Originally Posted by: iamthe_eggmanI second that. I've been out of school for some years now and therefore am not reading as much, and I can definitely feel that my language skills are slipping. Maybe not in everyday conversation, but in creative writing and even in how I used to be able to put my feelings or thoughts in words much more easily.

So, 1791, go to the library and take out a few books. Some I recommend:

• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
  


• Anything that says "by Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens" on it
  


• some good translated Russian works, like Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol
  

I would have come up with more, but a client just interrupted me with a 30 min. telephone call.




Listen up here, 1791.

Even if the style isn't your thing, read anything you can get ahold of by Jack Kerouac- his writing style is like prosaic-jazz. It's almost musical the way he writes, and his subject matter is cool stuff. (I see him as a latter day Mark Twain).

Next, check out Bob Dylan's lyrical work- even if you don't like his sound, he is a brilliant lyricist- especially the Highway 61 album, and mainly Desolation Row- mind blowing stuff.

Other things that I try are just word excercises- write down turns of phrase, snippets, one-liners, anything, and save it. kick it around and rework it until you can use it. Mainly, just have fun with it and when you sign that fat record deal, don't forget about us around here! ;)

peace