

Well, it's good to have you back Def.
I just had an inspiration within the past hour and found some scrap paper and pen to jot a few lines before I forgot them. I was upstairs cleaning and dusting my bookcase and going through some stuff that had accumulated when I thought about a conversation I had with a friend the other day about the water tower up the street and a story that grew up with me about it. Hopefully that will work itself into more. Of course I'll post it when it's done. It's my way of being an exhibitionist.
In the accumulation I found a solitary piece I'd written to my mentor about a year after we "met" on the net. That brought a smile to my face.

__________________

shit, I gotta get writing. Right now I'm more preocupied (sp?) on the music, writing guitar riffs, playing with my voice haha, but I should get to writing some songs lyric-wise. too bad I suck ass. haha

__________________

Well, maybe that's just the part of the wave you're in right now or maybe you're like me and do one thing better than the other. I'm not very good on guitar, but I think my lyrics can be pretty cool sometimes. I still try to pick up the guitar more than I was and it's helped, but I do that because of encouragement I've gotten from other people. Give writing a shot sometime and post at this forum or pm me or one of your friends here to read it. I didn't write for years because I didn't think it was very good and the "audience" that read didn't seem too enthused, but once I found peers that made a huge difference and I learned to perfect it more. It doesn't hurt to try.

__________________

I'll do that. I have tried out a few times, some responses were good, alot bad, haha.. but I'll keep trying for sure. The last piece I wrote was an extremely not to be taken seriously emo-murder song, but I didn't bother putting that up on here

__________________

Well, if it's something you might want to use and you'd like to improve on it, post it with those intentions in the thread and we'll see what we can do with it --or tell you it sucks beyond belief.

__________________

It happened again this year. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6844817/

Happy b-day Edgar!
I bet he'd have been a goth/metalhead.

__________________

This is an intresting topic. I often times feel that i get writers block. But i absolutly nowadays get Guitar composing block..

I'm in such a rut right now its so ridiculous. I pumped out like 17 hella quality, original songs.. and i can't come up with anything. And when i do.. i basically get bored cause it took me so long to come up with 1 riff that i'll just put it down.. and thast the end of that.

But anyways about lyrics. I dunno I write when i'm sitting in class or at night. I write the best when i've had a few beers haha. but thats i guess a common thing. If i come up with a block... very often what happens to ge tme out.. is i'll listen to a song and it will get stuck in my head.. (like a very good song.) And.. the mood from that song will literally force me to come up with something. (not so much the rhythm or how the lyrics are in that song) but just my interpretations of the overall sound and the feelings involked from the music.

Shit i wrote 2 "songs" or "poems" today off one song.

__________________

As far as writing a lot and then not being able to get much I think that I get mentally exhausted after a high point like that. Everything has rhythms and I think that's like the crash of the wave when a tide hits the beach. You have to wait for the water to receed and build up it's strength again. After I wrote one piece in particular "Passion Denied Pt.1. " I couldn't hit anything up to that calibre for quite awhile because I needed to get my momentum back. The piece took so much out of me I was exhausted for words.
The thing is not to worry about it and do like you've done and keep writing little snippets. Don't get discouraged and when that wave comes again ride it for all you're worth and enjoy the high. It's great!

__________________

I'm so pissed right now I could spit! I had a few verses and a chorus written, but I hadn't saved it yet. I hit the ctrl z and lost about half of it!! It's gone forever now and I was even getting a melody for it! I HATE when I do something like that!!! Writer's frustration.

someone gimme a damn pencil...... I think I should really write that way again. and then just copy them.

I had to rant. thx

__________________

Damn that blows. I actually have that as an almost phobia now. I'm too afraid of my computer goin down and me losing all my work. Luckily i've backed it up every now and again. (every few months) But if i lost.. sheet like 5 or 7 sets of lyrics i'd be fucked.. Not to mention alot of my newer recordings, I haven't backed up any of my drums, or their loops. So if my computer crashed... i would be.. very unhappy.. to say the least.

Moral of the story. Save often =)

__________________

Oh yeah, I lost a whole lot of stuff when my old pc was hit by lightning. I had an indoor surge protector on it, but I lost a lot of things I'd written in a certain timeframe. I have a couple notebooks with my pieces in and I've also got a section of my file cabinet I keep hardcopies in. It's no fun to lose all that. I've even got it posted at the forum where I mod to not trust the site for preservation and to keep copies of one's own.

__________________

When I write good, it's usually when I'm in a black metal mood; so I'm pissed at something, and there's silence around me.

__________________

I suppose I explain iambic pentameter, stressed and unstressed syllables, but it happens naturally as we speak, so it's not horribly necessary.

I think that it is most important when writing to finish your idea. If it's all fragmented, or fragmented without a point, it piece seems empty and lackluster.

The second most important thing is emotion. I read a piece from a guy I know, great words, great rthythm, complete thoughts and everything... But it was told in a narrative style and lost all its power. Write like you are talking to someone, not reflecting in a diary. Assert your thoughts. Write to kick the reader/listen in the face, not drown them in something that actually has potential. This all relates to passive voice.

__________________