Do you
want to make your writing more “real” to your readers?
Well,
you can – by borrowing from the powerful yet brief descriptive style of
singer-songwriter Paul Weller.
I first
“got into” Weller’s lyrics – as a huge fan of the band The Jam.
I played
in uni bands in Australia – with a big UK influence!
I loved
the music of the Jam and the “intelligence” and novelistic detail of Paul
Weller’s lyrics.
One of
my favourite Jam songs is That’s Entertainment – for the lyrics.
It’s not
like the usual energetic and electric Jam songs. Musically, it is quite pedestrian
(compared to their other songs) – but lyrically it is brilliant!
It’s
acoustic with just light percussion and “easy” lyrics that flowed quickly to
Weller.
Weller
says he just described what was going on around him.
The
lyrics describe the non-glamorous working-class life and what passes for
entertainment.
What
appeals to me about the lyrics – and what YOU can use to make your writing more
REAL is:
1. how
the descriptions appeal to many senses –
especially smells and sounds
2. The
use of the sound of words – a device called onomatopoeia - where the word sounds like its meaning
3. The
understatement where the reader “fills in the blanks” as to what’s happening.
The reader adds more meaning and gets “involved” in co-creating the work.
These
days I work as a writing coach and trainer. I still enjoy my Jam and Paul
Weller music – any my parka!
I’m
getting 2014 off to s strong start with my blogging too and I’ll share in a
future post what YOU can learn from Paul Weller’s powerful descriptive writing
If you’d
like to improve your writing: Here are some quick tips.
1.Release
The Verb
2.How
nouns can save your butt!
3.Use
visual language
4.Parallel
Structure
By Tony Biancotti
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