Recommend me a book to broaden my mind

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ax2x3m

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hey all, wanted to take my writing to the next level, just noticed that im not that creative in terms of word use so im just wondering what ur favorite books arethat inspire you or depict beutiful images using words and just over all, think inspired your writing

any comments would be greatly appreciated
 
ax2x3m said:
hey all, wanted to take my writing to the next level, just noticed that im not that creative in terms of word use so im just wondering what ur favorite books arethat inspire you or depict beutiful images using words and just over all, think inspired your writing

any comments would be greatly appreciated
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a ruled notebook from WHSmiths, and a Bic biro pen.

I'm serious.

I have tonnes of the things lying around. Most of the contents now are rubbish, and will never see the light of day in a song, but in terms of getting creative, it's really the best way, IMHO.
I've tried methods from other people, but it leaves you with a problem that things might never actually sound how you really feel you want them to be.
BUT - don't limit the contents of your 'songwriting' books to lyrics. draw pictures. write thoughts. write down the first thing that comes to your head.
You'll find some pretty thoughtful songs coming through eventually. It's pretty hard for me to sit down and thing 'i'm gonna write a love song now' or 'i'm gonna write a rock classic' cos it just never seems to work like that.
Beautiful images do come, but in your own time. I don't think you can sit down and just consciously write a beautiful song at will.

But that's just my way. I'm sure many will disagree.

The thing that bugs me with tutorial books for songwriting/guitar playing, etc, is that I've never ever heard of the author. I don't dispute that they might be good at what they do, but they haven't put it to practice. Now if Lennon & McCartney had written a book on songwriting, i might have bought it, because time after time they just churned out classics.

I hope you get my point.
 
brummygit said:
a ruled notebook from WHSmiths, and a Bic biro pen.

I'm serious.

I have tonnes of the things lying around. Most of the contents now are rubbish, and will never see the light of day in a song, but in terms of getting creative, it's really the best way, IMHO.
I've tried methods from other people, but it leaves you with a problem that things might never actually sound how you really feel you want them to be.
BUT - don't limit the contents of your 'songwriting' books to lyrics. draw pictures. write thoughts. write down the first thing that comes to your head.
You'll find some pretty thoughtful songs coming through eventually. It's pretty hard for me to sit down and thing 'i'm gonna write a love song now' or 'i'm gonna write a rock classic' cos it just never seems to work like that.
Beautiful images do come, but in your own time. I don't think you can sit down and just consciously write a beautiful song at will.

But that's just my way. I'm sure many will disagree.

The thing that bugs me with tutorial books for songwriting/guitar playing, etc, is that I've never ever heard of the author. I don't dispute that they might be good at what they do, but they haven't put it to practice. Now if Lennon & McCartney had written a book on songwriting, i might have bought it, because time after time they just churned out classics.

I hope you get my point.
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im not looking for songwriting books, im looking for something to expand my brain :D i do write but i just feel that the stuff i write can be much better, like if i can relate most linear stuff to something more creative and fresh... i guess my brains been too warped by TV and movies :P i really dont expect to learn how to write songs, i just want to discover how other people express their thoughts through words so that maybe i can find my own way of expressing myself

and it never hurts to read a good book right?
 
ax2x3m said:
and it never hurts to read a good book right?
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nope, definitely doesnt hurt at all. if you really must draw creativity from outside sources other than just writing random stuff, then famous quotes, metaphors etc are very inspiring to me.
 
check out the artist's way by julia cameron. not a fiction book, but not a self help book either. some goooood ideas there about creativity and re-generating and maintaining your source of original ideas. not a songwriting book! fuck those things.

i really liked the alchemist by paulo coelho, very clever book.

take some mushrooms or some acid if you want to expand your mind...hehehe...no, kidding...
 
best way to freshen your ideas.. is to get out there and do new stuff... 'doing stuff' can be a great source of inspiration... i get a lot of inspiration from just sitting and watching ppl as well....

even though you dont want a book on songwriting... i did like "song writing by song writers" .. something like that...its interviews with over 100 songwriters, how they write song, get inspiration, so on and so forth... its especially good if you're a fan of singer-songwriters, cuz theres a lot of them in there...
hope any of this helps

gl
 
"The Tracker" by Tom Brown Jr.

"Ishmael" by Danial Quinn

Anything by Herman Hesse (maybe "Narcisus and Goldmund"- its been a while since I read his stuff.)

-C
 
Check out Richard Bach's other books, too. I can't remember which is which any more, but I devoured them when I first started reading them.

-C
 
"The Sheep Look Up" John Brunner
"The Lord of the Rings" J.R.R. Tolkein (3 books)
"Joan of Arc" Mark Twain
"Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" Hidy Ochiai
"The Art of War" Sun Tzu
"The Book of Five Rings" Miyamoto Musashi
"The Wizard of Oz" L. Frank Baum
"The Descent of Woman" Elaine Morgan
"Gyn-Ecology" Mary Daly

If you can read all of those and not be changed in some way- give up reading... and breathing.- Richie
 
I only read the first post from Brummygutsomething, I need read no more. That was perfect. I agree...completely. How weird.
 
nopoetic said:
I only read the first post from Brummygutsomething, I need read no more. That was perfect. I agree...completely. How weird.
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no problem :p
 
Siddhartha by Herman Hess
Steppenwulf by Herman Hess (yes, its where the band got its name)
 
Chris Shaeffer said:
Check out Richard Bach's other books, too. I can't remember which is which any more, but I devoured them when I first started reading them.

-C
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"Illusions" is the better of the Bach books.
 
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