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Will You Add? - What Bruce Springsteen Taught Me About Writing
The Internet has made it possible to get an online life insurance quote quick and simple. Unlike having to call up a life insurance agent, make an appointment, and try to fit it into your busy schedule, you can now simply go to your computer and immediately get an online life insurance quote. Before sending over your information there are a few things you should know first. Here are a few quick tips to help you in your search.Finding A Good WebsiteYou can easily get a life insurance quote online for every type of policy, coverage amount, and even special underwriting circumstances. The best place to start is by going to your favorite search engine and type in what you're look
4.) Try Something Different
Most of the songs on Born to Run were written on piano--this from a guy known for his raucous Fender guitar. But writing on piano gave Springsteen new ideas and presented new opportunities for him to explore. It also gave the album an amazingly emotional and intimate vibe that I find intoxicating. What can you do differently that can inspire a leap to your next level? Set your novel in 1905 instead of 2005? Write from the point of view of the opposite sex? Be a little creative with your non-fiction? Take a chance. No effort is ever wasted even if you're writing badly--you can still learn from what you've done wrong.
5.) Think Local, Write Global
Choice of business card and office stationery should be given top priority. In a world obsessed with image, and the attainment of wealth and success, it is essential your business looks good on paper. It is the first link between you, your trade / organization / company and prospective clients. You don't get a second chance to make a memorable first impression.Your business card is a powerful advertising tool and an investment in your company's future. Advertising and make no mistake, your business card is an advert, can be traced back to the ancient city of Pompeii. In the 1700's archaeologists excavating the long buried metropolis, were astounded to find many of the crumbling wall
What's hitting home for me is hearing about how Springsteen's back was really up against the wall while he was creating this album. His record label was considering dropping him so he knew he had to make something happen. When people ask me "how do I know if my work is good enough?", I think of Springsteen because surely he wasn't asking that when he was trying to figure out what to write. The answer could have been "it's not" if he had asked someone at his record company. He had to work and learn for himself how to tell if his work was good enough. This is what I learned from how he did it.
1.) Learn From the Great Ones
In the summer of 1974 Springsteen could have been lamenting the fact that his first two albums had not been successful and he was living in a tiny house in New Jersey while the country was in the throes of a severe economic depression. But he wasn't. He was focused on his songwriting. "I had a record player by the side of my bed," he wrote in his book, Songs. "At night I'd lie back and listen to records by Roy Orbison, the Ronettes, the Beach Boys, and the other great '60s artists. These were records whose full depth I'd missed the first time around. But now I was appreciating their craft and power." Notice he wasn't saying "There's no way I can create songs like that!" Instead he was considering "what can I add to the conversation?" He was getting inspired and educated at the same time.
2.) Aspire to Be Great Yourself
In an interview about Born to Run, Springsteen says he knew his record company was about to drop him. He added, "I knew I had to write something great." Springsteen didn't have to write something great. He could have folded up his tent and said, "they don't like me, I'm just gonna stay in Asbury Park and play where people appreciate me and that's it." But he didn't do that. He also didn't ask whether he was good enough. He simply challenged himself to go beyond himself--to be great. Ask yourself: what are you writing right now and is it challenging you to be great? What would it take for you to start thinking this way?
3.) Find Trusted Ears for Feedback
Yes, it is hard to know on your own whether you're on track with your writing. That's when you recruit your own inner circle of readers whose ears and eyes you trust. Jon Landau became one of those trusted pairs of ears for Springsteen. They became friends during the writing of Born to Run and Bruce often sent Jon, then a Boston music critic, tapes of the work as it progressed. When the work stalled, Landau was the one who came in and helped Bruce put it all together. Who can be those ears or eyes for you? Try to keep the inner circle small. If you have too many opinions showered on your work it may cloud your creative judgment.
4.) Try Something Different
Most of the songs on Born to Run were written on piano--this from a guy known for his raucous Fender guitar. But writing on piano gave Springsteen new ideas and presented new opportunities for him to explore. It also gave the album an amazingly emotional and intimate vibe that I find intoxicating. What can you do differently that can inspire a leap to your next level? Set your novel in 1905 instead of 2005? Write from the point of view of the opposite sex? Be a little creative with your non-fiction? Take a chance. No effort is ever wasted even if you're writing badly--you can still learn from what you've done wrong.
5.) Think Local, Write Global
Equation Research recently published data indicating that the difference in income between Top Salespeople and Low Performing Salespeople is nearly $100,000 a year! Where do you fit in?Average Total Compensation of Salespeople*High Level Performers $155,055 Mid-Level Performers $93,499 Low Level Performers $64,990*Source: Equation Research: Sales & Marketing Management Magazine, May 2005About 10% of all salespeople are in the High Level Performers category. However, within that ranking, the Top 1% earn anywhere from 5 to 15 times more than the average of that group.What accounts for these substantial differences in performance The answer could have been "it's not" if he had asked someone at his record company. He had to work and learn for himself how to tell if his work was good enough. This is what I learned from how he did it.
1.) Learn From the Great Ones
In the summer of 1974 Springsteen could have been lamenting the fact that his first two albums had not been successful and he was living in a tiny house in New Jersey while the country was in the throes of a severe economic depression. But he wasn't. He was focused on his songwriting. "I had a record player by the side of my bed," he wrote in his book, Songs. "At night I'd lie back and listen to records by Roy Orbison, the Ronettes, the Beach Boys, and the other great '60s artists. These were records whose full depth I'd missed the first time around. But now I was appreciating their craft and power." Notice he wasn't saying "There's no way I can create songs like that!" Instead he was considering "what can I add to the conversation?" He was getting inspired and educated at the same time.
2.) Aspire to Be Great Yourself
In an interview about Born to Run, Springsteen says he knew his record company was about to drop him. He added, "I knew I had to write something great." Springsteen didn't have to write something great. He could have folded up his tent and said, "they don't like me, I'm just gonna stay in Asbury Park and play where people appreciate me and that's it." But he didn't do that. He also didn't ask whether he was good enough. He simply challenged himself to go beyond himself--to be great. Ask yourself: what are you writing right now and is it challenging you to be great? What would it take for you to start thinking this way?
3.) Find Trusted Ears for Feedback
Yes, it is hard to know on your own whether you're on track with your writing. That's when you recruit your own inner circle of readers whose ears and eyes you trust. Jon Landau became one of those trusted pairs of ears for Springsteen. They became friends during the writing of Born to Run and Bruce often sent Jon, then a Boston music critic, tapes of the work as it progressed. When the work stalled, Landau was the one who came in and helped Bruce put it all together. Who can be those ears or eyes for you? Try to keep the inner circle small. If you have too many opinions showered on your work it may cloud your creative judgment.
4.) Try Something Different
Most of the songs on Born to Run were written on piano--this from a guy known for his raucous Fender guitar. But writing on piano gave Springsteen new ideas and presented new opportunities for him to explore. It also gave the album an amazingly emotional and intimate vibe that I find intoxicating. What can you do differently that can inspire a leap to your next level? Set your novel in 1905 instead of 2005? Write from the point of view of the opposite sex? Be a little creative with your non-fiction? Take a chance. No effort is ever wasted even if you're writing badly--you can still learn from what you've done wrong.
5.) Think Local, Write Global
Whether you’re wet-behind-the-ears or a seasoned copywriter, your craft will benefit by remembering one thing:You’re nothing more than a salesperson.There’s an old saying in the “business” that, “a copywriter is a salesperson sitting in front of a typewriter.” True, few of us are using typewriters these days. The principal, however, remains unchanged.We’re in sales. I know this. You know this. We all know this. Yet why does much of the copy out there, especially ads produced by expensive agencies, seem to miss the point?If all we’re doing is sales, albeit transmitted through a written or broadcast medium, then we’d better know what we’re doing.Startissed the first time around. But now I was appreciating their craft and power." Notice he wasn't saying "There's no way I can create songs like that!" Instead he was considering "what can I add to the conversation?" He was getting inspired and educated at the same time.
2.) Aspire to Be Great Yourself
In an interview about Born to Run, Springsteen says he knew his record company was about to drop him. He added, "I knew I had to write something great." Springsteen didn't have to write something great. He could have folded up his tent and said, "they don't like me, I'm just gonna stay in Asbury Park and play where people appreciate me and that's it." But he didn't do that. He also didn't ask whether he was good enough. He simply challenged himself to go beyond himself--to be great. Ask yourself: what are you writing right now and is it challenging you to be great? What would it take for you to start thinking this way?
3.) Find Trusted Ears for Feedback
Yes, it is hard to know on your own whether you're on track with your writing. That's when you recruit your own inner circle of readers whose ears and eyes you trust. Jon Landau became one of those trusted pairs of ears for Springsteen. They became friends during the writing of Born to Run and Bruce often sent Jon, then a Boston music critic, tapes of the work as it progressed. When the work stalled, Landau was the one who came in and helped Bruce put it all together. Who can be those ears or eyes for you? Try to keep the inner circle small. If you have too many opinions showered on your work it may cloud your creative judgment.
4.) Try Something Different
Most of the songs on Born to Run were written on piano--this from a guy known for his raucous Fender guitar. But writing on piano gave Springsteen new ideas and presented new opportunities for him to explore. It also gave the album an amazingly emotional and intimate vibe that I find intoxicating. What can you do differently that can inspire a leap to your next level? Set your novel in 1905 instead of 2005? Write from the point of view of the opposite sex? Be a little creative with your non-fiction? Take a chance. No effort is ever wasted even if you're writing badly--you can still learn from what you've done wrong.
5.) Think Local, Write Global
Local and foreign businessmen have more than USD $500 million ready to invest in the development of tourism projects in Panama. These are plans that seek to develop, among others, Panama's Pacific and Atlantic coasts scenarios with a huge potential - as destination for those who want to visit or reside in their paradisiacal surroundings. "Eyhaes Serrano"With the approval of Law 2 of January 2006 a legal framework on tourism incentives that seeks to promote, in a an orderly manner, investments in tourism without the affecting established private property, acquired rights or environment a significant step is taken to boost this growing industry in the country.According to offiond himself--to be great. Ask yourself: what are you writing right now and is it challenging you to be great? What would it take for you to start thinking this way?
3.) Find Trusted Ears for Feedback
Yes, it is hard to know on your own whether you're on track with your writing. That's when you recruit your own inner circle of readers whose ears and eyes you trust. Jon Landau became one of those trusted pairs of ears for Springsteen. They became friends during the writing of Born to Run and Bruce often sent Jon, then a Boston music critic, tapes of the work as it progressed. When the work stalled, Landau was the one who came in and helped Bruce put it all together. Who can be those ears or eyes for you? Try to keep the inner circle small. If you have too many opinions showered on your work it may cloud your creative judgment.
4.) Try Something Different
Most of the songs on Born to Run were written on piano--this from a guy known for his raucous Fender guitar. But writing on piano gave Springsteen new ideas and presented new opportunities for him to explore. It also gave the album an amazingly emotional and intimate vibe that I find intoxicating. What can you do differently that can inspire a leap to your next level? Set your novel in 1905 instead of 2005? Write from the point of view of the opposite sex? Be a little creative with your non-fiction? Take a chance. No effort is ever wasted even if you're writing badly--you can still learn from what you've done wrong.
5.) Think Local, Write Global
More and more I am hearing about problems in the office revolving around people issues. We are all familiar with sexual harassment and discrimination of various types. But what if you are experiencing feelings of discomfort due to actions that fall within the cracks. Such as inappropriate language or jokes of a sexual or racist nature? Perhaps your boss is asking you to handle tasks in a way that you know border on the not quite right side of an issue or even down right illegal. And he/she makes it clear that you are expected to do as you are instructed.Is the accepted culture of your company making you feel isolated? Do you get "punished" for not attending company social funcany opinions showered on your work it may cloud your creative judgment.
4.) Try Something Different
Most of the songs on Born to Run were written on piano--this from a guy known for his raucous Fender guitar. But writing on piano gave Springsteen new ideas and presented new opportunities for him to explore. It also gave the album an amazingly emotional and intimate vibe that I find intoxicating. What can you do differently that can inspire a leap to your next level? Set your novel in 1905 instead of 2005? Write from the point of view of the opposite sex? Be a little creative with your non-fiction? Take a chance. No effort is ever wasted even if you're writing badly--you can still learn from what you've done wrong.
5.) Think Local, Write Global
One of the changes Springsteen made with Born to Run was that the characters in his songs were "less eccentric and less local" than the ones on his previous albums. The people in Born to Run "could have been anybody and everybody," he says. "When the screen door slams on 'Thunder Road', you're not necessarily on the Jersey Shore anymore. You could be anywhere in America." And it's true. Millions of people connected with--and bought-- Born to Run. I sought the same kind of connection for my novel. Though the family in All I Need to Get By is African-American, I've had readers of all races tell me how they have seen themselves in one or more of the characters and how they related strongly to the book's family issues. Touching people in this way is key to developing an attentive audience. How can you open up your work to a larger audience while still being true to your story?
If you still have doubts, think of this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires...courage." Be courageous for yourself and your writing. Your own Born to Run may be waiting to come out.
© 2005 Sophfronia Scott
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can! If possible, please include this information with the story: Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at www.TheBookSistah.com
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