How I taught two of my sons to write

How I taught two of my sons to write My sons are different I taught them differently. One son was despairing about having to write a High School essay about how he had spent his summer vacation. He had no desire or ability to compel words to the paper. I told him that he would not be graded on the accuracy of what he wrote, only on the form of the essay, so he should feel free to make up any wild story. I said he could say he worked for the CIA tracking down a dangerous mobster (or something like that) and I could see his eyes light up and he *ran* back to the page. Problem completely solved and the joy of writing entered my son. Another of my sons was also struggling to write a High School essay. He had eked out a few sentences. I read them and knew immediately what his problem was. He was focusing on trying to use some florid style he must have read in the essay examples provided. I told him that he should focus on what he wanted to say and then how he writes it and the words he uses will fall naturally and appropriately. Again, he lit up as he got what I was saying and he has been enjoying writing ever since. When he writes I can hear him communicating. These two principles apply just as well to songwriting. You don't have to be factual, only true emotionally. And the driver of the song has got to be what you have to say and the form need have no other characteristic than that it is the best way to say what you have to say. Many wannabe writers have not learned to "squeeze" their emotions so they exude "juice". One way is to exaggerate. For example, if as a child you had a five minute scare in a grocery but you can still remember how scared you were, imagine that you were NOT found. Imagine and feel all the feelings that you feel and then find words to describe what your mind had imagined. Link in all the things you feel as you tell the story of being lost, wondering if you were abandoned, worrying if it was your fault or something you said. You can then write authentically about feeling lost. YOU SHOULD FEEL THE FEARS AND SADNESS AS YOU HEAR YOURSELF WRITING THE LINES OF YOUR SONG. The words must cause you to feel or they are (for most song situations) not worth writing down. Dave Barry said the he know when he writes that it is funny BECAUSE HE IS LAUGHING ABOUT WHAT HE IS WRITING AS HE WRITES! by:Bill