Rap Tutorials: Nigma's Guide to Topical Writing

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    Posted: 01 May 2014 at 1:15am


As a public service to those who are coming along with the early stages of their writing career as well as those who consider themselves experienced in the field, I am going to break down my writing process as I tackle my recent verse in the crew battle against Lucky D. It’s something I've wanted to do for awhile, and this particular verse turned out to be an excellent example. A lot of text will be reposted as I show updated versions of the verse so try to highlight the new content via bolded text. Feel free to skip over as much of the ‘data’ as you’d like. Onwards to insight.


One of the most critical pieces of advice I will offer is to not be afraid to switch your shit up. If a portion of a verse is feeling flat, sometimes you've got to remove a sizeable chunk to take it in the direction you want to. Moving on, I’ll explain the process I went through from the very beginning of this verses construction up to it’s completion.


This article will explain in detail how the writing process is as important as any of factor contributing to your end result. This particular piece was written to the topic “Getting sent back in time to the 1800s”


I approached it with a curiosity, however manufactured, of what an average day would look like in the lives of men and women from the era we were writing about. I decided to make a list of points I picked up on from various articles I read. It turned out something like this:


Boys

- cut split carried wood for stove or fireplace

-tending to farm animals

-carried water to house, well water

-putting up / repair fencing

-gardens/fields/orchards

-hunting/trapping/fishing; provide food for family


Girls

-cooking

-milking cows and goats

-collecting eggs

-churning butter

-make bread / cheese

-preserving food

-cleaning/laundry

-making candles

-sewing clothes

-wool and flax to spin and weave

-care for the young and elderly


Children learned to read and write at home or in simple 1 room schoolhouse

Teacher usually single women, as young as 14 of 15

Either a local or from far away living with a local family

Sometimes walk 2-3 miles to/from (students and teachers)

Started work before sunrise, worked until the evenings on some occasions


Having a set of details and a picture painted in your subconscious will naturally enhance your imagery as you approach the verse. My next step is to pick the angle I’m going to approach this at. I generally try and take the non-obvious approach in order to bring a fresh verse with fresh concepts to the table. Although at this point I am unaware the specific direction I will go, I know I’m not going to write something as cut and dry as walking in a time machine and being teleported back.. Na, I’m gonna go with my strengths, write about something I am knowledge about (or become knowledge about via research). I also want to bring an extra bit of pizazz to the verse. This is accomplished in many many different ways such as teaching the reader something, intense storytelling, twists, excessive literary devices, all of the above, ect. Next step is narrowing down the concept and see where it takes me.


My first idea was for it to be a concealed FBI file of an event which they had covered up. While writing this I thought of an idea that I’m going to write it down here. I had chosen for it to be 1933 when he got sent back 100 years. I read up on what happened in 1833 and there was this thing called the Kansas City Massacre. So my idea is to have the plot of the verse conclude to, in some way, be the cause of the massacre. Not sure if this will be possible but I’ll read more into it later.

From here I begin to construct a timeline of my verse and the content it addresses along with extra notes of possible links including future explorations into increased depth. I ad libbed a perspective of a full grown man going back in time, but also being reverted to an infant and reliving life, and reflecting back on both lives. Earlier I had decided I wanted to format it like an fbi file. I jotted down some notes to that effect:


this was his statement:

landed in 1833, he was 3, happened shortly after the kansas city massacre

grew up with a family that found him (work interesting time travel into how he got there and how he was found)

discuss his early years, give details on mother/father/siblings/and self

discuss details of details leading up to the massacre.


Also wrote a line that goes with a section of self reflecting in the statement:


And me? I’m just a lonely sadist saviour in his open church

Invaders in your home, you know that pain is in the overture


Am now going to put on an instrumental, read up on the Kansas City Massacre, then convert this into writing. As I complete a section that incorporates the ‘research’ I’ll delete it from the list of notes jotted down earlier.



I was a picture perfect timid thing in midst of middle ages

Was the prince of little things which build my frame, a simple patron

And the skills I’ve gained, the will and traits of bravery instilled, obtained

I’m maybe waiting patiently to pillage every villain, slay their guilty nature

Filled my wage in silk while bragging, till one day came stillness

And my realness ends, away with that, reels to credits, stained it black

Near the days I’m tossed there I forget that logic plays it back

The thoughts I father foster both my sons and daughters bayonets

Did way with all the bassinets till fate displayed a candid grin

It takes me from the famous life and drags me to the past again

Changed me and my actions, in repayment it retracts my sins

My back on crib and candace un-maimed as an assassins skin

Was the first of our new kinship, then came little sister Alice

It’s 1833 and mom made dinner, passed me pablum

And her hands both badly calloused because Dad had thrown his back out

When his axe had smacked a bad knot, now hes pacified and laid off



I am not completely satisfied with the way this is going but I’m getting sick of writing so I’m going to take a break, perhaps change the direction when I get back.



Decided to edit some out and completely change the direction of the concept. It’s now going to be about a boy talking to his grandfather who is reliving his childhood. Heres the progressed version:


I was a picture perfect timid thing in midst of middle ages

Was the prince of little things which build my frame, a simple patron

And the skills I’ve gained, the will and traits of bravery instilled, obtained

I’m maybe waiting patiently to pillage every villain, slay their guilty nature

Filled my wage in silk while bragging, till one day came stillness

And my realness ends, away with that, reels to credits, stained it black

Near the days I’m tossed there I forgot that logic plays it back

The thoughts I father foster both my sons and daughters bayonets

Did way with all the bassinets till fate displayed a candid grin

It takes me from the famous life and drags me to the past again

Changed me and my actions, in repayment it retracts my sins

My back on crib and candace un-maimed as an assassins skin

of the layers laying on the blades of grass within


The last line is incomplete, I jotted that down before the final ad lib and it was, obviously, the first line I completed afterwards. This allowed me to polish prior lines while they were fresh in my head without forgetting the direction I wanted to go.



He was the prince of little things which built my frame, a simple patron

And the skills I’ve gained, the will and traits of bravery instilled, obtained.

I may be waiting patiently to pillage every villain, slay their guilty nature

Filled my wage in silk while bragging, till one day came stillness

And my realness ends, away with that, reels to credits, stained it black

Near the days I’m tossed there I forget that logic plays it back

The thoughts I father foster both my sons and daughters bayonets

Did way with all the bassinets till fate displayed a candid grin

It takes me from the famous life and drags me to the past again

Changed me and my actions, in repayment it retracts my sins

My back on crib and candace un-maimed as an assassins skin

Grew as a kid of labour, laying traps in blades of grass to get

an animal, drag it back for mama who would bag the bad meat

Me and dad, as hunters, take the sack as bait to catch it’s mate

Maintain the stash we ate from, trait of man to take no glamour

Stacked beside the gate we had a paved-in patch to axe swing

And the blade would slash the oak tree at an angle, into fractions

I would take them to the stove so we could bake them into rations

Because mama made the pasta dashed with basil, glazed in flax seed

And the light blazed from the candles she created, faces happy

We said grace and sat there laughing and engaging as a family

Chatted on our daily tasks, the radishes, the grapes and cabbage

They’d been picked, we ate them mixed with grains to make a salad

Then replaced the plates from appies to a steak, potatoes, balanced.

Scraped each ounce then dab our faces, now it’s on to cake

It’s crowned with frosting layers draped around its framed surrounding

And we drank the milk we drained from cows before its stale or soured

Because waste would take the actions that we break our backs for

Make them greater, escalate, and strain us in some way or manner

It takes more than a great mustache to make a man. Put faith in that

as good I say it had been, your great pa-pa would name us slackers

And just as your age is bad, the path you pave will take you blacker




I completed the 32 line limit, though feel I could easily have surpassed it. I feel the voice of the verse and its perspective is unclear and feel like it needs an overhaul.


The biggest criticism I (and others) had for this verse was the need for a twist, for that little something extra that makes the verse to leave a lasting impression. As I write this I don’t know exactly how I’m going to achieve that, however I am going to cut out the first quarter(ish) of the verse, the section I had written for my previous concept idea, and replace it with something more fitting, perhaps playing off the message I chose to end with. I will alter the part I have removed and use it for a verse in the future.


Finally thought of the final angle of the verse. Its about a father talking to his son, Abe, how he cockily sat through the potato famine, and speaking to him from beyond the grave.(To be revealed in the finale.) Cannibalistic family.


The final version:



The past can really take you back.. Ireland’s our Native Land



Above me, my son Abe is asking, pa pa, why’d you stay? You sat and

Lasted eight years to the day, in fact, Potato Famine taints your land

What Abe don’t grasp, theres ways which we could stay, adapt

Grew a kid of labour, trained to trap. Lay them down in blades of grass

Pray to get a great big catch, when gazing at grazing pack, we’re hungry

And a gun goes bang, would scare them, couldn’t take the chance

Our aims fantastic, barrelless, it’s arrows in our strained elastics

Drag it back for Mama who would bag the meat that's bad, then

Me and dad, as hunters, take the sack as bait to catch it’s mate

Maintain the stash we ate from, trait of man to take no glamour

Stacked beside the gate we had a paved-in patch to axe swing

And the blade would slash the oak tree at an angle, into fractions

I would take them to the stove so we could bake them into rations

Because Mama made the pasta dashed with basil, glazed in flax seed

But the ache still stabs me, damn, it takes me back, the seasons changing

No more deer around here grazing, so the meals were all occasions

It had seared your Grandma badly, she appeared so hollow, vacant

And one day, exhaustion takes her. Certain fact, her cheeks amazing

So we ate her, sadly, she was first to pass and she looked tasty…

But we made it, days grew happier, the pain was soothed away

And we grew a great potato crop, the same way that it used to be.

I married off a maiden, she got pregnant and produced you, Abe

You grew up raised to wait your turn, to stomach every vegetable

That sometimes they are scarce, so taste is nothing, its digestible

If nothing, it will rescue you from suffering, a lesson for whats coming

The men said plague is coming back, it’s stressful but it’s coming

I mentioned to your mom that my repentance had been summoned

Cause my energy had plummeted, my mettles an encumbrance

So the day that I drew breathless she dissected me to eat, like deer

The reason that you’ve even here regretting what your teeth had pierced

You stand beside my tombstone and your grieving through a sea of tears

From underneath my grave I say these words I wish that he could hear



I’m gonna re-read to edit spelling mistakes (and probably fix them before posting this) Then I will finally be complete. I do not often switch verses around to this extent. This is one I wanted to be happy with before posting, and at many times I didn’t think it was going to be achieved. Receiving another opinion for the verse confirmed suspicions I had about the response and took the guesswork out of it.



The final piece of advice I will pass forth is this. No matter what level of experience you have come to possess, whether you consider yourself an apprentice or master of the arts, progression is infinite. The greatest way to take advantage of this knowledge is to continuously read others work with the intention of learning from it. There are lessons in every drop. Whether visible or opaque, intentional or serendipitous, they exist and are ripe for the picking. If site betterment isn’t a valid motivator to continuously ingest the work of your peers, perhaps self betterment will be. In conclusion, I’ll supply links to 5 pieces of mine that stand out well in recent memory. Thank you for taking the time to read this and best of luck with your progression.


http://www.lyricalassault.co.uk/forum/the-illuminatus_topic25540.html

http://www.lyricalassault.co.uk/forum/galactic-fractals_topic26504.html

http://www.lyricalassault.co.uk/forum/the-celestial-wanderer_topic25626.html

http://www.lyricalassault.co.uk/forum/the-prophecy_topic26987.html

http://www.lyricalassault.co.uk/forum/the-book-of-enoch_topic29090.html


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nigma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 May 2014 at 1:16am
reserved
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also reserved
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote INK. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 May 2014 at 1:46am
Originally posted by Nigma Nigma wrote:

reserved


1st reply bitches...dope work I do my tutorials within 2 hours lol I should take more time. Because this is fire awesome shit nigarochi


Edited by INK. - 01 May 2014 at 1:56am
#BARS



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote levy420 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 May 2014 at 2:33am
Good shit nigma this was a clean guiding tool for anyone to explore topical writing cheers an fuck u ink for getting first
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Exoduzt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 May 2014 at 3:39am
I respect and like this a lot.  I also will use some of what you say in the future.  After reading this and reading your work (not just in this post)  I have come to realize in my own writing that I sacrifice vocab and certain writing techniques for story telling.  I feel that I use my twist or shock value within a  story as a weapon so to speak...To be honest it has benefitted me in the past but I want to become the full topical writer that can do everything and beyond...this is a dope post....an eye opener and I really hope you dont retire...I have said since the beginning you are in my top 3 favorite writers I have seen since I have been doing this....good shit Nigma....CHEERS  to you homie

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Trizzy Tre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 May 2014 at 4:18pm
Dope shit here bruh....way to help the community out. Solid breakdown of your thought process on creating your barz and forming a verse. Sometimes dudes just dont know how to start getting shit down on paper and you really walked them through it....
 
Well done.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Titu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 May 2014 at 4:59pm
Well well... I learned a lot from it. Sometimes, the hardest thing is to get started and i really loved the approach you take. I will definetely put that in my next topical... Thanks brother. Really appreciate the time
And effort you put in this totorial. Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote H4ZE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 May 2014 at 1:02am
dope tutorial bruh, I've been waiting for this and I got exactly what I was waiting for,  thanks for taking your time to put this together, this will help out LAs community and this will help me out a lot as a writer. I really appreciate you doing this. Good shit.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nigma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 2014 at 1:37am
Thanks for the positive feedback everyone, I'll be making a post later this evening for reader feedback on the other two sections and will be asking for YOUR help with a couple things. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Reptillian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 2014 at 2:09pm
Nigma,

     this was a great way to help out everyone who read it. Even if others do have a different approach there is no possible way that a different perspective with this much effort wouldn't be helpful. I learned some helpful tips in here and I appreciate the time that you dedicated to help others progress. Mad respect and props. Beyond all that... very nice final composition.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nigma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2014 at 8:44pm
Thanks for the read man
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote INK. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2014 at 9:17pm
u duh man dawg
#BARS



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nigma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2014 at 2:16am
u muh dawg man
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Iso Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2014 at 1:33am
This was for sure an informative read for a vet or a rookie. Gotta respect someone who is methodical and meticulous in their work. Big ups.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote SwordedStylez Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 June 2014 at 12:54pm
You know, this really was a very cool thing to read. I'll be honest I kinda ignored the "guide" element in favour of "I get to see someone's creative process" which to me is fascinating.  I love seeing another writer's way of working so truthfully and honestly you have my thanks, this may actually be my fave thread on this sight since I joined so long ago. Dope.
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