Namix Dialogues - Random Thoughts

[namix]

placeholder for random thoughts, ideas, etc. on writing topics.

[namix]

Before Getting Personal

1- make sure the knowledge is public!
personals are GREAT, and important in order to make a diss relevant clearly.
however, if you need 6 different quotes before reading the verse to give your lines context, you are already taking A LOT away from your punches.

unless your doing something REAL fancy with one-quote introducing your verse, I'd always recommend avoiding the personal. if it isn't well known enough OR if it is soo much background that you cannot effectively use your setup to 'take the reader on the journey' -- then something is wrong with the idea and/or it will come off forced/contrived.

2- It doesnt need to be a personal to make them take it personally
I believe there is a real art to taking a 'soft' personal and making it, through solid writing, appear to something that has defined someone's entire text career. Even if you do not know someone, and they have like 2 discussion board posts total, there is SOMETHING TO BE SAID.

Some people fall into the trap of, since they dont know their opponent, focusing on their name/nameplay... That's solid for one, maaaybe two (if dope and different) punches, and maaaaaybe 3 if it's a longer verse AND they are different name plays, but damn - i use to see kids do like whole verses outta nameplay, and it loses its steam if you can't break it up with SOMETHING else lol....

Even without knowing a head, you can take a simple interaction ---- "great idea, So-n-So", you could talk about the dude using the Thread for Sewin So he can knit his boyfriend a sweater...

(um, i made that up after I wrote "so-n-so" so cut me some slack.. or knit me some. lol) -- ya'll get the point. :D

[namix]

No Such Thing as Writers Block

1. It Starts and Ends with YOU
If you feel a lack of inspiration or creativity --- remember that you control all the variables to writer's block...

If the inspiration does not come to you naturally --- just go out and grab it for yourself. The art of "free-writing" is sooo under used by GOOD writers, and it's amazing.

Good writers tend to 'see' names and 'remember' things, 'see' events/news/etc, learn new things ---- and think of punches...


BUUUUT --- all of that shit is in your head already --- just be creative in how you access it....

In a moment of GREAT inspiration: just write down your ONE dope idea, then let it flow yo --- do not focus on the wording or rhyming or whatever, you can revisit it and make it more crisp later. get the basis, the ideas, down while your tapping into it -- and GO.

In a moment of TRUE writers block: (1) Get the framework down (what you 'want to say', the general 'message' you want to come across), then (2) JUST GO CRAZY... JUST TYPE.


Start with the most relevant word in your verse --- and use it as a springboard to just GO...

Shit, if you have no word - start with WRITERS BLOCK... i'll do it in real effin time yo

Writers block, block, karate, chop, chopped salad, but not solid, shit's fluid,
flew like a bird, flu like a pig, i'm an ANIMAL HIDE, gimme some skin, close shave, razor blade,
DULL, Cut, BLED OUT, tissues kleenix, CLEAN-KNICKS, floor seats but top tier get kleenix for your tears,
or clean-knicks of old wounds when I open 'em, it's not closed, it's not close,
far away from my field of competition, but they like the Glenn Close, give 101, dalmatian, ya DOLL MAY SHUN,
when she leaves the root of the problem stemmed from a tree, captured the dirt underneath like a white-T
see a whitey in a white-T eating at whitey's, why tease? tease him about his sexuality as he's teasing his hair
hare, rabbit, foot luck, fated, faded, faze him in every phase of the game--- game of thrones, thrown punches, face caught'em, HBO, its showtime go, cinemax, no sinna macks on a kid as righteous as this.


word. again, i dont even know how much i wrote at this point, im posting in quick reply... and while that was a random example --- by no means like "theres really dope lines in there", there is a TON of shit to pull from... and again, that was starting with the damn word "writers block" lol...



Please tell me if this kind of random shit is of ANY value --- just kinda rambling ideas as they come up.

pc

[Utmost]

I like this random shit, because if i cant get anything dope down initially i scrap it all, it may prove fruitful just to write everything down first

[namix]

IDEATION

Even before you have a name to put to your punches - you can start thinking about your framework/approach.. let's talk about ideation... start filling your notebook with ideas, take several angle.


CONCEPTUALIZING CONCEPTS
start high-level, think about "life" in general, and narrow it... a ton of ideas can spring forth.

think about everything in between the "Universe and you" --- then you can narrow down the subject matter based on your competition and the relevancy of the world today

From the cosmos to the atom - and everything in between, there is an infinite amount of material to pull from.

Random examples:

LEVEL 1 - highest level
start off with general themes, the highest level ideas, just to get your brain churning - and so when you feel a moment where you need inspiration, you can revisit some high-level angles without feeling like "oh no, what else could i think about"
goal: give yourself something to pull from, lay out a blue print that serves as an infinite starting point to more ideas.

Universe/cosmos
World
Nature
Society
History
Science
Religion
Language/etc.
Math
Music
etc.




LEVEL 2 - a bit more specific
taking the above concepts, or others, and narrowing them down
goal:make it applicable to the "world" today

What's happening in society today?
News/events?
Nature? Science? Inventions?
Popular trends?
Politics? Money?
Social trends - new things everyone is using (tablets, mobile devices, left to his own devices with xtc tablets.. the ideas start coming)
Latest music, sports, etc. something most people are aware of.
The Date -- shouldnt be far from VALENTINES DAY... always opportunities in the present.




LEVEL 3 - PERSONALIZE
within the above, there is ALWAYS a punch which would be more applicable to your opponent than others --- maybe you get the "right opponent" and you can just "flow" and knock him out -- or maybe the process of preparation gives you OTHER ideas, got your mind working a certain way to arrive at freshness quicker than if you hadnt...
goal: however, the goal is simple, cater the concepts to the person your battling! -- now that you have a pool of ideas, drown 'em in it.

examples pending names lol.

[namix]

WITH KILLER ORGANIZATION, YOU'RE IN MURDEROUS COMPANY

Do not be fooled - most 'textcees' are not writing their shit down from top to bottom with now edits. Sure, there are keys, but even that art has been lost for the most part --- because you can read it!!! You can truly tell, if you look at the details and the flow, whether it was truly keyed up.


Fuck that - you're not going to get any points for how quick you wrote in this league.


Inspired by what Utmost just wrote re: "throwing out concepts", here is my 3-step phase to consider for writing in a tournament:

Open 3 word documents, save one as:
"01. Battle vs X - Idea Pool"
"02. Battle vs X - Working Version"
"03. Battle vs X - Final Verse"

Obviously you can do this on 3 pages or whatever, whatever you are comfortable doing - but consider organizing your thoughts like this.

"01. Battle vs X - Idea Pool"
This is where you save any and all ideas, even if it is just ONE WORD, or a fully fleshed out punch and setup -- this is where if you start to struggle creatively, you just start typing random shit until you tap back into the dopeness.

"02. Battle vs X - Working Version"
This is the phase where you might have 30 great punchlines, or workable concepts, which if you NEEDED to write a 60 line verse, you would work with all of them in one way or the other.

This is also where you start putting the final product together --- move your notes forward, start prioritizing concepts/etc.

"03. Battle vs X - Final Verse"
This is where you put the "must haves" right out of the gate. As you decide to revise and delete other concepts, you can revisit the "working version" to add more content as needed.



Note: this process will ALSO help in our revision/collaboration process --- i want you to be ready with some supplemental content --- if we are doing 12 lines, try writing at least 20 --- I can help you transform an okay concept to something good - or good to great --- but the ideas need to start with you, so be ready with concepts --- if they are super wack, at least have a couple other ideas to pull from so we can take it from there!!

[Cashius]

To kind of piggy back on what namix just said...USE YOUR PHONE!

Early on, I can't tell you how many concepts I thought of and then forgot. And I'm always in random places when a concept will pop in my head because I'm always hearing something ( a phrase, a name, a movie, etc) and thinking "how can I make that into a punch?" So, now I have a notepad in my phone and right away I jot down something so I can remember it when it's time to write.

[namix]

To kind of piggy back on what namix just said...USE YOUR PHONE!

Early on, I can't tell you how many concepts I thought of and then forgot. And I'm always in random places when a concept will pop in my head because I'm always hearing something ( a phrase, a name, a movie, etc) and thinking "how can I make that into a punch?" So, now I have a notepad in my phone and right away I jot down something so I can remember it when it's time to write.

CLUTCH!

You always think you're going to remember until you forget - it's amazing.

I use to literally carry around a sticky pad in my pocket haha. but word - smart phones are so much easier to type with now, clutch advice.